Folsom and Stockton St. Mary’s secure top two seeds in Sac-Joaquin Section Division 1 girls basketball playoffs, seeking third straight finals showdown

Following a pair of thrilling matchups the past two years in the Division 1 girls basketball championship game, the CIF-Sac-Joaquin Section has the potential to showcase another showdown involving Folsom and Stockton St. Mary’s this postseason.

Folsom prevailed by a 58-53 margin in 2023 to capture the first section title in program history.

The Bulldogs’ pursuit for back-to-back championships was halted by Stockton St. Mary’s, which secured a 57-51 victory in last year’s final to add to its section records with nine Division 1 crowns and 22 titles overall.

Folsom (23-3) received the top seed in the Division 1 playoffs and is scheduled to play Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s play-in game involving Stockton Edison (13-11) and Enochs (13-13).

Folsom girls basketball team | Photo courtesy of Folsom

Quarterfinal games are scheduled for Thursday, with the semifinals held Feb. 25 and the championship game scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Golden 1 Center.

The Bulldogs, led by seniors Sophia Mindermann, Ava Rawlins and Dixie McLanahan, enter the postseason with a nine-game winning streak.

Stockton St. Mary’s (15-12) secured the No. 2 seed and awaits the winner of Monday’s play-in contest between Tokay (20-7) and Modesto Downey (13-12) to determine its opponent for Tuesday’s first-round matchup.

The Rams, featuring senior Nyah Buntun and juniors Evelini Smith and Mia Jamias, won eight consecutive Division 1 championships from 2013-20, before the streak was interrupted in 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oak Ridge captured the Division 1 crown in 2022 with a 41-40 triumph against Folsom, before Stockton St. Mary’s returned to the finals the past two seasons.

Stockton St. Mary’s girls basketball team | Photo courtesy of Stockton St. Mary’s

McClatchy (20-6) earned the No. 3 seed and squares off Tuesday against No. 14 Gregori (19-9).

Nina Cain, a senior forward, leads the way for the Lions, along with senior guard Norret Lewis.

McClatchy is seeking its first Division 1 title since 2007.

Stockton Lincoln (20-7) grabbed the No. 4 seed and takes on No. 13 Pleasant Grove (18-8) in Tuesday’s opener.

Touraya Blakey, a junior point guard, is a strong leader for the Trojans, who also rely significantly on freshman Terrazia Smith and senior Lailah Leonard-Roberts.

Stockton Lincoln is still searching for its first Division 1 championship.

Christian Brothers (22-6) was selected as the top seed in Division 2 and will compete Tuesday against the winner of Monday’s play-in contest involving Merced (16-11) and Lodi (13-14).

Colfax (22-6) achieved the No. 1 seed in Division 3 and will square off Tuesday against either Roseville (12-12) or Lindhurst (20-6), which compete Monday in a play-in game.

Colfax has won 13 section championships in program history, including the past two Division 4 titles.

The Falcons haven’t won a Division 3 crown since 1987.

Liberty Ranch (25-2) is the top seed in Division 4 and has a first-round showdown Tuesday against Monday’s play-in winner, either Natomas (15-12) or Venture Academy (15-7).

Bret Harte (21-4) collected the No. 1 seed in Division 5 and plays Tuesday against No. 16 Le Grand (10-9).

Faith Christian of Yuba City (23-2), featuring one of the top 3-point shooters in the state in junior Lauren Harris, took the top seed in Division 6, along with a first-round bye.

The Lions will compete in Thursday’s quarterfinals against No. 8 Stone Ridge Christian (13-9) or No. 9 Stockton Christian (11-9).