WATCH: Etiwanda triumphs over Mater Dei 63-60, secures fourth consecutive divisional final berth

The Etiwanda Eagles have reached the final of the 2025 CIF Southern Section Girls Basketball Championships, though the team had to survive a strong Mater Dei squad 63-60 on Saturday. The victory put Etiwanda in the state championship final for the fourth year in a row.

Arynn Finley led the Eagles with 17 points, while Shaena Brew and Aliyahna “Puff” Morris each had 15 for the winning squad. It was a close game throughout, with Finley sinking the game-winning bucket on a banked runner with 15 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five, and the Eagles never looked back.

After the game, Etiwanda coach Stan DeLus acknowledged that the Eagles were less than perfect against Mater Dei.

“We took some ill-advised shots early, and Mater Dei was able to use them to get opportunities in transition but after that first timeout we settled down and got back to good offense,” he told the Daily Bulletin. “We’ve had some young kids really have to grow up in a hurry with graduations like Arynn and Shaena and tonight they stepped up when we needed them most.

“I knew Mater Dei had a run in them, and sure enough, they made one but we found a way to weather the storm and reach another championship game."

Arynn Finley also spoke after the big win.

"We knew that it wasn’t going to be easy to get through Mater Dei and that it would take all of us working together to advance,” she said, “To get to the final is such a blessing, and we’re going to work this week to make sure we’re ready for that opportunity, whenever it comes.”

However, their next opponent will be a much tougher challenge as it will be Ontario Christian, which is ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps and has already defeated Etiwanda earlier in the season.

Etiwanda braces for rematch vs. Kaleena Smith and the Ontario Christian Knights

Ontario Christian defeated Etiwanda 74-66 in November despite five-star LSU signee Grace Knox dropping 30 points for the Eagles. The Knights have been red-hot, only losing once this season, and will be the favorites when they meet again during the Open Division final on Saturday.

Ontario Christian will be led by five-star point guard Kaleena Smith, ranked the No. 1 sophomore in the country. She led the Knights with 21 points against Jerzy Robinson and Sierra Canyon on Saturday.