Etiwanda girls basketball team named national champion by MaxPreps
It is the first time an Inland girls team has ended the season ranked No. 1 in the 14 years the nationwide website has crowned national champions and the first for a California team since 2020.
Etiwanda defeated Archbishop Mitty 60-48 to win a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Etiwanda girls basketball coach Stan Delus has taken the Eagles from a regional power, to a CIF Southern Section champion to a CIF State champion.
Now the Eagles have taken the next step: national champion.
Aliyahna Morris #25 holds the trophy as Etiwanda defeated Archbishop Mitty 60-48 to win a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Kennedy Smith #11 hugs teammate Grace Knox #23 as Etiwanda defeated Archbishop Mitty 60-48 to win a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Kennedy Smith #11 hugs teammate Mykelle Richards #22 as Etiwanda defeated Archbishop Mitty 60-48 to win a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Head coach Stan Delus of Etiwanda reacts against Archbishop Mitty in the second half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Head coach Stan Delus of Etiwanda looks on against Archbishop Mitty in the second half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Grace Knox #23 of Etiwanda drives to the basket against Archbishop Mitty in the first half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Kennedy Smith #11 of Etiwanda drives to the basket against McKenna Woliczko #20 of Archbishop Mitty in the first half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Former NBA player Robert Horry looks on in the second half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game between Etiwanda and Archbishop Mitty at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Kennedy Smith #11 of Etiwanda Drives to the basket against McKenna Woliczko #20 of Archbishop Mitty in the first half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Kennedy Smith #11 of Etiwanda Drives to the basket against McKenna Woliczko #20 of Archbishop Mitty in the first half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
Grace Knox #23 of Etiwanda Shoots against Archbishop Mitty in the first half of a CIF State Open Division girls basketball game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on Saturday, March 9, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-ɫ̳/ SCNG)
MaxPreps named Etiwanda (32-3) its national champion Tuesday, beating out Archbishop Mitty of San Jose (30-1) in its final rankings for the 2023-24 season. It is the first time an Inland girls basketball team was crowned a national champion in the 14 years MaxPreps has crowned national champions and the first California team to win the honor since La Jolla Country Day in 2020.
“Our goal was to win a state championship,” Delus said. “Anything else is icing on the cake.”
The only other Inland basketball team to be crowned MaxPreps national champion was the Chino Hills boys in 2015-16.
Etiwanda defeated Archbishop Mitty 60-48 to win its second consecutive CIF State Open Division championship and finish its season on March 9. Mitty had been undefeated and ranked No. 1 before that game, and Etiwanda moved up to No. 2 after the state title. At the time the Eagles were ranked behind only Long Island Lutheran, which defeated Etiwanda 82-62 on Jan. 15. Etiwanda won 16 straight games to finish the season after that loss.
Long Island Lutheran lost to Montverde Academy (Florida) 79-78 in the semifinals of the Chipotle High School Nationals on April 5. Long Island Lutheran dropped to No. 4 in the final rankings, Montverde moved to No. 3, and Etiwanda and Mitty vaulted to Nos. 1 and 2.
“I appreciate being named No. 1, that they gave us the national champion title,” Delus said. “For me, it would be more gratifying if we were able to play in a national tournament (at the end of the season). I truly believe in my team and that we would be battle-tested for that.”
CIF prohibits teams from playing in tournaments after their state championships. Several other states have similar restrictions.
Etiwanda was also crowned national champions by Scorebook Live, while ESPN has yet to release its final 2023-24 rankings.
“How do you crown a high school national championship if the top eight teams don’t get a chance to play each other? But if all three of the top publications name us No. 1 that means something,” Delus said.
When Etiwanda was ranked No. 2 in the penultimate rankings, Delus wasn’t disappointed.
“You can’t knock the fact that in the second half of that game they (Long Island Lutheran) dominated us,” Delus said. “They beat us fair and square. I wasn’t disappointed (at No. 2) because I understood. At the same time, we were playing our best basketball down the stretch of the season. That’s why as a coach, I’d like to play in a national tournament and now you can lay it on the line as to who is the better team.”
