Ontario Christian secures top seed for first time in CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls basketball playoffs, Etiwanda pursuing back-to-back championships

For the first time in school history, Ontario Christian received the top seed in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division girls basketball playoffs, seeking the program’s first championship since winning the Division 1-A crown in 1980.

The Knights (25-1) – the top-ranked team in the country – headline the eight-team field, which is split into two pools of four schools apiece.

Pool-play games are scheduled for Saturday, followed by Feb. 19 and Feb. 22, with the winners of each group scheduled to square off in the final March 1 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario.

Etiwanda (22-4), the reigning Open Division section champion and winner of back-to-back Open Division state titles, received the No. 2 seed.

Etiwanda girls basketball team | Photo courtesy of Etiwanda

Ontario Christian, led by sophomore guard Kaleena Smith along with elite freshmen Tatianna Griffin and Sydney Douglas, are paired with No. 4 Sierra Canyon (25-1), No. 5 Bishop Montgomery (21-3) and No. 8 Sage Hill (19-8).

Etiwanda, featuring McDonald’s All-American game selections in Cal-bound Aliyahna “Puff” Morris and LSU signee Grace Knox, is joined in its pool by No. 3 Mater Dei (26-2), No. 6 Windward (18-7) and No. 7 Fairmont Prep (20-8).

Mater Dei, led by McDonald’s All-American game honoree and Iowa commit Addie Deal, will be competing during the postseason without junior standout Kaeli Wynn after she dislocated her right kneecap Jan. 25 against Rancho Christian.

Ontario Christian, Etiwanda, Mater Dei, Sierra Canyon, Bishop Montgomery and Sage Hill all qualified for the Open Division playoffs last year.

Windward is making its first appearance in the Open Division field since 2023, squaring off against Mater Dei for the third time this season in Saturday’s pool-play opener, with Fairmont Prep qualifying for the first time since 2017.

Etiwanda, which also captured the Open Division section championship in 2022, is attempting to become the first program to repeat since Mater Dei in 2020-21.

Windward is the only girls basketball program in the Southern Section to win three Open Division crowns, with titles in 2014, 2018 and 2019.

There are nine additional divisions in the Southern Section girls basketball playoffs, with Ventura (26-2) receiving the top seed in the 32-team Division 1 bracket.

Buena Park (20-6) captured the No. 1 seed in Division 2-AA, Burbank Burroughs (19-9) was selected the top seed in Division 2-A, Newport Beach Pacifica Christian (12-14) earned the No. 1 seed in Division 3-AA, Lawndale (20-8) secured the top seed in Division 3-A, Anaheim Savanna (19-5) was awarded the No. 1 seed in Division 4-AA and a first-round bye, Riverside Sherman Indian (10-5) grabbed the top seed in Division 4-A, Anaheim Loara (9-15) achieved the No. 1 seed in Division 5-AA and an opening-round bye, with Riverside Notre Dame (15-5) named the top seed in Division 5-A, along with a first-round bye.

Championship games in the remaining divisions are scheduled for Feb. 28 or March 1.