California’s CIF Open Division championship: live updates, highlights, scores from Salesian Prep vs. Sierra Canyon originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

SACRAMENTO, California, March 13 — California’s CIF Open Division state championship will feature two nationally-ranked Top 25 programs squaring off late Saturday night at the Golden 1 Center in California’s state capital.

Advertisement

The No. 6 Sierra Canyon [Chatsworth, CA] Trailblazers have been the best team in California all season, but the No. 21 Salesian College Prep [Richmond, CA] Pride have quietly met every challenge placed before them in the postseason en route to winning Northern California’s regional championship.

Now, the two powers from the North and the South will meet on the hardwood to determine California’s state champion. Sierra Canyon’s only loss so far in a 29-1 campaign is a 57-52 upset way back on December 6 to the Bishop McNamara [Forestville, MD] Mustangs.

Salesian College Prep also has 29 wins, but three losses to the Crespi [Encino, CA] Celts (70-67 on December 27), Wheeler [Marietta, GA] Wildcats (60-53 on January 1), and St. Joseph [Santa Maria, CA] Knights (67-63 on January 24) are the difference. They’ve won 11 straight games since their third loss while Sierra Canyon has piled up 24 straight wins.

In other words, something has to give Saturday night, and history suggests Sierra Canyon will be a tough out. The Trailblazers won the CIF Division I state championship last year, and they are 4-0 all time in state championship games including back-to-back Open Division titles in 2018 and 2019.

Advertisement

Game time is set for a 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST local) tip.

STREAM:Watch California’s CIF boys basketball Open Division state championship game on the NFHS Network

__________

Refresh for updates

__________

FIRST QUARTER

__________

Coming soon! Game time is set for 8 p.m. PST local!

__________

How can I watch Salesian College Prep vs. Sierra Canyon today?

Date: 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST local) Saturday, March 13

MORE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL