San Juan Hills Suffers Heartbreaking Loss in CIF State Final

Sacred Heart Prep rallies late to defeat San Juan Hills 47-45 on free throws with less than a second left

Mar. 14, 2026 at 11:34pm

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The San Juan Hills boys basketball team made a remarkable comeback in the second half to take the lead, but Sacred Heart Prep rallied late and defeated the Stallions 47-45 on two free throws with less than a second remaining in the CIF State Division IV final at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.

Why it matters

This was a devastating loss for San Juan Hills, who were hoping to cap off a memorable postseason run with the program's first state championship. Despite battling through numerous injuries and adversity during the regular season, the Stallions fought their way to the state final before falling just short.

The details

San Juan Hills trailed by as many as 12 points in the second quarter and were down 24-17 at halftime, but they battled back in the second half to take a 40-38 lead with 5:29 remaining. Sacred Heart regained the lead, but San Juan Hills went back up 45-41 with 1:55 left. However, Sacred Heart tied the game 45-45 on two free throws by Alex Osterloh following a steal with 1:15 remaining. After both teams missed chances to go ahead, San Juan Hills had the ball with 35 seconds left but came up empty, and Sacred Heart got the ball back with 11.9 seconds remaining to set up the game-winning play.

  • San Juan Hills took their first lead, 40-38, with 5:29 remaining in the game.
  • Sacred Heart tied the game 45-45 on two free throws by Alex Osterloh with 1:15 left.
  • San Juan Hills had the ball with 35 seconds remaining but could not score.

The players

Jason Efstathiou

The head coach of the San Juan Hills boys basketball team.

Alex Osterloh

The player who made the game-winning free throws for Sacred Heart Prep.

Garrett Brehmer

The leading scorer for San Juan Hills with 17 points.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

What’s next

The San Juan Hills boys basketball team will look to bounce back from this heartbreaking loss and return to the state finals next season.

The takeaway

This game showcased the resilience and determination of the San Juan Hills team, who fought back from a double-digit deficit to nearly pull off the comeback victory. While they ultimately fell short, the Stallions can hold their heads high after an impressive postseason run.