Harvard-Westlake’s Deana Thompson tries to save a wild pass against Rancho Christian during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Julia Wilson puts up a shot over Harvard-Westlake’s Deana Thompson in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Harvard-Westlake’s Bella Spencer looks for help while defended by Rancho Christian’s Bella Cosme and Alyson Boyd during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Harvard-Westlake’s Oyinkansola Iriafen defends Rancho Christian’s Julia Wilson in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Hailey Whitman looks for a teammate under Harvard-Westlake pressure in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Ebony Taylor-Smith brings the ball up the court under pressure from Harvard-Westlake’s Deana Thompson in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Harvard-Westlake’s Oyinkansola Iriafen defends Rancho Christian’s Hailey Whitman in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Amya Guzman grabs a rebound for Rancho Christian as they defeat Harvard-Westlake in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Harvard-Westlake’s Hollen Vann is defended by Rancho Christian’s Naomi Kemle during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Alyson Boyd scrambles for a loose ball with Harvard-Westlake’s Deana Thompson and Bella Spencer during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Julia Wilson puts up a shot while defended by Harvard-Westlake’s Hollen Vann and Keira Dhaliwal in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian’s Julia Wilson is all smiles as they defeat Harvard-Westlake in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Rancho Christian defeats Harvard-Westlake in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption1 of 13Harvard-Westlake’s Deana Thompson tries to save a wild pass against Rancho Christian during the CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinals Feb. 22, 2025.(Photo by Andy Holzman, Contributing Photographer)
ExpandSTUDIO CITY — The Rancho Christian girls basketball team halted Harvard-Westlake’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff run with a 60-44 win Saturday night.
The Wolverines (19-19) will continue their season in the state playoffs after winning in the quarterfinals. and they are no stranger to postseason success at the state level. They lost in the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals last season but continued on to win a CIF State Division II title.
“Losing, as bad as it is, there’s healthy ways of losing,” Harvard-Westlake interim head coach Alex Nailes said. “I think this team has been resilient on that. They come back fighting, ready to go.”
The Wolverines struggled to contain Rancho Christian’s Julia Wilson, a Gonzaga commit who scored 29 points in the game.
“Tip my hat to her, she had an incredible game,” Nailes said. “She got to her spots, she got what she wanted. I didn’t have us prepared enough for what was to come from her. She was too comfortable throughout the game.”
Ebony Taylor-Smith was 4-for-4 on free throws in the second quarter for the Eagles (25-8).
Bella Spencer scored 18 points for Harvard-Westlake and Deanna Thompson added 14 points.
Rancho Christian’s defense smothered Harvard-Westlake in the paint, trapping players and double-teaming Spencer.
While the defense was occupied with Spencer, it freed up Thompson. The senior guard scored 12 points in the first half and made three baskets in a row to contribute seven points in the first frame, which kept the Wolverines in the game despite trailing 11-7.
“She was aggressive, she attacked when she could,” Nailes said. “Ultimately, she helped out and she carried offensively and gave us opportunities to be successful on the offensive end.”
Spencer hit a euro step layup and made a jump shot in the second quarter as she worked her way around defenders. Offensive rebounding generated scoring chances, too, and sophomore Oyinkansola Iriafen pulled down plenty of them.
“Her energy and her natural instinct for the game is incredible,” Nailes said of Iriafen. “She’s still learning how to play, still growing. But the steps that she’s taken this year have been tremendous. We’re coaching her in a way to be aggressive, be a great rebounder, a great screener.”
Harvard-Westlake pulled its starters in the last 1:30 of the game after Rancho Christian escalated its lead with free throws. The Eagles went 12-for-12 from the charity stripe in the second half.
Related Articles
High School Sports | Roosevelt boys basketball team edges Sierra Canyon, keeps Open Division title chances alive High School Sports | Canyon boys basketball rallies past Oak Park, earns first trip to Division 2A final High School Sports | St. John Bosco basketball’s defense stifles Heritage Christian in CIF-SS Open Division playoffs High School Sports | Notre Dame boys basketball knocks off top-seeded Harvard-Westlake to advance to Open championship High School Sports | San Juan Hills girls basketball unable to stop Oak Park in 2AA quarterfinalsThe Wolverines’ loss came a day after the Harvard-Westlake boys team fell to Notre Dame in the third round of CIF-SS Open Division pool play.
Brackets for the CIF State playoffs will be available in the late afternoon Sunday.
Other girls basketball scores Saturday
Open Division: Ontario Christian 61, Sierra Canyon 52
Division 2AA: Oak Park 67, Portola 23
Division 2A: Rolling Hills Prep 57, Burroughs 45
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Harvard-Westlake girls basketball falls to Rancho Christian in CIF-SS semifinals )
Also on site :
- Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet announce birth of baby ahead of Miami GP: Name revealed
- ‘Russophobia’ behind Romania’s expulsion of RT reporter – Tara Reade (VIDEO)
- Ramat David Airbase hit: Houthis escalate attacks on Israel