Troy girls basketball falls to Valencia in Division 1 quarterfinals

Kevin Kiernan's first season back at Troy ends with loss to Valencia in close playoff matchup.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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In his first year back as head coach, Kevin Kiernan led the Troy High School girls basketball team to more wins than the previous two seasons combined. However, the Warriors fell short in the CIF-SS Division 1 quarterfinals, losing 52-48 to Valencia High School. Troy led late in the game, but Valencia's Keira McLaughlin hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Vikings the lead. The Warriors were hurt by foul trouble and an injury to starter Lexi Joko, as Valencia exploited its height advantage to secure the victory.

Why it matters

This game marked the end of a successful turnaround season for the Troy girls basketball program under coach Kevin Kiernan, who previously led the team to five CIF Southern Section titles and three state championships. Despite the loss, the Warriors showed they are headed back in the right direction after struggling in recent years, raising hopes for the future.

The details

Troy led 47-45 with under 35 seconds remaining, but Valencia's Keira McLaughlin hit a 3-pointer to put the Vikings ahead. The Warriors had a chance to tie it but turned the ball over, and Valencia sealed the win with free throws. Troy was hurt by foul trouble for key players Rilynn Robinson, Aoki Perry, and Mei-ling Perry, as well as an injury to starter Lexi Joko in the third quarter. Valencia also exploited its height advantage, especially on the boards.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
  • Troy led 47-45 with under 35 seconds remaining in the game.
  • Valencia hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with less than a minute left.

The players

Kevin Kiernan

The head coach of the Troy High School girls basketball team, who was in his first season back at the school after previously leading the Warriors to five CIF Southern Section titles and three state championships.

Keira McLaughlin

A player for the Valencia High School girls basketball team who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Vikings the lead.

Lexi Joko

A starter for the Troy High School girls basketball team who was injured early in the third quarter and did not return to the game.

Mei-ling Perry

A player for the Troy High School girls basketball team who scored 21 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Kamilla Basyrova

A player for the Valencia High School girls basketball team who led the Vikings with 19 points.

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What they’re saying

“Rebounding has been a big deal for us all season. We always talk about rebound margin as being one of our main stats that we look for, so just trying to dominate the boards on both sides.”

— Jared Honig, Valencia High School girls basketball coach (ocregister.com)

“It was a really physical game. We knew they were going to be really physical and we wanted to match that physicality. We got in foul trouble and that really hurt us, you know, because we had to get both Perrys out of there for a while and had players foul out. And then Lexi got hurt, and not having your point guard at the end of the game hurt us.”

— Kevin Kiernan, Troy High School girls basketball coach (ocregister.com)

What’s next

The Troy High School girls basketball team will look to build on this successful season and make another deep playoff run next year, with coach Kevin Kiernan returning to lead the program.

The takeaway

Despite the tough loss in the quarterfinals, the Troy High School girls basketball team showed significant improvement this season under coach Kevin Kiernan, winning more games than the previous two seasons combined. This lays a strong foundation for the program to continue its resurgence in the coming years.