State basketball championship capsules

CIF state basketball championships

Saturday at Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento

Girls Division IV

Gardena Serra (29-5) vs. Richmond Salesian (29-7), 10 a.m. Serra has won state titles in football, boys’ basketball and track and field. Now the girls’ basketball team is on the verge of breaking through, led by Michigan-bound Siera Thompson, who had 24 points in the regional final. Mariya Moore, a 5-11 junior, is averaging 18 points for Salesian. The pick: Serra.

Boys Division IV

West Hollywood Pacific Hills (28-4) vs. Santa Rosa Cardinal Newman (32-3), noon. It’s all about the guards in this game. Jahmel Taylor (Washington commit), Marcus Jackson (Rice) and junior Namon Wright are future college players for Pacific Hills. Cardinal Newman guard Kenny Love had 26 points in the regional final. The pick: Pacific Hills.

Girls Division II

Lynwood (28-5) vs. Mountain View St. Francis (24-8), 2 p.m. Alize Lofton, a 6-foot guard headed to Cal State Bakersfield, is a shooter and scorer for the Knights. Center Amber Blockmon held her own last week against McDonald’s All-American Erica McCall. Lynwood is seeking its fourth state title. The pick: Lynwood.

Boys Division II

Redondo (27-8) vs. Pleasant Hill College Park (26-5), 4 p.m. It’s a battle of first-time state finalists. Redondo relies on defense and balanced scoring. College Park advanced to the final by scoring 93 points in an overtime win. Redondo guards Derek Biale and Ian Fox are effective from three-point range and will be key to victory. The pick: Redondo.

Girls Open Division

L.A. Windward (32-0) vs. Oakland Bishop O’Dowd (29-3), 6 p.m. A 15-point win by Windward over Bishop O’Dowd earlier this season should be forgotten. Both teams are much better. Windward showed last week its shooters are comfortable in an arena setting, which should give the Wildcats an advantage. It all comes down to whether the Dragons can put pressure on point guard Jordin Canada. The pick: Windward.

Boys Open Division

Santa Ana Mater Dei (33-2) vs. San Jose Archbishop Mitty (28-6), 8 p.m. It’s the showdown of all showdowns. Mitty has won state Division II titles the last two years. Mater Dei has won Division I titles the last two years. Aaron Gordon of Mitty is a 6-8 senior who scored 29 points and had 22 rebounds last week in the regional final. Stanley Johnson of Mater Dei is a 6-7 junior who had 25 points and 12 rebounds in the regional final. The pick: Mater Dei.

—Eric Sondheimer