SJM boys & Central girls win first CIF Championships in program history

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Saturday afternoon in Sacramento a pair of local high school basketball teams were crowned state champions.

The San Joaquin Memorial boys beat Pacifica Christian Orange County 58-47 to clinch the Division-II state title. Panthers forward Mike Davis Jr. led the way with 17 points (6/9 FG) and 14 rebounds. SJM has featured NBA players like Jalen Green, Quincy Pondexter and Robin & Brook Lopez, but Saturday's win was the first state title in program history.

The Panthers are also the first Central Section boys basketball team to win a state championship since DeShawn Stevenson led Washington Union to a D-III title in 1999.

Earlier in the day inside the Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, the Central girls basketball team beat Bonita Vista 52-41 to claim the D-II title, also the first in program history.

Grizzlies senior forward Talia Maxwell put on a dominant display matching her 24 points with a D-II state final record 24 rebounds. She also recorded six blocked shots.

Central's win was the first for a Central Section girls team since Caruthers won the D-V crown in 2019.

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