Sydney Douglas Guides Corona Centennial to Win the Division I Girls’ Basketball State Championship
SACRAMENTO — Corona Centennial High School has captured the girls’ Division I state championship after a thrilling 73-66 victory over Clovis at the Golden 1 Center. The team showcased its strengths notably with the return of 6-foot-7 Sydney Douglas, who rejoined the lineup just before the postseason following an 11-game absence due to injury.
Douglas led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while her teammate, Cydnee Bryant, a McDonald’s All-American, contributed a double-double of 13 points and 13 rebounds. Armanyie Reed also had a standout performance, recording a career-high 25 points. Notably, Centennial excelled at the free-throw line, hitting 18 of 19 attempts, a pivotal factor in their victory over Clovis, which managed to connect on 11 of 21 three-point attempts, including a Division I-record seven three-pointers from Yazmin Aguilera, who finished the game with 21 points.
“[Sydney] makes a huge difference,” Bryant remarked, emphasizing Douglas’s impact on the team. Douglas, in turn, credited Reed for her exceptional performance, stating, “She played amazing.”
Clovis coach Cooper Steele highlighted the need for his team to compete aggressively against Centennial’s size, acknowledging the significance of the free-throw statistics. “That’s amazing,” Steele said, noting that his team had managed to keep Centennial from missing a single free throw throughout the game. “Hats off to them. You have to be physical with their big girls.”
Bryant, who stands at 6-4 and is heading to the University of Kansas to play both basketball and volleyball, expressed her pride in the team’s achievement. “I’m going to Kansas with a state title and a ring on my finger,” she said, alluding to her brother Carter’s career in the NBA.
Centennial’s head coach, Matt Tumambing, praised his star players, stating, “We have two of the best bigs in the country. If I’m having the worst coaching night, these two will make me look good.”
In an interesting turn during the game, Aguilera made her first three-pointer with a men’s basketball before officials intervened and switched to the appropriate women’s ball with 6:16 left in the first quarter.
Reflecting on her dual commitments to basketball and volleyball, Bryant said, “Probably in 20 years I’ll look at it as crazy. Right now, I’m loving it.”
With this victory, Corona Centennial has marked a significant moment in their athletic history, establishing themselves as champions in the state.
