CIF STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
DIVISION 1
MATER DEI (33-3) VS. BERKELEY (29-2)

Site, time: Power Balance Pavilion, Sacramento, Saturday, 6 p.m.
TV: Time Warner Cable Channel 700; Cox3

How they got there: Mater Dei, champion of CIF-Southern Section Division 1AA, in the Southern California Regionals defeated Burbank, 77-35, in the first round; Huntington Beach, 80-52, in the second round; Summit of Fontana, 69-59, in the semifinals and Long Beach Poly, 54-43, in the finals. Berkeley, CIF-North Coast Section champion, in the Northern California Regionals had a first-round bye before defeating Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove, 51-33, in the second round; Oak Ridge of El Dorado Hills, 49-38, in the semifinals; and Kennedy of Sacramento, 56-38, in the finals.

Outlook: This is a rematch. Mater Dei beat Berkeley, 59-47, in last year’s state Division 1 final after trailing by 12 points in the first quarter. Mater Dei’s top player last year was Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, now a freshman starter at Connecticut. Jordan Adams returned from that team, and the addition of transfer guard Nirra Fields solidified the Monarchs into a title contender again. Adams signed with USC, Fields with UCLA and senior guard Alexas Williamson signed with Washington State. Berkeley is led by senior guard Elisha Davis, who signed with Arizona State. “She is kind of our focus,” Mater Dei coach Kevin Kiernan said of Davis. “Last year we got off to an incredibly bad start, kind of sluggish. Win or lose, we hope to play better.” Mater Dei is 3-1 in girls basketball state championship finals.

Probable starters: Mater Dei – Jordan Adams (6-1, Sr., G); Alexas Williamson (5-9, Sr., G); Nirra Fields (5-8, Sr., G); Kaija Powell (5-8, Sr., G); Khalia Lark (6-0, So., F). Berkeley – Desire Finnie (5-10, So., F); Rachel Howard (5-10, Jr., F); Jasmin Guinn (5-7, Sr., G); Elisha Davis (5-6, Sr., G); Garysha Youngblood (5-8, Sr., G).

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