The Forest Lake Christian girls varsity basketball team (17-8, 12-2 league) continued its postseason run Tuesday night with 52-34 win over the Sacramento Waldorf Waves (22-7, 13-1 league) in a CIF San-Joaquin Section playoff match. With the win, the Falcons have punched their ticket to the D-6 Championship game against Sacramento Adventist (19-10, 8-6 league) slated for this Friday at 10 a.m.
Tuesday night’s win marked the first time the Falcons have beaten the Waves on their court since December 30, 2022. Forest Lake Christian came up short (42-34) against Sacramento Waldorf back in January 2026.
“This is a team that we have yet to beat in three years. We’re running six against them, and you know, just finding our identity this season and sticking to it,” says Collin Widing, head coach for the Falcons.
He goes on to say, “I think the girls knew that this could possibly be the last game together, and it one hundred percent felt like that.”
From opening tip-off, both teams set the tone early, putting on defensive pressure, as the two teams fought to establish control in the first quarter.
The Falcons built momentum early and never surrendered control, using defensive force and efficient half-court offense to dictate tempo.
The Falcons and the Waves were tied 7-7 in the first quarter, but it was point guard, forward, and shooting guard, Bree Wilson (4) who broke the tie with a 3-point shot in the last seconds of the first quarter. That put the Falcons ahead on the boards with a score of 10-7.
Coach Widing states that both rebounds and defensive transitions were the biggest key points for Tuesday’s matchup, “We have worked on specifically those two points against this team, rebounding and making sure that we are communicating on defense to each other.”
By the end of the second quarter, Forest Lake Christian had a 12-point lead over Sacramento Waldorf with a score of 30-18.
Coach Widing kept a lot of the same players on the court through all four quarters.
“The seniors are the most experienced. Jessica (Makovey) is new this year, but the energy she brings to the court is just unmatched. Abbie, (Stokes) I don’t know how much she ended up with, but that’s probably the best game she ever played,” said coach Widing.
Stokes ended up with 26-points total by the end of the fourth quarter. Bree Wilson contributed 5-points. Jordan Bell posted 6-points, while Kenzie Harrington, whose positions include center and forward, was the second highest scorer with 9-points.
“I realized playing them that there was some mismatch issues because they’re a very guard of a team. So when they would bring in their post guarders, it really gave Kenzie the opportunity to shine in those moments,” Widing said.
The Waves worked to slow the pace in the second quarter, but the Falcons maintained composure, limiting second-chance opportunities.
Strong defensive rotations and active hands in the passing lanes helped Forest Lake Christian carry a lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Falcons extended their advantage with balanced scoring and steady half-court execution.
When the Waves tried to rally, Forest Lake Christian answered with timely baskets and disciplined defense.
By the end of the third quarter, Forest Lake Christian extended its lead by 16-points on the boards.
The Falcons closed out the game with steady scoring and strong rebounding, leaving the Waves with just 34-points total by the final buzzer.
With this latest victory, Forest Lake Christian advances further in the Sac-Joaquin section playoffs to the D-6 Championship game against Sacramento Adventist (19-10, 8-6 league) on Friday February 27 at 10 a.m. at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
To contact Sara Jackson email, sarajacksonwriter@aol.com