SAN MARCOS – Seven games under .500 earlier this month, the Lincoln High School girls basketball team completed an improbable run to a CIF San Diego Section Division 2 championship, rallying from an early four-point deficit to beat top-seeded La Costa Canyon 60-47 on Friday at Cal State San Marcos.
“We were 4-11 at one point, but we had five girls injured,” said Lincoln coach James Townsend.
“The girls believed in themselves. Believed in the process. Trusted that when we got healthy, we’d be OK.
“And we started getting wins one by one.”
The second-seeded Hornets (14-12) have now won 10 of their last 11. La Costa Canyon (25-6) came into the game having won 15 of the last 16.
“Honestly, yes, we saw this coming,” said Lincoln senior Malissa McKoy. “We trusted in each other. We knew that we had a championship-caliber team. We knew we could make this happen.”
SAN MARCOS, CA – February 27, 2026: Lincoln head coach James Townsend holds up the trophy after his players as they celebrate beat La Costa Canyon 60-47 for the CIF Division 2 girls basketball championship at California State University San Marcos in San Marcos on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
LCC survived a nine-turnover first quarter and led 20-18 after the first eight minutes.
The Mavericks turned the ball over eight times in the second quarter and were outscored 15-7 as Lincoln took a 31-27 lead at the break.
The score was tied four times and the lead changed hands 11 times in the first half.
Lincoln scored the first eight points of the third quarter to take a 39-27 lead. The Hornets pressed the advantage to 43-29 late in the quarter.
SAN MARCOS, CA – February 27, 2026: Lincoln’s Malissa McKoy drives toward the basket as La Costa Canyon’s Keani Brown defends in the second half of the CIF Division 2 Girls basketball championship at California State University San Marcos in San Marcos on Friday, February 27, 2026. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
LCC had the deficit down to eight before Lincoln went on a 5-1 run to end the quarter.
The Mavericks weren’t done, though, cutting Lincoln’s lead to six with 3:01 to play. But Lincoln finished the game on a 9-2 run, forcing six LCC fourth-quarter turnovers and 29 for the game.
“Our defense turned into offense,” said Lincoln senior Anijah Stowers. “We denied them the first entry pass and got them frustrated. Once we got the momentum, we took off.”
McKoy led all scorers with 18 points and she had five rebounds.
Stowers had eight points, but led all rebounders with 10.
Kami DeMara and Anayiah Shine both finished with 10 points for Lincoln.
Izzy Alexander, who had a trio of fourth-quarter 3-pointers, and Lily LeJeune both had 11 points for LCC. Keani Brown led the Mavericks with 13 points and nine rebounds.
LeJeune finished with seven rebounds.
Both teams advance to the Southern California Regionals, with pairings announced Sunday afternoon.