Ontario Christian (Ontario, Calif.) capped a 34-2 season with the school's first state title, helping the Knights finish No. 1 in the final MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings and
earn the distinction of being named MaxPreps National Champion.
Against a slate that featured games against teams from eight states, Ontario Christian beat four state champions and three others who played in a title game.
The Knights turned a loss in the section final into a lesson. According to head coach Aundre Cummings, that propelled them to the three-game run to the state championship.
"We kind of started to sense it in the middle of the year, that national championship teams are crowned when they win their state championship," Cummings said. "We tried to get them to understand how historic they could be.
"The ultimate goal is winning the national championship."
Ontario Christian was led by top-rated junior
Kaleena Smith, arguably the nation's best player regardless of class. She was brilliant in the state championship game against
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose) with a game-high 24 points. For the season, Smith averaged 31.5 points and 6.9 assists per game.
Sophomore
Tatianna Griffin (21.3 points per game), junior
Dani Robinson (15.9) and freshman
Chloe Jenkins (14.7) added to Ontario Christian's firepower, helping the Knights pile up 87 points per game while winning by an average of nearly 35 points per outing.
The scary part is they could all be back next season.
Past MaxPreps National Champions2011 —
Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)2012 —
St. Mary's (Phoenix, Ariz.)2013 —
Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)2014 —
Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)2015 —
Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.)2016 —
Duncanville (Texas)2017 — Riverdale
2018 —
Central Valley (Spokane Valley, Wash.)2019 —
New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.)2020 —
La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)2021 —
Westlake (Atlanta, Ga.)2022 —
Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)2023 —
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)2024 —
Etiwanda (Calif.)
Final MaxPreps Top 25
1. Ontario Christian (Ontario, Calif.)
Record: 34-2
Open Division state champion.2. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
Record: 29-3
3. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 28-3
Open Division state runner-up.4. Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Record: 28-0
Class 5 state champion.
5. Red Bank Catholic (Red Bank, N.J.)
Record: 31-2
Non-Public A state champion.
6. Bullis (Potomac, Md.)
Record: 29-7
Private School state champions.
7. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis, Mo.)
Record: 29-2
Class 6 state champion.8. Sage Hill (Newport Beach, Calif.)
Record: 28-6
9. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 30-3
Southern Section Open Division champion.10. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record: 30-4
11. Johnston (Iowa)
Record: 27-0
Class 5A state champion.
12. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 35-1
Class 7A state champion.13. Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Record: 23-5
Class 5A state champion.14. Pleasant Grove (Utah)
Record: 26-0
Class 5A state champion.15. Miami Country Day (Miami, Fla.)
Record: 31-2
Class 2A state champion.
16. Putnam City North (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Record: 30-1
Class 6 state champion.17. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 26-4
South Jersey Non-Public A runner-up.18. Ryan (Denton, Texas)
Record: 35-4
Conference 5A Division 1 state champion.
19. Hebron Christian (Dacula, Ga.)
Record: 30-1
Private School state champion.20. Oostburg (Wis.)
Record: 30-0
Division 3 state champion.
21. Summer Creek (Houston, Texas)
Record: 34-4
Conference 6A Division 1 state champion.
22. South Fayette (McDonald, Pa.)
Record: 31-1
Class 5A state champion.
23. Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)Record: 29-0
Class 4A state champion.
24. Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio)
Record: 28-0
Division 1 state champion.25. Staley (Kansas City, Mo.)
Record: 29-3
Class 5 state runner-up.
Next 75Record: 24-5
Division 1 state champion.
Record: 35-5
Conference 6A Division 2 state champion.
Record: 28-2
Division 1 state champion.
Record: 34-5
Conference 5A Division 2 state champion.
Record: 25-4
Open Division state champion.
Record: 25-7
DCSAA Class AA champion.
Record: 24-7
VISAA Division 1 state champion.
Record: 35-3
Class 4A state champion.
Record: 30-2
Class AAAAAA state champion.
Record: 34-2
KHSAA state champion.
Record: 26-4
Class 1A state champion.
38. Wauwatosa East (Wauwatosa, Wis.)Record: 29-1
Division 1 state runner-up.
Record: 22-8
Class 7A state champion.
Record: 23-7
IAAM Class A state champion.
Record: 30-2
Class 3A state champion.
Record: 31-2
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 28-5
Division 1 state champion.
Record: 24-2
Class 4A state champion.
Record: 22-4
Division 2 state champion.
Record: 24-4
Class 3A state champion.
Record: 21-7
DCSAA Class AA runner-up.
Record: 23-4
Record: 27-6
KHSAA state runner-up.
Record: 24-3
Open Division state runner-up.
Record: 22-8
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 29-4
Class 2A state champion.
Record: 26-2
Division 1 state champion.
Record: 27-3
Class AAAA state runner-up.
Record: 34-3
Class 4A state runner-up.
Record: 25-3
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 29-2
Class AAAA state champion.
Record: 28-1
Division 1 Select state champion.
Record: 25-7
Class 3A state runner-up.
Record: 25-2
NYSPHSAA AAA state champion.
Record: 24-6
Non-Public A state runner-up.
Record: 24-3
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 30-2
Class 4A state champion.
Record: 30-2
Class 5A state champion.
Record: 28-1
Class AAAA state champion.
Record: 29-9
Conference 6A Division 1 state runner-up.
Record: 35-2
Class 3A state champion.
Record: 26-3
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 23-3
Class 6A state runner-up.
Record: 27-0
Class 2A state champion.
Record: 32-1
Class 3A state champion.
Record: 27-1
Class A state champion.
Record: 26-11
Division 1 state runner-up.
Record: 27-1
Division 2 state runner-up.
Record: 25-6
Class A Division II state runner-up.
Record: 32-2
Class 6A state champion.
Record: 20-7
Class 7A state runner-up.
Record: 30-3
Division 1 Non-Select state champion.
Record: 16-7
Class 5A state runner-up.
Record: 26-7
Class 7A state runner-up.
Record: 28-0
Class B state champion.
Record: 28-3
Class 4A state champion.
