Sage Hill girls’ basketball bows out of state playoffs at Ontario Christian

Sage Hill's Emily Eadie (1) reaches for a rebound against Ontario Christian in a playoff game.

By Andrew TurnerStaff Writer

Feb. 29, 2024 1:45 PM PT

ONTARIO — For the duration of their time in the Sage Hill girls’ basketball program, they lived under a microscope, the interest in them intensifying as their time together began to tick away.

Emily Eadie, Amalia Holguin, Zoie Lamkin, Kat Righeimer and Annabelle Spotts — collectively known as the Mamba Five — started their final prep game together on Wednesday night.

It had become a common occurrence over the last two seasons since Holguin entered the school as the last of Kobe Bryant’s protégés to matriculate into high school.

Sage Hill lost to third-seeded Ontario Christian 71-67 on the road to begin the CIF State Southern California Regional Open Division playoffs, bringing an end to the story for several of the key characters in what has been a transformative era for the Lightning and their program.

Sage Hill's Annabelle Spotts (15) shoots over an Ontario Christian defender on Wednesday.

“This is not the result that we wanted, this is not the end that we wanted, but I’m really proud of everything that we accomplished together,” Eadie said. “We turned Sage into a basketball school. Before, it was unheard of for basketball, and now we’re competing in the Open Division against the very best.”

The world would take an interest in them for their connection to Bryant, tracking their journey and the way they handled the unspeakable loss of their famed mentor and eight others in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020.

Internally, the group would judge themselves by the number of rings they won. The first two years were like a fairy tale, Sage Hill capturing its first Southern Section title by beating Ontario Christian 62-55 in the Division 3AA final when Eadie, Lamkin, Righeimer and Spotts were freshmen.

As an encore, Sage Hill knocked off Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 51-47 in the Division II state final in Sacramento the following year. The Lightning have competed in the Open Division for the section and state playoffs ever since.

Sage Hill's Kat Righeimer (11) drives to the basket against Ontario Christian on Wednesday.

“We just had a mission that every year, we were going to do our best to go get a ring in any way, shape or form,” Spotts said. “We did that for the first two years, and then the competition got a lot harder these past two years, but I really think that we showed a lot of grit, we battled, and we took every challenge. … I’m just really proud of us for always having that mentality that we just want to make it back to Sacramento.”

Ontario Christian (28-4) had waited a long time to get the better of Sage Hill (25-5). The Knights had gone 0-5 in games against the Lightning over the past four seasons, including three postseason losses.

“They’re an amazing program, coached so well, so respectful,” Ontario Christian coach Matt Tumambing said of Sage Hill. “Those girls work hard. … It’s been a journey. It’s been year in and year out. They’ve taken a ring away from me. They’ve taken a state title away from me, but to beat a program like that is definitely amazing. Hats off to [Sage Hill coach] Kerwin [Walters] and the whole Sage Hill program. Finally. That’s all I got to say. Finally.”

Freshman guard Kaleena Smith picked up where Chloe Briggs — now at Washington — left off in the rivalry, giving Ontario Christian another scintillating shooter. Smith scored 33 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. She also converted on 16 of 17 free throws.

Sage Hill's Zoie Lamkin (13) shoots a three-pointer against Ontario Christian on Wednesday.

Ontario Christian went on an 11-1 run that was capped by an Amanda Ajobiewe three to open the fourth quarter, giving the Knights a 55-44 lead.

Despite a near flawless night from the free-throw line for Smith, which included making nine of 10 from the stripe in the fourth quarter, the Lightning would mount a comeback.

Righeimer made two three-pointers down the stretch, and she made a pivotal deflection on an inbounds pass late that gave the Lightning a chance to tie the score with 14 seconds to go.

Eadie, who had a team-high 30 points and had just sunk her fifth three from the top of the key prior to the defensive stop, received the inbounds pass. She attempted to force up a shot from a similar spot, but Legacy Benjamin recorded her fourth blocked shot to halt the rally.

Sage Hill's Kamdyn Klamberg (33) drives to the basket against Ontario Christian on Wednesday.

Spotts scored 14 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Righeimer had 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Eadie added nine rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

Holguin, who fouled out with 3:17 remaining, and Kamdyn Klamberg each had five points.

Karsen Marshall had 17 points on a team-leading four three-pointers for Ontario Christian, which advances to a regional semifinal matchup at second-seeded Chatsworth Sierra Canyon (30-2) on Saturday. Ajobiewe chipped in with 14 points.

Walters said he would likely dwell on the season-ending loss for a couple months, adding that he was “sad to see this chapter close.”

The Lightning had been quite outspoken about their goals to compete with the best in the sport.

“We sought out to be one of the top teams in the state and in the country, and I think we accomplished those things, but we fell short of the goal that we ultimately wanted, which was to get back to Sacramento,” Walters said. “Sometimes, on championship run, you got to get some lucky breaks, and we didn’t get those lucky breaks this time. It is what it is, but Sage Hill will be back.”