Jesuit, Destiny Christian win chance to face each other in NorCal HS basketball championship
Neither team achieved their goal of winning a championship at Golden 1 Center, but the CIF Northern California Regional playoffs granted Destiny Christian Academy of Sacramento and storied Jesuit a second basketball life.
Now the programs meet on Tuesday at Jesuit for a shot at the Division II championship after staging big home wins on Saturday night in semifinal action.
DCA, formerly known as Capital Christian, used a 17-5 closing run to deliver a 55-42 victory over Clayton Valley Charter of Concord, which was coming off a quarterfinal surprise at top-seeded Rocklin.
Rocklin was coming off of a last second-second, dramatic win to stun Jesuit in the finals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II tournament at Golden 1. Jesuit bounced back from the Rocklin downer to go 3-0 in NorCal play, including a 63-60 win over Clovis East of Fresno County in a semifinal.
Jesuit is in its 10th NorCal final since 1988 and first under coach Tim Kelly. DCA has had teams reach NorCal finals before in other divisions when it went by Capital Christian, and the one program the Lions always look forward to playing is Jesuit. This is the first NorCal final for DCA coach Mike Lorente.
Jesuit has had the upper hand in this series, if just slightly, over DCA, recording a section playoff win over the program in 2023 and in a section quarterfinal last month.
▪ Fourteen Sacramento-area boys teams entered NorCal regional action and now three remain. Small-school fast riser Fortune Early College of Sacramento will host a Division V final Tuesday after bouncing top-seeded University Prep of Redding.
▪ For the girls, two teams remain of the 14 Sacramento-area clubs that reached NorCal rounds, both of them in the smallest divisions with Woodland Christian of Yolo County and Faith Christian of Yuba City
OPEN DIVISION
De La Salle 47, Folsom 38 — The third-seeded Spartans of Concord closed out the No. 3 Bulldogs with a 10-0 run in a tight, physical game that speaks of the talent and effort in the state’s highest classification.
Folsom’s defense got the Bulldogs here, including slowing down Inderkum and Modesto Christian on their way to winning the section Division I banner, but De La Salle was just as defensive-minded. The Spartans moved to 18-1 at home by allowing few easy looks for Folsom, The Bee’s No. 1-ranked team, and they will visit Riordan of San Francisco on Tuesday night for a chance to cap the prep season in the Open State finals March 15 at Golden 1.
Oklahoma Sooners-bound senior forward Alec Blair scored a game-high 14 points for De La Salle despite a sore ankle that kept him out of practice during the week to lift the Spartans to their 14th NorCal final in program history. His 3-pointer was part of the closing run, and it snapped Folsom’s 10-game winning streak under 500-game winning coach Mike Wall. Junior forward Joven Dulay led Folsom with 12 points.
DIVISION II
Jesuit 63, Clovis East 60 — Guard Asher Schroeder scored 25 points as his stellar senior season continued, Max Browne contributed 14, including a late 3-pointer, Brandon Williams scored 11, and the Timberwolves of Fresno County missed four shots in the closing seconds as the No. 3-seeded Marauders survived.
Schroeder, a versatile 6-5 shooter and ball handler, made two free throws with 12.7 seconds to go for a 63-50 lead.
Destiny Christian Academy 55, Clayton Valley Charter 42 — The upset-minded run for the Ugly Eagles of Contra Costa County ended as the host Lions broke it open behind senior guard Jaylen Valdez. The 6-4 captain and a fourth-year starter hit big shots under pressure and then had a reverse dunk to seal it and fire up the school’s student section.
Valdez had 15 points, guard Frederick Blue scored eight of his 15 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter, and 6-6, 230-pound forward Jepte Tambala muscled inside for 11 for DCA.
DIVISION V
Fortune 65, University Prep 61 — Behind leading scorers Mekhi Tanner, Omarion Davis, Malachi Hollingsworth, Elijah Thompson and Kaden Bean, the Panthers kept their improbable run rolling under spirited coach Earl Allen Jr.
Fortune lost to Argonaut in a section semifinal, slipped into the NorCal field as the No. 4 seed and beat Northern Section programs Portola, Weed and University Prep to reach its first NorCal final. The Panthers will host International of San Francisco.
The one-time Sacramento High head coach, Allen became Fortune’s coach on the eve of the season and has produced a 24-8 season in just the fifth year of the program.
GIRLS OPEN DIVISION
Mitty 71, McClatchy 48 — Defense, tradition and balanced scoring led the way for the national powerhouse Monarchs of San Jose, the top seed that pulled away in the second half against The Bee’s top-ranked team for their 14th consecutive victory.
Devin Gosgriff scored 22 points, Emma Cook had 13 and Tiera McCarthy 12 to lead Mitty to the finals, seeking the program’s 15th NorCal championship under 800-game winning coach Sue Phillips.
Mitty takes on second-seeded Clovis West of Fresno for the title at home. Clovis West moved to 33-0 with a 69-62 semifinal victory over San Ramon Valley of Danville in the other semifinal. McClatchy was coming off a spirited run in the section playoffs, punctuated by a Division I championship win over Folsom at Golden 1 Center.
Nina Cain led the Lions with 16 points. The senior fourth-year starting forward became the program’s first player to break the 2,000-point career scoring mark. The Bee’s Player of the Year last season is headed to the University of Washington on scholarship.
DIVISION V
Woodland Christian 46, Head-Royce 39 — Led by leading scorers Teagan Hayes, Siena Sorbello and Keziah Maldonado-Lemus, the No. 2-seeded Cardinals moved to 18-0 at home and 3-0 in their first NorCal run.
Woodland Christian on Tuesday will host No. 4 Encinal of Alameda.
DIVISION VI
Faith Christian 78, Weed 59 — Behind the region’s leading scorer in a record-setting night, the No. 2-seeded Lions raced past the No. 3 Cougars and will host No. 5 Cornerstone Christian of Antioch in Tuesday’s NorCal final.
Division VI teams do not advance to CIF State finals. A 5-11 junior guard, Lauren Harris scored 44 points and made nine 3-pointers to set the California girls record for most made threes in a single season with 183.
Presely Berry had 19 points. for Faith Christian, which is in its first regional final.
This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 8:42 AM.