Sylmar defense struggles in second half of Division V state loss to San Marin

San Marin scored on 14 consecutive layups to come away with the CIF Division V boys' basketball championship.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 9:20pm

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Sylmar High's historic run of seeking its first state boys' basketball championship came to a disappointing end on Friday afternoon, as San Marin High School pulled away in the second half for an 89-64 victory in the Division V championship game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Spartans led by five points midway through the third quarter, but then gave up 14 consecutive layups as San Marin surged ahead.

Why it matters

Sylmar High's appearance in the state championship game was a significant milestone for the program, which was seeking its first-ever state title. The loss was particularly tough given that Sylmar had turned its season around in January by switching to a run-and-gun offense and pressing attack, which had fueled an 18-2 stretch and five 100-point games.

The details

Sylmar trailed 31-17 after the first quarter, but scored the first 14 points of the second quarter to tie the game at 31-31 before trailing 39-37 at halftime. The Spartans took a 48-43 lead midway through the third quarter, but then their defense collapsed, giving up 14 consecutive layups as San Marin pulled away. Sylmar shot just 25-for-64 from the field, while San Marin made 23 of 35 shots in the final 16 minutes, with 68 of their 89 points coming in the paint.

  • Sylmar trailed 31-17 after the first quarter.
  • Sylmar scored the first 14 points of the second quarter to tie the game at 31-31.
  • Sylmar led 48-43 midway through the third quarter.
  • San Marin then scored 14 consecutive layups to pull away in the fourth quarter.

The players

Bort Escoto

The head coach of the Sylmar High School boys' basketball team.

Rob Winn

A player for Sylmar High School who scored 27 points in the game.

Miller Morgan

A player for San Marin High School who scored 25 points in the game.

Kellen Dunning

A player for San Marin High School who scored 16 points in the game.

Jackson Young

A player for San Marin High School who scored 15 points in the game.

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What they’re saying

“We must live with it, but how many shots did we miss?”

— Bort Escoto, Sylmar High School head coach (Los Angeles Times)

“The difference was we didn't score.”

— Bort Escoto, Sylmar High School head coach (Los Angeles Times)

“This tends to happen to us a lot. The score goes up and down and we usually go on a run. It didn't happen today.”

— Rob Winn, Sylmar High School player (Los Angeles Times)

The takeaway

Despite Sylmar High School's historic run to the state championship game, the team's defense ultimately let them down in the second half as San Marin pulled away with a dominant scoring performance. The loss was a disappointing end to an otherwise successful season for the Spartans, who had turned their campaign around midway through the year with a new up-tempo offense.