Skip to main content
Sports

See the Buzzer Beater That Won California’s Top Girls Basketball Championship

Written by Ethan KasselPublished Mar. 11, 2023 • 9:38pm
The Etiwanda Eagles surround Jada Sanders, smiling, after her game-winning putback in the CIF Open Division Girls Basketball State Championship Game. | Ethan Kassel/The Standard

California’s top high school girls basketball championship couldn’t have been any closer.

Etiwanda star Kennedy Smith had 30 points and 13 rebounds, but it was backup guard Jada Sanders who rebounded Smith’s miss and scored just before time expired to give the Rancho Cucamonga school a 69-67 victory over the Mitty Monarchs in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division Championship Game.

Sanders, who was only in the game because teammates Sa’lah Hemingway and Mykel Richards had fouled out, became the hero after Smith’s jumper swirled around the rim twice and fell out.

Mitty (28-3) never had possession after Morgan Cheli’s pair of free throws with 58.5 seconds left. Eagles point guard Aliyahna Morris drew Maya Hernandez’s fifth foul with 41.8 left and made both free throws to tie the game at 67, and the Monarchs threw away the subsequent inbound pass. Etiwanda (32-3) forced a jump ball with 19.1 to go, called timeout and set up the shot that head coach Stan Delus wanted Smith to take. She missed, but Sanders was in position to be the hero.

Cheli led the Monarchs with 24 points, while freshman McKenna Woliczko, a San Bruno native, had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Morris scored 14 for the Eagles, while Arynn Finley added eight off the bench.

Questions, comments or concerns about this article may be sent to info@sfstandard.com


Oakland Women’s Soccer Team Rises as Pro Sports Bow Out

Oakland Women’s Soccer Team Rises as Pro Sports Bow Out


Berkeley’s Golden Gate Fields Racetrack To Close Down in October

Berkeley’s Golden Gate Fields Racetrack To Close Down in October


San Francisco Enters Bid To Host NBA All-Star Weekend

San Francisco Enters Bid To Host NBA All-Star Weekend


Oakland A’s Move One Step Closer to Las Vegas After Nevada Vote

Oakland A’s Move One Step Closer to Las Vegas After Nevada Vote


Oakland A’s Fans Came to the Coliseum Angry. And BART Officials Love It

Oakland A’s Fans Came to the Coliseum Angry. And BART Officials Love It