SACRAMENTO — There was no fear in the eyes of Oakland High’s players.
The No. 13 seed in the Division V bracket was a heavy underdog against top-seeded Montgomery-San Diego, but the Wildcats didn’t come into the game looking to just pull an upset.
They were looking to confirm what they already knew: That they were the best Division V team in the state.
The Wildcats proved that on Friday, beating Montgomery 56-50 in the Division V title game to capture the school’s second CIF state title in five years.
“We are our biggest opponent,” said first-year Oakland coach Nita Simpson. “Today wasn’t about Montgomery. It was about us. I knew and they knew what they were capable of. They just had to rise to the occasion and win it for themselves.”
Players congratulate Oakland’s Daijha Teague (3) after defeating Montgomery during the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. Oakland defeats Montgomery 56-50. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Daijah Teague had a near triple-double with 15 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. Ojilugo Egeonu scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds while freshman Tyliana Velasquez scored 12 points on 4 of 10 shooting from behind the arc.
Paula Zumstein scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Montgomery. Jordan Whitehead had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Oakland led by as many as 11 point in the second quarter, but Montgomery had the Wildcats on the ropes halfway through the third. The Aztecs went on a 9-5 run and cut the Oakland lead to three with under four minutes left in the quarter.
But after a timeout, Oakland came out collected and put the ball in its playmakers’ hands.
Teague and Egeonu took control of the offense and helped Oakland go into the fourth quarter with a 45-38 lead.
“The strategy was to contain the shooters,” Simpson said about stopping Montgomery’s third quarter run. “The goal was to have them play our game. We slowed the tempo down at times when they wanted to run in the third quarter.”
Oakland’s Ojiugo Egeonu (25) goes up for a basket past Montgomery’s Paula Zumstein (32) in the first quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Egeonu got into foul trouble late, picking up her fourth foul with five minutes left in the final period.
Montgomery had a chance to make a run Oakland’s center on the bench, but the Wildcat defense held strong.
The East Bay school relied on freshman Kyla Smith who anchored the middle of the defense and totaled seven rebounds and a crucial steal in the fourth quarter.
“I just felt like I needed to step up because Ojilugo was out,” Smith said. “She’s the center for our team and I just wanted to step in and box out for my team.”
Montgomery came within seven with just over three minutes left, but Oakland hit enough shots to put the game away late.
“The issue in the game was stopping dribble penetration,” said Montgomery coach Bracy Smith. “(Daijah Teague) did a good job of getting her team paint touches.”
Oakland’s Daijha Teague (3) drivdes past Montgomery’s Susanna Paliza (23) in the first quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Teague and Velasquez’s ability to get into the lane changed the game for Montgomery who thought the Wildcats’ offense would run through Egeonu.
Velasquez made all four of her 3-point shots from NBA range as she wasn’t bothered by the two different high school lines painted on the court.
“It was nothing,” Velasquez said with a smile when asked if the NBA three-point line changed her perception of the court.
Oakland’s path to a championship wasn’t a linear one.
Just over a week and half ago, the Wildcats were blown out by 31 points to rival Oakland Tech at home in the Oakland Section championship. Earlier in the season, Oakland took a 30-point loss at Piedmont and a 21-point loss to Sacred Heart Cathedral on the road.
Oakland’s Tyliana Velasquez (5) shoots and makes a basket against Montgomery in the second quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Teague said Friday’s state championship win should be one that puts the rest of Oakland on notice.
“Obviously you don’t want to hear the city being all about one school,” Teague said. “No knock on Oakland Tech, but it feels good to have a bigger name like we did a few years ago. Hopefully Oakland High wins more championships.”
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The future is bright for Simpson and the Wildcats as they will return Velasquez, Smith, Egeonu and sophomore Auja’Leeyah Lewis, all of whom now have championship pedigree.
When Simpson started out the year, her goal was to win a state championship. Now that she has that hardware, the next goal for the rest of her time at Oakland is to sustain that success.
She wants to build a dynasty.
“We coming,” Simpson said. “I told the (Oakland Athletic League) I’m coming for everything … I say that for next year too. We’re coming and hopefully these ladies are excited to be on the journey to win it next year.”
Oakland’s Daijha Teague (3) drives past Montgomery’s Cary Brown (11) in the first quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Montgomery head coach Bracy Smith instructs his players while playing against Oakland in the first quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland’s Daijha Teague (3) goes up for a basket against Montgomery in the first quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Oakland head coach Nita Simpson coaches her players against Montgomery in the third quarter of the CIF State Basketball Championship Division V Girls game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Friday, March 8, 2024. Oakland defeats Montgomery 56-50. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)