ANAHEIM – On a young Windward roster that includes six freshmen experiencing the emotional journey of the postseason for the first time, one of the veterans for the Wildcats who is familiar with making a deep run in the state girls basketball playoffs is senior guard Olivia Lagao.
A member of the 2022 roster that helped Windward rebound from three losses in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs to reach the Division 1 state final, Lagao understands the challenges of winning rematches and securing significant road victories.
Lagao, a New York University commit, scored 17 of her game-high 20 points in the first half and made six 3-point field goals to help No. 4 Windward earn a 79-55 victory at top-seeded Fairmont Prep in the Southern California Regional semifinals of the Division 1 state playoffs.
Windward (21-10) advanced to the regional final Tuesday at second-seeded Sage Hill (22-11), with both teams looking to reach a state championship game for the first time in three years.
Sage Hill, which achieved a 59-39 win Saturday against No. 6 Brentwood School (27-9), produced a pair of November victories against Windward, with both programs rebounding from going winless in CIF-Southern Section Open Division pool play to secure a third showdown in the regional final.
Just like during their 2022 run, when the Wildcats responded following an Open Division pool-play loss against Rosary Academy to win the rematch in the regional semifinals, Windward regrouped after a 69-65 setback Feb. 22 against Fairmont Prep to pull away Saturday with a spectacular second-quarter surge.
Windward girls basketball team | Photo courtesy of Windward
Lagao made three 3-point field goals, with Central Florida signee Samari Bankhead adding a pair of 3-pointers and freshman Mikaella Kawahito also connecting from behind the arc, as Windward knocked down half of its 12 3-point shots as part of a 28-point second quarter to grab a 50-26 halftime advantage.
Bankhead, who hit four 3-pointers, finished with 16 points, as did sophomore Charis Rainey for the Wildcats, who increased the lead to 66-41 after three quarters.
Amel Cook, a freshman guard, contributed 11 points, with fellow ninth-grader Kawahito scoring eight points and senior Samara Durham adding six points for Windward, which advanced to the eighth regional final in program history.
Maria Mejia, a senior, led Fairmont Prep (23-11) with 18 points, including four 3-point field goals.
Sarah Aldeguer added 14 points, with fellow junior Adyra Rajan contributing 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, for the Huskies, who advanced to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2015.
Rajan finished the season with 157 3-point field goals in 34 contests, which ranks No. 3 in CIF-Southern Section history and seventh all-time in the state, according to Cal-Hi Sports.
Rajan enters her senior year with 323 3-pointers, which ranks No. 28 in California prep history.