Kamdyn Klamberg helps Sage Hill continue surge in Division 1 girls basketball state playoffs, denying Brentwood return trip to Southern California regional final

NEWPORT BEACH – Even with a great performance from one of the most productive 3-point shooting teams in state history, Brentwood knew it would be a tall order to knock off second-seeded Sage Hill in the Southern California Regional semifinals of the Division 1 girls basketball playoffs.

When the host Lightning scored the first 12 points Saturday night against the sixth-seeded Eagles, it made the challenge insurmountable, even for a lineup with the perimeter prowess of Brentwood.

Sage Hill followed its early significant surge by producing a run of 16 unanswered points in the second and third quarters, cruising to a 59-39 victory and its first appearance in a regional championship game since 2022, in addition to denying the Eagles a return trip to the Division 1 regional final.

Post-game interviews

The Lightning (22-11) will play host Tuesday to No. 4 Windward (21-10) – a 79-55 winner Saturday at top-seeded Fairmont Prep (23-11) – in a showdown of two programs that both rebounded from losing all three pool-play contests in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs to compete for a regional championship.

Both schools advanced to the state finals in 2022, with Sage Hill capturing the Division 2 title and Windward falling in the Division 1 championship game.

The Lightning secured a pair of victories in November against Windward, which is appearing in its eighth regional final in program history.

Kamdyn Klamberg, a sophomore forward, had 21 points and nine rebounds Saturday for Sage Hill, which led by as many as 16 points in the opening quarter.

Brentwood (27-9) cut the deficit to 25-12 with 4:30 left in the second quarter on a 3-point field goal by senior Payton Sugar, the school’s all-time leader in 3-pointers.

It turned out to be the only field goal in the quarter for the Eagles, as Sage Hill responded with the final 12 points of the first half and added a pair of baskets early in the third to increase the advantage to 41-12.

The Eagles missed nine consecutive shots during the drought, which lasted nearly eight minutes, before sophomore Kelsey Sugar halted the Sage Hill run with a layup. Brentwood had a shot get lodged between the rim and the backboard on one layup attempt and also endured having a free throw disallowed as a result of a lane violation during the frustrating stretch.

Brentwood made five 3-pointers in 29 attempts Jan. 18 in a 60-42 setback against Sage Hill on a day when the Eagles competed in two contests in an effort to make up rescheduled games that were postponed as a result of the multiple wildfires in Southern California.

Brentwood hit only four 3-point field goals in more than 30 opportunities Saturday, finishing with a Southern Section record 410 for the season, becoming only the third school in state history to surpass 400 in a year, along with San Diego Section programs The Bishop’s School and Mission Hills.

Brentwood School girls basketball team | Photo courtesy of Brentwood School

Payton Sugar hit two 3-pointers and finished with eight points for the Eagles, concluding her four-year career with 354 3-point field goals – including a program-record 134 this season – to rank sixth all-time in the Southern Section and 19th in California prep history.

Lev Feiman, a UC San Diego-bound senior guard, didn’t make her first basket for Brentwood until 4:12 remaining in the third quarter.

Feiman, the school’s all-time leading scorer, contributed nine points Saturday and finished with 1,844 points in 138 career contests for the Eagles, the only program that didn’t compete in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs to advance to the Division 1 regional semifinals.

Reena White and Kelsey Sugar, both sophomores, added seven points apiece for Brentwood, which rallied from a 27-point deficit following three quarters to pull as close as 57-39 in the fourth.

Amalia Holguin, a junior guard, had 12 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals for Sage Hill, with freshmen Addison Uphoff and Eve Fowler both contributing eight points apiece for the Lightning, who made only three 3-pointers in the rematch after hitting 12 against the Eagles in the first showdown.

Uphoff and Fowler were both sidelined during games in CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool-play competition for Sage Hill, but have returned to the lineup for the Lightning to contribute to state playoff victories against Westchester, Moreno Valley and Brentwood.