Just like football, Scripps Ranch wins CIF boys basketball state championship
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - For Scripps Ranch, defense really did win the team a championship.
The Falcons used a smothering defensive performance to claim the school’s first ever boys basketball state championship 46-37 over Justin-Siena on Saturday from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Scripps Ranch became just the fourth school to win a CIF State football and boys basketball title in the same school year joining Serra (Gardena) in 2009-10, St John Bosco in 2013-14 and Chaminade in 2013-2014.
The first half provided a preview for what was to come as Scripps Ranch held Justin-Sienna to 25.9% shooting from the floor to lead 22-21 at the break. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the Falcons’ defensive numbers got even better in the second half.
When the final buzzer sounded, Justin-Siena’s shooting clip had dipped to 21% with a whopping 17 turnovers. Coming into the Division 4 title game, Justin-Siena’s Travis Hightower led the Braves in scoring at 12.6 points per game. The junior finished with 10 points and was held scoreless in the first half.
Senior Lamont Wilkerson II provided Scripps Ranch with solid offensive production in the first half scoring 10 points. He also gifted fans the top play of the first two quarters with a powerful rejection of a Hightower floater. Wilkerson finished with 19 points in the win.
Scripps Ranch junior Jax Leatherwood added seven points for the Falcons. Leatherwood led Scripps Ranch to a football state title in the fall as the team’s starting quarterback. Wilkerson was a starting defensive back on the football team as well. Both now have two rings in four months.
