The Bee’s Top 20: Milestone moments for coaches, Harris sets national 3-point mark
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Shandyn Foster reached 200 career wins as Christian Brothers seeks sixth program title.
- Kim Contreras notched 400 victories as Valley Christian sustains sectional dominance.
- Faith Christian’s Lauren Harris set the national career record for made 3-pointers.
Two championship high school girls basketball coaches from the Sacramento region, Shandyn Foster of Bee-ranked No. 1 Christian Brothers and Kim Contreras of small-school powerhouse Valley Christian Academy of Roseville, recorded major milestone victories last week.
With a 69-37 win at Woodcreek on Thursday, Foster recorded her 200th career victory as Christian Brothers’ head coach. Foster is in her ninth season leading her alma mater. She has helped the Falcons to CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championships in 2018, her first year as a coach, and in 2020. Christian Brothers has been to two of the past three Division II section finals, falling short in each.
But this year’s Falcons were on a mission to capture the sixth blue banner in program history. Senior Joy Omishakin continued to be the go-to playmaker with team highs of 17.4 points, 4.1 assists and 5.0 steals per game, along with 7.7 rebounds. Junior Olivia Novi averaged 16.5 points a night, while Journey Williams anchored the post with 11.1 points and 8.2 rebounds.
Contreras, also on Jan. 29, recorded victory No. 400 with a 70-21 win over Sacramento Adventist in Carmichael. Contreras, who is assisted on her staff by her daughter, Angelina, is in her 20th year coaching the Lions of Placer County. They have won seven section championships since 2012, six of which came at the Division VI level. Their 2023 title was the first at the Division V level after defeating Bret Harte of Calaveras County.
This season, Valley Christian is led by senior guard Janet Donkor, who entered the week fourth in the section in scoring at 25.1 points per game. Senior Lydia Gunter (13.5) and sophomore Lulu O’Connor (10.5) also averaged double figures for the 17-4 Lions.
Harris breaks career 3-point record
Faith Christian senior Lauren Harris broke the national record for career 3-pointers made on Friday on Homecoming night in Yuba City.
A Long Beach State commit, Harris needed four 3s against Sacramento Country Day to surpass the 639 tallied by Aaliyah Chavez of Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas. She nailed two in the first quarter and two more in the second to give her 640, drawing an outpouring of support from the home crowd.
“It was great that I got to do it in this gym because I feel like this gym is what built me into the person I am basketball-wise and just off the court,” Harris said. “So I’m very grateful I get to have another memory.”
A legitimate candidate for Bee Player of the Year, Harris finished with 23 points and seven 3s to push her total to 643, with five regular-season games remaining. Faith Christian, 19-1 and ranked No. 8 by The Bee, was preparing to defend its section and NorCal championships during the postseason.
Liberty Ranch’s Smith reaches 2,000 points
Another Bee Player of the Year candidate, Haley Smith of Liberty Ranch of Galt, added to her resume by surpassing the 2,000-point mark for her career on Jan. 28 with 20 points in a 53-30 win over Amador.
Smith is already the Hawks’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder and continued to shine with 19.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. She entered the week 18 boards shy of 1,000 for her career.
The reigning Division IV section champion, Liberty Ranch (19-5) is 10-0 in the Sierra Valley Conference and can wrap up its sixth straight league title with a pair of wins this week.
The Bee’s Top 20
(Records entering Monday)
1. Christian Brothers (20-5)
2. Antelope (19-2)
3. Oak Ridge (17-6)
4. Del Oro (20-3)
5. Folsom (16-5)
6. Woodcreek (19-6)
7. Vanden (18-5)
8. Faith Christian (19-1)
9. Placer (23-2)
10. Cosumnes Oaks (17-5)
11. McClatchy (16-8)
12. Grant (16-6)
13. Laguna Creek (17-6)
14. Inderkum (15-9)
15. Colfax (16-7)
16. Sheldon (15-8)
17. Liberty Ranch (19-5)
18. Monterey Trail (12-9)
19. Woodland Christian (21-2)
20. Davis (13-11)
Bubble: Granite Bay (11-13); John Adams-El Dorado Hills (20-3); Lincoln (15-8); Nevada Union (17-8); Sutter (17-7); Twelve Bridges (17-6); Union Mine (16-8); Valley Christian (17-4); West Campus (14-3).
Nick Pecoraro is a longtime area high school sports journalist who has contributed to the Bee since 2021. He is a staff writer for MaxPreps.