Local Girls Basketball

The 2025 Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Basketball Playoffs are rapidly coming to a close and three of the eleven teams we’ve been following remain in the hunt for a Division championship.

Bear River Bruins: Last Thursday, 2/20, the Bruins traveled to Sacramento to play the West Campus Warriors in the quarterfinal round of the Northern Section Division 4 playoffs. Having lost to the Warriors by nine points at a tournament back in December and with the Warriors coming into the quarterfinal with a 14-game win streak, the Bruins knew they would need to bring their best offense and defense into this contest. And, at halftime, with a 28-16 lead, the Bruins had proven their ability to outscore their opponent. However, by the end of the third quarter, the Bruins’s lead had been reduced to five points. In the final quarter, the Warriors scored only five points. But, with the Bruins failing to put the ball through the hoop during the last eight minutes, the game was tied 44-44. During overtime, the Bruins found the basket again, scoring seven points. However, the Warriors scored nine to win this exciting, hard-fought contest, 53-51. Thus, the Bruins’ season ended their successful season with a 19-10 record with six of this year’s nine players coming back next year, hungry to better this performance in the 2025-2026 season.

Chester Volcanos: After placing third in the Five Star League, the Volcanos ended up with the number two seed in Division 7 of the Northern Section. Thus, after last week’s deadline, on 2/19 the Volcanos competed at home against the number seven seed Paradise Adventist Academy and triumphed, 71-29, and gained a round three contest at home against the Butte Valley Bulldogs. With the Volcanos currently ranked 678th, and the Bulldogs ranked 810th amongst all of the girl’s basketball teams in California, oddsmakers are likely to favor the Volcanos in tonight’s game. However, the Bulldogs have beaten the Burney Raiders earlier this season, a feat the Volcanos have failed to do. So, last night’s game (played after our deadline and to be reported upon next week) doesn’t look like a “slam dunk” for either team.

Colfax Falcons: Since our last edition, the Falcons extended their win streak to 16 games with lopsided victories over the Fairfield Falcons (70-25) and the Rio Linda Knights (45-22). Now the number one seed Falcons will be going up against the number two seed Ponderosa Bruins of Shingle Springs at 2 PM tomorrow, 2/28, for the Division 3 championship. With the Falcons and the Bruins carrying ranks of 78th and 90th, respectively, the game should be very competitive and exciting.

Loyalton Grizzlies: The Grizzlies annihilated the Maxwell Panthers by a score of 51-28 during the first round of the Division 6 playoffs on 2/19. However, in round two, on 2/21, the Fall River Bulldogs ended the Grizzlies season by coming up with a 51-26 victory.

Modoc Braves: Meanwhile, victories over the Hamilton Braves (59-13) and the Durham Trojans (43-34) in the first two rounds of the Division 5 playoffs mean the number two seed Braves will travel to Shasta College to play for their division championship against the number one seed Trinity Wolves at 12:45 PM on Saturday, 3/1. Having beaten the Wolves at home, 47-35, on 1/18 and losing to the Wolves, 39-47, on the road on 1/31, the neutral court in Redding won’t equalize the travel time required (one hour for the Wolves and almost three for the Braves). Will the Braves overcome this imbalance against an otherwise well-matched team?

Portola Tigers: On 2/20, the Tigers, ranked 676th in California, competed against the 316th-ranked Durham Trojans in the first round of the Division 5 playoffs. At the end of the first half, the Trojans were ahead by seven points. However, in the third quarter, the Tigers put up 18 points to only seven by the Trojans and took the lead, 35-31. Sadly, in the final quarter, the higher-ranked squad outscored the Tigers 22-12 and won 53-47.

Quincy Trojans: Having won the Mid-Valley League championship and being seeded fifth in the Division 5 playoff bracket, the Trojans easily upset the number four seed East Nicolaus Spartans in the first round of the playoffs on 2/20. Unfortunately, their round 2 opponent was the number one seed Trinity Wolves on 2/25 and the Trojans’s excellent 20-6 season came to a close with a 29-41 loss.