Sage Hill denied the crown by Knight in CIF Division 3AA final
Throughout its playoff run, Sage Hill had figured out ways to stay within striking distance and make plays when it mattered most in the fourth quarter.
In a three-point game at the half, it appeared the Lightning were headed down that road again, but the opposition had another idea.
The three-point shot began to fall for Palmdale Knight after the break, foiling the best laid defensive plans, as Sage Hill lost 64-43 on Saturday night in the CIF Southern Section Division 3AA boys' basketball final at Edison High.
In a battle between teams seeking the first section title for their respective programs, Knight (26-5) realized the dream.
'I told my guys when they were handing out the [runner-up] trophy to Sage Hill, I said, 'Hey, show them respect. I've been there twice,'' said Tom Hegre, who has coached the Hawks since the school opened in 2003. 'This is my third time in the finals. Our guys were not going to be denied tonight.'
Knight previously appeared in the Division II-A final in 2008 with a roster led by Paul George. The nine-time NBA All-Star was then in his senior year with the Hawks. In 2018, Knight suffered a double-overtime defeat to Crean Lutheran in the Division 3AA final.
Amare Larane had a game-high 26 points, adding five rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead Knight. The junior forward also accounted for half of the Hawks' eight three-pointers.
Entering the halftime locker room with a slim 24-21 advantage, Larane said the mindset was if the Hawks threw the 'first punch' in the third quarter, they would win the championship.
'Tonight, we just trusted our shot,' Larane said. 'In the first quarter, we went two for 10. We went into the locker room at halftime and just said, 'Stay with it. Shoot the same way every time.' In the third quarter, we just came out and we hit all our shots.'
Knight, the Golden League champion, nearly doubled its scoring output in the first half with a 23-point third quarter, extending its lead to 47-34 heading into the fourth quarter. It was significant separation from a Sage Hill team that did not take a lot of three-pointers and made just two — both by Carson Ellis.
James Karahalios scored 16 points to pace Sage Hill (18-10), adding six rebounds and three assists. Jackson Cryst contributed nine points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and three assists. Tre Cradle chipped in with six points and nine rebounds.
Knight made its advantage in the ball-handling categories. The Hawks had 19 assists against just six turnovers.
Sage Hill committed 17 turnovers (including 10 steals for the Hawks), which led to Knight scoring 27 points off turnovers and 18 points in transition.
'Earlier on, when we were kind of locked in and we were staying level with the ball, we were fine,' Sage Hill coach D'Cean Bryant said. 'I think when we started looking at the ball too much, they kind of drove the gaps.'
Da'vian Brooks scored a dozen points to go with four assists for Knight. Jaylen Mims had 11 points, four assists and three steals, and Jay'len Brooks added six points, eight assists and three steals.
Sage Hill was playing in its second CIF final in three years and third overall. The Lightning lost to Oxnard Santa Clara in the Division 5AA final in 2019, then to Long Beach Jordan in the Division 4A final in 2023.
There was anticipation on campus this week as Sage Hill prepared to compete for CIF championships in two sports. The girls' soccer team prevailed in penalty kicks over La Mirada in the Division 4 final on Saturday afternoon.
'Everyone was talking about the big games,' Karahalios said. 'Everyone wanted to go. Everything in the last week has been built around this, so we were all super excited.
Brackets for the CIF State boys' basketball playoffs were scheduled to be released on Sunday afternoon.
CIF Southern Section Division 3AA final
Knight 64, Sage Hill 43
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Knight 15 - 9 - 23- 17 — 64
Sage Hill 15 - 6 - 13 - 9 — 43
K — Larane 26, D. Brooks 12, Mims 11, Hardwell 7, J. Brooks 6, Williams 2.
3-pt. goals — Larane 4, D. Brooks 2, Hardwell 1, Mims 1.
Fouled out — None.
Technicals — None.
SH — Karahalios 16, Cryst 9, Cradle 6, Ellis 6, To. Akomolafe 2, Gomez 2, Yun 2.
3-pt. goals — Ellis 2.
Fouled out — None.
Technicals — None.
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