After both having extra time off, the Sage Hill Lightning and the Ontario Christian Knights will shake off the cobwebs and face off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sage Hill took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Tuesday. They blew past St. Margaret's 72-31. Given the Lightning's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 20th, while the Tartans are ranked 126th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Eve Fowler
| 02/04/25 vs St. Margaret's | 60% |
| 02/01/25 vs Rialto | 56% |
| 01/29/25 vs Rosary Academy | 67% |
| 01/28/25 vs San Jacinto | 50% |
Sage Hill's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Eve Fowler, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds. Fowler is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as she's posted one of at least 45% in the last four games she's played. Amalia Holguin was another key player, going 6 for 11 en route to 13 points and three steals.
Sage Hill smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in six consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Ontario Christian came tearing into last Saturday's matchup with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 44.6 points) and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 77-50 victory over the Knights.
Sage Hill better keep an eye on Kaleena Smith. She was instrumental in Ontario Christian's win, going 10 of 22 to rack up 26 points and four steals. Another player making a difference was Sydney Douglas, who dropped a double-double with 12 points and 18 boards.
Sage Hill's win was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-8. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.6 points over those games. As for Ontario Christian, their record now sits at 25-1.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sage Hill has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Ontario Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sage Hill came up short against Ontario Christian when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 71-67. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Smith, who posted 33 points along with seven assists and three steals. Now that Sage Hill knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
