Ontario Christian ends Sage Hill's 22-game win streak in semifinals

Kaleena Smith scores 33 points to lead the Knights to an 86-54 victory over the Lightning

Feb. 26, 2026 at 3:19am

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Sage Hill's impressive 22-game winning streak came to an end as they fell to Ontario Christian 86-54 in the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls' basketball semifinals. Ontario Christian, ranked first in the state and second in the country, was led by Kaleena Smith's 33 points. Amalia Holguin scored 20 points for Sage Hill, but the Knights' fast-paced offense and physical defense proved too much for the Lightning to handle.

Why it matters

This matchup featured two of the top girls' basketball programs in California, with Ontario Christian's national ranking and dominant performance highlighting the gap between the teams. For Sage Hill, the loss provides valuable experience and insight into what they need to improve on to make a deep run in the state playoffs.

The details

Ontario Christian jumped out to an 18-14 lead after the first quarter and extended their advantage to 44-30 by halftime. Smith had 20 points and 5 steals by the break, showcasing her ability to score both inside and from long range. Tatianna Griffin added 21 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists for the Knights, who are averaging over 92 points per game this season. Sage Hill tried to slow down Ontario Christian's fast-paced attack, but turnovers and foul trouble made that a difficult task.

  • Ontario Christian and Sage Hill faced off in the CIF Southern Section Open Division semifinals on Tuesday, February 26, 2026.

The players

Kaleena Smith

A junior guard for Ontario Christian who scored a game-high 33 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead the Knights to victory.

Amalia Holguin

A senior guard for Sage Hill who scored 20 points and dished out 3 assists in the losing effort.

Ontario Christian

The top-ranked girls' basketball team in California and second-ranked team in the country, according to MaxPreps.com.

Sage Hill

The Lightning entered the game with a 22-game winning streak before falling to Ontario Christian in the semifinals.

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What they’re saying

“This was a great experience, a great test for us to know what we need to work on and where we need to be at, if we even want to have a shot at advancing deep into state.”

— Jethro Julian, Sage Hill coach

“You definitely want to be in this gym. If you are playing, and you 're scared, and you don 't want to go up against this competition, then you not where you 're going to want to be. I 'm just grateful because going to Texas, you 're going to play against the greats every day, every game, so you can 't back down. All you got to do is just put your head down and grind.”

— Amalia Holguin

“I feel like one player is good, but to win a championship, you need another player. I also feel like we have three key other players that do their job. I feel like Dani [Robinson ]'s a really good shooter, and Chloe [Jenkins ] is just spectacular. I feel like she 's the number one freshman in the country, and then we have Layia [King ] who works hard. I feel like we have a core five, and then our bench is really good.”

— Kaleena Smith

What’s next

Ontario Christian will face Sierra Canyon in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final on Saturday, February 29, 2026 at 8 p.m. at Toyota Arena.

The takeaway

This matchup highlighted the gap between two of California's top girls' basketball programs, with Ontario Christian's dominant performance showcasing their status as one of the elite teams in the country. For Sage Hill, the loss provides valuable experience and motivation to continue improving and make a deep run in the state playoffs.