Ontario Christian girls basketball team pulls away from Sage Hill in Open Division semifinal

ONTARIO — The Ontario Christian girls basketball team had to dial down the defensive aggression when Tatianna Griffin and Dani Robinson picked up their third fouls during the first half of Tuesday night’s game.

But the foot remained firmly on the gas pedal when the Knights had the ball in their hands.

Kaleena Smith scored a game-high 33 points, and Griffin added 21 more despite the early foul trouble as Ontario Christian knocked off Sage Hill 86-54 in a CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinal contest.

The Knights (31-1) have won 10 straight games and will look to capture a second straight Open Division section championship when they play Sierra Canyon (29-2) on Saturday night at Toyota Arena in Ontario.

“Sage Hill is poised and a well-coached team, and they created some problems for us early in the game,” Ontario Christian coach Aundre Cummings said. “We made the adjustments and learned from this game. I’m proud of Tati and Dani for staying on the court. They learned tonight how to play the game with fouls.”

Sage Hill (27-5) turned the ball over on its first four possessions, and the Knights turned the first two into breakaway layups. The Lightning eventually settled down and scored seven straight points to take a lead. Eve Fowler’s size (6-foot-4) gave Ontario Christian fits early, as she scored eight points in the first period.

Ontario Christian answered with a 14-5 run to surge in front. Griffin started that run with a pull-up jumper and sank a 3-pointer, but she picked up her second and third fouls in the closing minutes of the quarter.

The Knights’ advantage was only 18-14 after the opening period, but Ontario Christian was able to speed up the tempo in the second quarter. Smith and Chloe Jenkins combined to score 23 points in that frame, as the Knights made 11 of 20 shots from the field and took a 44-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.

“We had a pretty long talk at halftime,” Smith said. “We did not play our best defense in the first half and knew we had to step things up at that end. I think we came out in the second half much more focused.”

Ontario Christian’s swarming pressure throughout the game made things difficult for Sage Hill to find a consistent rhythm on offense. The Lightning had 19 turnovers, eight each in the first and fourth quarters.

“We had to play a little zone for while to keep our girls out of more foul trouble, and I could see they were not very comfortable with that,” Cummings said. “Ultimately, I think it helped us out a bit, as we were able to come back fresh in the second half and go back to what we like to do best … and that is playing fast.”

Griffin scored 10 of her points in the third period, and Smith added eight more, including a 3-pointer from the volleyball line and a step-back 3-pointer to beat the buzzer. The Knights extended their lead to 67-43.

“We kept the pressure and energy the whole game,” said Smith, who also had eight steals and six assists.

Jenkins had a double-double (16 points and 12 rebounds), and Robinson added 10 points for the Knights.

Amalia Holguin had 20 points for Sage Hill, and Fowler had 13 points and nine rebounds for the Lightning.

Ontario Christian will square off against Sierra Canyon, which held on for a 66-62 victory over Etiwanda in the other semifinal. The programs have not faced off this season. Ontario Christian has postseason wins over the Trailblazers last year, 62-52 in the section playoffs and 69-57 in the CIF State regional playoffs.

“We kind have been waiting for this one all year,” Robinson said about a showdown with Sierra Canyon. “It’s two top-five nationally-ranked teams. We’ve had a few of those this season, and they bring out the best in us. I’m excited for the match-up and opportunity for our team to play for another championship.”