Big game by Lauren Harris powers Faith Christian to 3rd CIF section title in 4 years
As the 2025 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and Northern California Division VI champion, the Faith Christian Lions didn’t graduate a single senior from last year’s title team, the best in the 51-year history of the Yuba City school.
There was a point at the end of last year’s title run when the Lions knew that getting back to a championship stage was a real possibility.
“I think we knew,” Faith Christian coach Geoff Harris said. “We knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew it’d be harder. But I think this group knows what they’re capable of, and it wasn’t like some surprise. This is what we’ve worked toward ever since that last championship game last year.”
The Lions moved up a division from D-VI to D-V due to the section’s sustained-success criteria, setting up a finals matchup of defending champions.
Faith Christian took down defending D-V champion Bret Harte of Calaveras County, 52-38, on Saturday morning at Golden 1 Center. Star senior and Sacramento Bee Player of the Year candidate Lauren Harris had 27 points, 17 rebounds and five assists to lead Faith Christian to its first championship at the D-V level and the third over the past four seasons, all under coach Harris.
Harris, who leads the section in scoring, got off to a slow start, missing her first five shots before a 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Lions an 11-2 lead midway through the first quarter. Harris finished 3-of-19 from distance. Presley Berry and Mia Bryan combined for 10 first-quarter points as Faith led 15-10 after one.
The trio of Harris, Berry and Bryan accounted for all of Faith’s 24 first-half points for a nine-point halftime advantage. The Bullfrogs’ Emma Russell produced 7 points, five rebounds and four assists as Bret Harte outscored Faith 12-10 in the third, but the Lions maintained a 34-27 lead heading into the fourth.
The Lions’ lead ballooned to 14 by the end of the game as the Faith Christian faithful filled the cavernous NBA arena with raucous applause.
Berry had 15 points and five rebounds, while Bryan added eight with three boards. Unsung role players Hannah Hessong and Mandy Fitzgerald didn’t score a single point but combined for 16 rebounds, four assists and countless screens to get their scorers open looks.
“If people are just stat watching, just points and stuff, they’re not going to realize the absolute brilliance and excellence of Hannah and Mandy,” Geoff Harris said. “Show me another player that averages 26 minutes a game, 0.3 points per game and is incredibly valuable to their team.”
The Lions (28-1) are just a 2-point loss away from being undefeated this season. The Lions have won 20 straight since losing to Northern Section top-ranked Chico on Dec. 19.
It has been a record-setting season for Harris, a Long Beach State commit who became the nation’s all-time leader for 3-pointers made in a career and for a single season. Entering Saturday’s game, Harris had 706 career 3s, with 206 coming this season. Harris is the Bee’s reigning two-time Smallest School Player of the Year, following a feat her older sister, Audrey, claimed in 2022.
Lauren Harris also eclipsed 3,000 career points earlier this year, while Berry surpassed the 2,000-point mark for her career. Junior Mia Bryan is on the cusp of 1,000 points with 925 after Saturday’s game.
Russell finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Maddie Kane had 13 points and eight boards to lead Bret Harte.
A year ago, Bret Harte won its first section crown since 1981. The Bullfrogs reached this year’s title game by defeating Leroy Greene Academy of Sacramento, Vacaville Christian and reigning state champion Woodland Christian in the semifinals. The program won a state championship in 2023 and qualifies for the upcoming CIF State tournament.
Faith Christian now has a chance to defend its regional crown, as the CIF NorCal brackets get underway on Tuesday.
This story was originally published February 28, 2026 at 1:12 PM.