Basketball wins first Open Division Southern Section Crown


The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team cannot be stopped.

The Trailblazers won their first ever Southern Section Open Division championship Saturday night after a 70-57 victory against Etiwanda at Honda Center in Anaheim.

Not only did Sierra Canyon avenge last year’s loss in the same game, the Trailblazers improved their record to 30-0. A remarkable feat.

JuJu Watkins, headed to USC, scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Sierra Canyon, which lost in the 2019 Open final against Windward before coming back to win the Open state title like it did last year.

This year, Sierra Canyon is going for a clean sweep all around.

Watkins had plenty of help, too.

Izela Arenas scored 19 points and Mackenly Randolph had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Sierra Canyon outscored Etiwanda in every quarter and beat the Eagles for the first time ever in the Southern Section playoffs.

Aliyahna Morris led Etiwanda with 17 points, Majesty Cade scored 13 points and Kennedy Smith added 11 points, while appearing to injure her leg in the third quarter. She was not 100 percent the rest of the way.

Sierra Canyon was 19-50 from the field but made 29-32 free throws. Etiwanda was 17-67 and 15-17.

Sierra Canyon will be the top-seed for the state tournament that starts Wednesday for the Open Division