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State basketball finals preview: The matchups for Sacramento

Dusty Stromer of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame holds Division I regional championship plaque.
Dusty Stromer of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame holds a Division I regional championship plaque. He’ll play in his final high school game on Friday in the state final in Sacramento.
(Craig Weston)
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The final weekend of high school basketball is set to take place Friday and Saturday at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. It’s the state championships, with six games each day.

Here’s a look at matchups:

Friday’s games

Boys

Division I: Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (26-10) vs. Livermore Granada (26-10), 8 p.m. Notre Dame is seeking its first state title. The Knights view themselves as an Open Division team with the talented trio of Caleb Foster (Duke commit), Dusty Stromer (Gonzaga) and Mercy Miller (Houston). Granada was the No. 9 seed in Northern California and is led by 7-footer Andrew McKeever.

Division V: Lynwood (26-11) vs. Tollhouse Sierra (31-5), noon. This could be the most entertaining matchup of individuals, with Lynwood freshman phenom Jason Crowe Jr. vs. four-sport athlete Logan Kilbert of Sierra. Kilbert has scored 54 points in a game this season. Crowe has scored 60 points.

Division III: Ventura Buena (31-5) vs. Oakland (26-8), 4 p.m. Buena survived a three-overtime thriller in the regional final and must now face Oakland’s star player with a great first name, Money Williams, a senior guard averaging 17.6 points. Zane Carter is averaging 16.7 points for Buena.

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Girls

Division IV: Shalhevet (25-2) vs. San Anselmo San Domenico (27-7), 10 a.m. It’s a rematch of last year’s Division V final won by San Domenico. This time Shalhevet hopes leading scorer Yalee Schwartz, averaging 20.6 points, gets to play more after suffering an injury in the first quarter of last season’s final. Coach Ryan Coleman is one of the few coaching boys’ and girls’ teams simultaneously. Shalhevet is taking a charter bus to Sacramento, then has a 2 p.m. flight home to make sure players are back for the Jewish Shabbat.

Division III: Rancho Cucamonga Los Osos (28-5) vs. Colfax (34-2), 2 p.m. Freshman point guard Jackie Polk is the player to watch for Los Osos, averaging nearly 14 points a game. Colfax is the only Sacramento-area team playing at Golden 1 Center this weekend, so the Falcons have a home-court advantage and also a 22-game winning streak to rely on.

Division I: Corona Santiago (26-9) vs. Oakland Tech (29-5), 6 p.m. The Sharks are making their first final appearance from the powerful Big VIII League and received 24 points from McKinley Willardson in a 52-39 regional final victory. Oakland Tech is seeking its third straight state championship and has three players taller than 6 feet.

Saturday’s games

Boys

Open Division: Harvard-Westlake (32-2) vs. Santa Maria St. Joseph (28-6), 8 p.m. As good as the Wolverines have been this season, their challenge will be having to deal with one of the best sophomores in California, 6-foot-6, 210-pound Tounde Yessoufou, who is averaging 28 points. Harvard-Westlake starts five future Division I college players, led by standout junior point guard Trent Perry and top senior forward Brady Dunlap. The Wolverines won Division III titles in 1996 and 1997, led by twins Jason and Jarron Collins.

Division IV: Valencia (26-10) vs. Half Moon Bay (21-10), noon. The Vikings have been surging behind the scoring of 6-6 Mikah Ballew and the rebounding of 6-10 Bryce Bedgood, son of head coach Bill Bedgood. Half Moon Bay advanced as the No. 10 seed in Northern California and has its own top big man in 6-8 junior Jaeden Hutchins.

Division II: Newport Beach Pacifica Christian (27-9) vs. San Joaquin Memorial (25-9), 4 p.m. Pacifica Christian has been playing top Southern Section teams all season under coach Jeff Berokoff, serving as great preparation. Mike Davis Jr., a 6-7 senior, scored 25 points for San Joaquin Memorial in an overtime regional final win.

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Girls

Open Division: Etiwanda (31-3) vs. San Jose Archbishop Mitty (28-2), 6 p.m. Etiwanda has already pulled off the improbable — knocking off two nationally ranked teams in unbeaten Sierra Canyon and La Jolla Country Day to reach the final. Kennedy Smith & Co. know how to adjust, compete and win. The coaching matchup alone is elite, with Etiwanda’s Stan Delus going against nationally respected Sue Phillips. Junior Morgan Cheli and freshman McKenna Woliczko both have Stanford offers. Woliczko had 29 points and 21 rebounds in the regional final for Mitty.

Division V: Huntington Beach Marina (21-15) vs. Bret Harte (25-7), 10 a.m. Freshman guard Rylee Bradley has been a key contributor for a surprising Marina team that relies on defense and forcing turnovers. Junior Makenna Tutthil and freshman Maddie Kane have come on strong for Bret Harte.

Division II: Chula Vista Bonita Vista (23-9) vs. Central Fresno (22-12), 2 p.m. This is the only game that does not include a team from the Southern Section.

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