Destiny Christian Academy reacts after winning the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys basketball championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday.
HANNAH RUHOFF
hruhoff@sacbee.com
The nightcap to Friday’s CIF Sac-Joaquin Section finals at Golden 1 Center was personal for the Destiny Christian Academy Lions boys basketball team.
“We went to every workout, practice, just to get to this moment right here,” said Lions forward Mohamed Kamara. “We’ve lost to them the last three years, so this is very personal. We can’t go out like that again. (This was) a get back.”
The rivalry meant a lot to both Destiny Christian Academy and Jesuit. It was apparent throughout Friday’s night game that included 12 lead changes and nine ties, finishing with DCA on top in a hard-fought 45-41 victory that came down to the final minute.
It was personal because DCA avenged two big losses to Jesuit last season, in the section playoffs and the CIF Northern California regional championship. And all the big games between the two programs have the making of an intense rivalry between the two Sacramento-area private schools separated by a 12-minute drive over on Watt Avenue, across the American River.
“As a coach who’s coached as long as I have, I really believe that’s the kind of team you want to play,” DCA coach Rich Sondhi said. “I really want to play the teams that make you prepare every night, that you have to strategy, watching film and have your guys ready, because if you don’t, you’re going to lose.”
Destiny Christian Academy reacts after winning the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys basketball championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com
It was a defensive battle throughout. No one for the Lions scored more than Myles Wiggins’ 11 points. Mason Phillips for Jesuit had a game-high 19, and nearly brought the Marauders back from a 4-point deficit in the fourth quarter when he scored his team’s first 9 points of the frame.
Jesuit retook the lead midway through the fourth while DCA thought it was getting a tough whistle from referees, which included senior captain Frederick Blue III getting called for a technical for hanging on the rim too long following fast-break dunk that gave the Lions a 37-36 lead.
It led to high emotions from the sideline and the crowd at Golden 1 Center, but the Lions calmed themselves and finished the game on a 9-4 run the rest of the way, including a thunderous dunk from Wiggins, the 6-foot-6 senior forward.
“We have a saying on our team, ‘Move on.’” Sondhi said. “It’s a thing we’ve had all year long that we don’t get caught in the play and then let it dwell and carry on to two or three more plays.”
Kamara had 9 points and eight rebounds. Djibi Camara added 10 rebounds. The Lions won despite making just six of 18 from the free-throw line.
The section final appearance marked Jesuit’s 20th in program history, and the first for Destiny Christian Academy since changing from Capital Christian in 2023. Jesuit came in as the No. 1 seed and fell to 21-10 on the season, while the Lions were the No. 2 seed and improved to 24-8.
Both teams qualify for the CIF Northern California regionals, which begin Tuesday.
Destiny Christian Academy reacts after winning the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II boys basketball championship at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Friday. HANNAH RUHOFF hruhoff@sacbee.com
This story was originally published February 27, 2026 at 10:48 PM.
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Chris Biderman covers sports and local news for the Sacramento Bee since joining in August 2018 to cover the San Francisco 49ers. He previously spent time with the Associated Press and USA Today Sports Media Group, and has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle, The Athletic and on MLB.com. He is a current member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and former member of the Pro Football Writers of America. The Santa Rosa native graduated with a degree in journalism from the Ohio State University.