Sierra Canyon Boys and Ontario Christian Girls Earn Top Seeds in Open Division Basketball Playoffs
Sierra Canyon and Ontario Christian Top Seeds in Southern Section Open Division Playoffs
The Sierra Canyon boys’ basketball team and Ontario Christian’s girls’ team have secured the No. 1 seeds for the Southern Section Open Division playoffs, as announced in the pairings released on Saturday. Both teams have held the top positions since the start of the season in November.
As the playoffs approach, each team faces the challenge of maintaining its dominance and reaching the championship games, scheduled for February 28 at Toyota Arena in Ontario. Pool play for the boys begins on Wednesday, while the girls will start on Thursday.
In the boys’ Open Division, two veteran teams are poised to challenge Sierra Canyon (22-1). No. 2-seeded Santa Margarita (26-3) and No. 3 Redondo Union (25-3) have demonstrated their ability to secure victories against top-tier opponents. Redondo Union has notable wins over Sherman Oaks Notre Dame and Phoenix Sunnyslope, the No. 1 team in Arizona, while Santa Margarita recently clinched the Trinity League tournament.
A total of 12 teams have been selected for the Open Division through a computer algorithm, forming three pools of three teams. Each team is guaranteed at least three games, leading to boys’ quarterfinals on February 20, semifinals on February 24, and finals on February 28. Two teams will not advance to the state playoffs.
In addition, Crean Lutheran has been seeded No. 1 in Division 1 boys. Brentwood and Crossroads, co-champions of the Gold Coast League, have faced each other twice this season and could meet again in the second round of the Division 1 playoffs if Brentwood surpasses Fairmont Prep and Crossroads defeats Long Beach Poly. Mater Dei has also made its mark by entering the Division 2 playoffs, while Servite is making its first playoff appearance in this division since 2022.
On the girls’ side, defending state champion Etiwanda (27-2) is seeded No. 2 and consistently excels during playoff time. Last season, the Eagles eliminated Ontario Christian in the regionals. No. 3 Sierra Canyon (26-2) features South Carolina-bound Jerzy Robinson, positioning the team as a strong contender for section, regional, and state titles.
A potential semifinal matchup between Etiwanda and Sierra Canyon is anticipated, with the winner set to face Ontario Christian. These three teams have been the standout performers in girls’ basketball this season.
Later on Saturday, the City Section pairings are expected to be released.
