Clovis West defeats Mitty in battle of nation's top two ranked teams

Video: Highlights of 2017 CIF Open Division girls title game
Watch Clovis West rally from a late seven-point deficit to beat Mitty in battle of nationally ranked squads.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.  — California Interscholastic Federation Executive Director Roger Blake dropped by the scorer's table at halftime of Saturday's national showdown between Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) and Clovis West (Fresno).

In the MaxPreps National Girls Basketball Computer Rankings, presented by the Army National Guard, this was for the national crown. Mitty entered No. 1 and Clovis West No. 2.

Fittingly the game was played at beautiful Golden 1 Center, new home of the Sacramento Kings.

"It just doesn't get better than this," said Blake, sounding like a proud papa.

He was right and the game lived up to its billing, at least from a defensive perspective. The game came right down to the wire before Clovis West fought from behind to prevail 44-40 in the CIF Open Division championship.

Down 37-30 early in the fourth quarter, struggling from the field, Clovis West's Sarah Bates
caught fire. In a game filled with loads of Division I talent, the UC Santa Barbara-bound standout was the only one who did, scoring 11 straight points for the Golden Eagles (34-2), including a pair of three-point baskets and a three point play.

Her uncontested layup with 1:42 to play made it 41-37. Mitty, which beat Clovis West 76-75 in an early December game, never recovered.

"Did we just do that?" Clovis West coach Craig Campbell said 45 minutes following the game. "I'm still trying to process it."

Mitty (28-3) made only three free throws down the stretch. Two by Danae Marquez with 5.3 seconds left clinched it for the Golden Eagles, who won their first state-finals appearance to the delight of a large contingent who attended the game.
 
"These kids are resilient," Campbell said. "I told them three games ago there is nothing they can do to make me more proud of them. Winning a state championship doesn’t make me more proud. It’s just a special reward for this group of girls that have sacrificed so much."

Bates finished with a game-high 12 points for Clovis West, which made just 15 of 51 shots and turned the ball over 23 times.

"If you told me we'd shoot 29 percent against MItty, I would have predicted we lose by 17 or so," Campbell said.

But Golden West stifled Mitty, especially down the stretch, limiting the Monarchs to 17 of 49 shooting. Mitty missed several interior shots in the fourth quarter. The only bucket the Monarchs scored was a jumper by Haley Jones (10 points, 11 rebounds) with 5:42 left in the game.

They never made a basket after that.

"It just looked like there was a lid on the basket," Mitty coach Sue Phillips said. "We had chances we normally make. I'd say some of the looks we'd make 10 out of 10 times. But give Clovis West credit. They grinded it out on defense."

And then Bates took over.

She had one point entering the fourth quarter. But her first bucket came on a long football pass from the Mitty baseline. The 5-9 senior made a layup, was fouled and completed the three-point play.

"Sometimes you just need a basket - even a layup - to get you going," Bates said.

Follow the game Saturday with LIVE play-by-play at 6 p.m.

Bates is one of five Clovis West seniors who have secured scholarships. The others are 6-foot-1 forward Megan Anderson (San Jose State), 5-4 point guard Marquez (SJS), 6-0 post Bre'yanna Sanders (Arizona State) and 6-foot forward Tess Amundsen (Boise State).

Madison Campbell, a 5-11 sophomore, is Clovis West coach Craig Campbell's daughter and a top recruit as well.

Mitty countered with seniors Heleyna Hill, a 5-6 guard headed to San Jose State, 5-11 forward Madeline Holland (St. Mary's College), 6-2 post Tahlia Garza (UC Irvine) and 5-10 guard Daniella Guglielmo (UC Irvine). Jones, a 6-1 sophomore, and 6-foot junior Karisma Ortiz, are major Division I recruits.

Holland finished with a team-high 11 points.

“This is definitely a tough pill to swallow,” Phillips said. “Kudos to Clovis West, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us.”