Juju Watkins leads Sierra Canyon past Etiwanda to win Open Division girls’ basketball title

Juju Watkins confirmed why she is among the nation’s prime highschool recruits Tuesday evening, pouring in a game-high 29 factors and contesting quite a few photographs on protection to guide Chatsworth Sierra Canyon to a 60-51 upset of top-seeded Etiwanda within the Southern California Open Division ladies’ basketball regional finals in Rancho Cucamonga.

Sierra Canyon constructed a 10-point lead halfway via the third quarter, however Etiwanda sliced its deficit in half earlier than Watkins made a pair of free throws to stem the tide. The Trailblazers will play for his or her fifth state championship Saturday at Golden 1 Middle in Sacramento in opposition to San Jose Archbishop Mitty.

Trailing 42-35 with eight minutes left, Etiwanda tried to rally however missed its first six photographs of the fourth quarter. Watkins made a three-pointer and Izela Arenas added a layup to push the Trailblazers’ result in 12 on the six-minute mark and so they led by as many as 14.

Arenas had eight factors whereas Kayla Malek, Crystal Wang and MacKenly Randolph every added seven for Sierra Canyon, which avenged a 69-57 defeat within the Southern Part last Feb. 26 on the identical courtroom.

Future Agubata had 17 factors and Aliyahna Morris added 14 for Eriwanda (29-1), which was vying for its first state finals journey. Eleven of the Eagles’ wins have been in opposition to groups ranked within the prime 25 in California, however they have been unable to make it 12.

Watkins, a junior, scored 20 within the first half of the earlier encounter however had solely 4 within the second half and fouled out with 3:58 left. She transferred from Windward in the summertime of 2021 and sat out the primary six video games this season due to CIF switch protocols.

She debuted Dec. 3, hitting the profitable basket and scoring 30 factors in a 65-64 extra time win versus New Hope Academy of Landover, Md. Within the championship recreation later that day she had 33 factors in a 63-42 victory over Princeton (Texas). She is among the many prime 2023 prospects within the nation.

“We realized so much from that recreation,” Watkins stated. “We have been further hungry and we knew we couldn’t go to state if we didn’t win this recreation so now we’re headed to Sacramento. The final time was humbling for me, having to look at from the bench on the finish so I knew I needed to be good. No extra fouling out for me.”

Alicia Komaki has coached the Trailblazers to 4 state titles in her 10 seasons.

“Within the final recreation in opposition to them we tried an excessive amount of scheming so this time we performed them principally man-to-man and trusted that we may guard them. We caught to what we’re greatest at and it labored.”