Windward beats McClatchy, 53-41, for CIF Division I title
Charisma Osborne scores 26 points
It was a charismatic performance, one certainly worthy of her given name.
Charisma Osborne led the L.A. Windward Wildcats to a 53-41 victory Friday over Sacramento McClatchy in the CIF state Division I girls’ basketball championship game at the Golden 1 Center.
Osborne played all but 23 seconds of the game and spent most of it making steals, grabbing rebounds, spinning in the lane for easy layups, handling McClatchy’s full-court press, disrupting the Lions’ best player and proving she is one of the best prep players in the state.
The Windward sophomore finished exhausted but happy with 26 points, five rebounds and four steals.
“It’s amazing,” said Osborne, who already has scholarship offers from UCLA, USC and California. “We weren’t expecting to win [it all] at the beginning of the year. Now that we won, it’s great.”
It’s the second state championship for the Wildcats, who won the Division IV title in 2011.
Osborne had seven of the Wildcats’ nine first-quarter points and 15 of their 22 in the first half. Sela Kay had 10 points and Kaiyah Corona added seven for the Wildcats, who finished 30-4.
Osborne guarded McClatchy’s best player, Utah commit Jordan Cruz, and held her to 11 points. Osborne also was a big factor in Cruz’s committing seven turnovers, and resoundingly rejected a Cruz layup attempt late in the game, putting an exclamation point on her performance. The 41 points were a season-low for the Lions, who finished 31-5.
“I tried not to give her open shots,” Osborne said of her defense on Cruz. “We knew that she could shoot and she shoots pretty deep, so Coach [Vanessa Nygaard] made sure I had her and didn’t help too far off of her.”
Windward has just three seniors in Alyssa Ramlochan, Tyler Collins and Jasmine Blevins. With Osborne leading the show, the Wildcats appear well positioned for a run at a second consecutive title.
“I’m excited and I know my team will do well next year,” Osborne said. “But right now, I’m excited for this team.”
Nygaard celebrated by leaping into the arms of Athletic Director Tyrone Powell as she accepted the championship plaque.
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