Mitty girls no match for Sierra Canyon in state final
Led by Watkins' 23 points and 19 rebounds, Sierra Canyon rolls for its fifth state title
SACRAMENTO >> Before making an opening statement in her postgame news conference March 12, Archbishop Mitty girls basketball coach Sue Phillips pulled out her glasses to review the stat sheet.
The piece of paper only amplified what unfolded on the court.
Mitty arrived at Golden 1 Center aiming to capture its first Open Division state championship. Instead, the San Jose powerhouse was swarmed and outshot by a relentless opponent that did not stop until the final buzzer.
Sierra Canyon of Chatsworth routed Mitty 85-61 behind junior superstar Juju Watkins, a transfer from Windward-los Angeles, and a talented supporting cast that includes the daughters of former NBA players Gilbert Arenas and Zach Randolph, who sat courtside.
Watkins' stat line: 23 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, six blocks, three steals.
Sophomore Christy Reynoso came off the bench to go 4 for 4 from beyond the 3-point arc and finish with 14 points. Mackenly Randolph added 13 points and Izela Arenas and Leia Edwards scored 12 points apiece. Randolph and Arenas are sophomores, Edwards is a freshman.
“We're all very well aware of how talented Juju is,” Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said. “But we're a really talented team. Before she jumped in here and joined us, we were young and we were hungry and we were ready to get to this level. She accelerated it, a thousand percent. But what we all know is how good of a basketball team we are.”
Nobody has to remind Mitty.
Sierra Canyon led 2114 after the first quarter, 41-27 at halftime and 6245 through three quarters on its way to capturing a fifth state title without a defeat, all under Komaki. The school won Division V in 2013, Division IV in 2014 and 2015 and the Open Division in 2019.
Phillips, a six-time state champion in 29 seasons leading the Mitty program, was asked when she sensed her team might be in trouble against Sierra Canyon (30-2).
“Being a math teacher, I started doing the math pretty quickly,” Phillips said. “I knew we needed to stop them a little bit in transition where we're trying to pick them up in fullcourt because that's what we do. Speeding them up at times gave them numbers. We couldn't quite keep the ball in front of us. When we did, they got an offensive rebound.
“Quite early, I knew the pace and the way in which they were scoring was problematic and yet these girls kept fighting.”
Mitty (30-2) led 7-6 midway through the opening quarter but never recovered after Sierra Canyon went on an 11-0 run to open a 17-7 lead. In that stretch, Watkins scored in transition, Edwards knocked down a 3-pointer and Watkins fed Arenas for a short jumper. By the middle of the third quarter, Mitty trailed by 19.
Sierra Canyon shot 30 of 61 overall and 10 of 20 from 3-point range. Mitty wasn't close to being that efficient with its shooting.
“Sierra Canyon was fantastic,” said Phillips, who has coached Watkins with USA Basketball.
Makayla Moore (14 points), Morgan Cheli (11 points) and Siena Guttadauro (10 points) scored in double figures for Mitty, which shot 28.6% (22 of 77).
“They got the best of us today, but it was an awesome season,” Cheli said. “I am proud of the work we put in.”
Mitty had lost only once this season, to Carondelet in December. The Monarchs avenged that defeat on March 8 to reach the Open state final and also beat three teams that won state championships this weekend — Division I champion Salesian (twice), Division III champion Oakland Tech and Division IV champion Branson.
Surrounded by her players in the postgame news conference, Phillips preferred to celebrate what the team accomplished in its first full season since 2019 than a bad night against a talented opponent.
“We are so grateful for this opportunity as the world has changed over the past two years,” said Phillips, whose team's Open Division state final in 2020 was canceled because of the pandemic. “For us to be here today is truly a blessing. While we are incredibly disappointed with the outcome, we are extremely grateful to be here.
“There is something to be said about this group behind me.”