California high school girls basketball: Shalhevet wins CIF Division IV title 50-46 over San Domenico

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With his Shalhevet (Los Angeles) team clinging to a 50-46 lead in the waning moments of the CIF Division IV girls basketball finals against San Domenico (San Anselmo), Firehawks coach Ryan Coleman looked over at the small, but vocal fan contingent and urged them to be even louder.

And why not? Shalhevet was on the cusp of its 50-46 victory, a redemption after 2022's 38-27 loss to San Domenico.

"We worked for 363 days to get back here," Coleman said. "I wanted our community to celebrate with us. They support us in more ways than I can describe. I wanted to celebrate with them."

In 2022, San Domenico and Shalhevet squared off, but the Firehawks lost Yalee Schwartz in the opening minutes of the game as the Panthers, despite starting the game 0-for-10 from the field hung on for the win.

On Friday, Shalhevet returned the favor. But it wasn't easy.

"She's a difference-maker," Coleman said of Schwartz.

Schwartz scored a game-high 21 for the Firehawks while Arielle Grossman added 18. San Domenico had three players in double figures - Summer Jenkins with 15, Maja Cykowska with 14 and Averey Conklin with 12.

Coleman's bunch held on down the stretch despite missing a slew of free throws. But each time San Domenico had the chance to whittle the lead away, the Panthers turned the ball over or missed a good luck.

San Domenico shot 16-of-65 from the field, while Shalhevet was 16-of-31.

"We missed a lot of easy shots," San Domenico coach Mike Fulton said. "I thought we could've attacked the basket a little more, but I like my players playing free."

San Domenico's Jenkins cut the Shalhevet lead to 47-42 with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with just over two minutes to play.

The Panthers had multiple chances to cut into the Shalevet lead down the stretch as the Firehawks twice missed the front end of one-and-ones. But San Domenico missed a 3-pointer and was twice whistled for traveling. And despite missing a slew of free throws down the stretch, Shalhevet made enough to keep the Panthers at bay.

"I think it was the quality of our shots over their quantity," Coleman said.

The Firehawks started strong, taking a 16-5 lead after the first quarter on the strong play of Grossman and Schwartz. The junior Schwartz opened the game with five straight points, a bucket followed by an old-fashioned three-point play. Then Grossman got hot, scoring the next eight.

But San Domenico, which opened the 2022 finals against Shalhevet 0-for-10, steady its ship and chipped into the lead.

The Panthers cut the lead to 40-38 with just over six minutes to play, but couldn't find the equalizer or take the lead.

"When we got there, I thought we were going to win," Fulton said.