With LeBron James looking on, Sierra Canyon captures Division I state title

SACRAMENTO — LeBron James’ entrance at Golden 1 Center on Friday night produced a crowd reaction similar to a rock star walking on stage for a concert. Fans began to rise from their seats and shout. Anyone with a camera tried to capture the scene of James, his wife and young daughter walking to their courtside seats to watch son Bryce play for Sierra Canyon against Stockton Lincoln in the state Division I championship game.

James, sidelined because of a groin injury, had another son, Bronny, with the Lakers in Denver, with both games going on simultaneously. It was a fitting ending to James’ six-year run as a Sierra Canyon parent trying to balance his responsibilities as one of the world’s most famous athletes with being the father of two teenage basketball players.

James’ presence helped bring out one of the largest crowds (8,396) for a Friday night state final in years, and Sierra Canyon rallied in the fourth quarter behind Maximo Adams to pull out a 58-53 victory.

Sierra Canyon (27-7) fell behind by four points at halftime after making just one of 13 shots from three-point range. The Trailblazers finally took charge in the fourth quarter when Adams made a three with 1:52 left for a 51-50 lead. The Trailblazers had been three for 23 on three-pointers until that clutch shot.

“My coaches tell me to keep shooting, so why not let it fly,” Adams said.

Then came a Bryce Cofield basket, a three-point play by Adams, plus two more free throws from Adams.

Gavin Hightower finished with 15 points, Adams 14 points, Cofield 11 and Stephen Kankole 10. Donez Lindsey and Anthony Moore each scored 18 points for Lincoln, which felt the officiating favored the Trailblazers, who made 20 of 30 free throws.

“It wasn’t a great flow tonight,” Sierra Canyon coach Andre Chevalier said. “There were a lot of whistles blown.”

Sierra Canyon has been prominent in the Open Division, but Chevalier will take the Division I title.

“This was hard as heck,” he said. “We’re going to hang this banner like it’s the world championship.”

Afterward, Lincoln’s Moore was helped up off the floor when LeBron James gave him a hand.

“That was crazy,” Moore said. “I’ll remember that.”

Chevalier said it was “the best coaching job of my career” after overcoming the loss of players who left, the disruption of the L.A. fires and an early loss to Santa Barbara.

Bryce James finished with three points and the first CIF state title in the family.

Division III

San Gabriel Academy 52, King’s Academy 51: Mahamadou Diop, San Gabriel Academy’s 6-foot-11 sophomore center from Mali, is someone fans in Southern California will need to watch in the coming years. He’s that good.

“My dream is to go to NBA,” the 17-year-old said.

He had 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots in the first half of the state championship game. Three of his baskets came on dunks. He didn’t score in the third quarter when his team’s lead was cut from 13 points at halftime to four. That’s when he rose up to get his team rolling, and San Gabriel held on for its first state title.

Diop finished with 20 points, making 10 of 16 shots, 13 rebounds and seven blocks.

With San Gabriel leading by nine in the final minute, the Eagles started committing turnovers and fouling. King’s Academy closed to within 50-49 with 11.3 seconds left before Xavier Wang made two free throws for a three-point lead.

“I lost about five years in my life in the last 15 seconds,” San Gabriel coach Daniel Piepoli said.

After San Gabriel’s 25th turnover led to a layup just before the buzzer, the Eagles were able to to run out the clock and celebrate their first championship.

Diop, who doesn’t speak much English, said he likes blocking shots more than dunking.

“He gets better every single day. You can see he can tear the rim down,” Piepoli said.

As Diop improves his shooting touch from outside, his value will only increase.

Division V

San Francisco International 71, Diamond Ranch 52: Conor Maguire scored 32 points to help International come back from a six-point halftime deficit to win the title. Devin Turner scored 16 points and Michael Salazar had 14 points for Diamond Ranch (23-15), the Southern California champion.

The Panthers were outscored 16-0 during one drought. In the first half Salazar made seven of 10 shots and scored all 14 of his points as Diamond Ranch led 30-24. He got into foul trouble, then fouled out. It was a tough way to potentially end his basketball career.

“I’ve been hooping my whole life,” Salazar said. “It’s hard. I hope I don’t have to give up basketball yet.”

Diamond Ranch coach Kevin Ryan said, “These guys went into every morning practice trying to get better every day. Basketball is a game of runs and they swung at us and hit us hard.”