Mission Hills Tops La Jolla Country Day in Girls Basketball Playoffs

Grizzlies advance to semifinals after hard-fought quarterfinal victory

Feb. 21, 2026 at 4:49am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In a matchup of two of San Diego's top girls basketball programs, Mission Hills pulled away from La Jolla Country Day in the fourth quarter to win 53-46 in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division quarterfinals. Freshman Maya Akesson scored 9 points in the final period to help the Grizzlies overcome a late LJCD comeback attempt. Mission Hills, the two-time defending Open Division champions, will face top-seeded Francis Parker in the semifinals.

Why it matters

This game featured two of the most dominant girls basketball teams in the San Diego section over the past decade, with a combined 8 Open Division titles since the division began in 2014. The early matchup between the two powerhouses in the playoffs was seen as controversial by the coaches, who felt the seeding process did not properly account for their teams' success and rankings.

The details

Mission Hills jumped out to a 46-36 lead early in the fourth quarter, but La Jolla Country Day cut the deficit to just 2 points late. Freshman Maya Akesson then hit a key 3-pointer to help the Grizzlies seal the victory. Reigning section Player of the Year Bay Cordova led Mission Hills with 21 points, while LJCD was paced by senior Safiyah Sugapong's 19 points.

  • The game was played on Friday, February 20, 2026.
  • Mission Hills will face Francis Parker in the semifinals on Wednesday.

The players

Maya Akesson

A freshman who scored 9 of her 15 points in the fourth quarter to help Mission Hills pull away.

Bay Cordova

The reigning CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year, who led Mission Hills with 21 points.

Safiyah Sugapong

The senior guard who scored a team-high 19 points for La Jolla Country Day.

Terri Bamford

The head coach of La Jolla Country Day, who is the all-time winningest coach in CIF San Diego Section history with 757 wins.

Chris Kroesch

The head coach of Mission Hills, the two-time defending Open Division champions.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's so ridiculous”

— Terri Bamford, Head Coach, La Jolla Country Day (San Diego Union-Tribune)

“There should be a human element, with coaches weighing in on the seedings.”

— Chris Kroesch, Head Coach, Mission Hills (San Diego Union-Tribune)

What’s next

Mission Hills will face No. 1 seed Francis Parker in the semifinals on Wednesday.

The takeaway

This early matchup between two of San Diego's top girls basketball programs highlighted the ongoing debate over the seeding process for the CIF San Diego Section playoffs, with coaches arguing that a more collaborative approach involving coaches' input is needed to properly account for teams' success and rankings.