CCS champs again! Mitty routs Riordan to capture 34th section title

SAN FRANCISCO — At this point, the Central Coast Section Open Division girls basketball championship game feels less like a section final and more like a rerun.

Players rejoice. Fans and parents cheer. And somewhere in the middle of it all is Archbishop Mitty holding another section title trophy like it never left in the first place. 

The San Jose school got off to a fast start and didn’t let up as Mitty defeated Archbishop Riordan 90-31 in the CCS Open Division championship at the University of San Francisco on Friday night, initiating a running clock in the fourth quarter when the Monarchs led by 53 going into the final eight minutes. 

“This one was special, especially with it being my senior year,” Mitty star and Iowa commit McKenna Woliczko said. “All the girls, all the coaches that came before me have put in the work and have helped us get to where we are.” 

Woliczko led Mitty with 27 points, six rebounds and four blocks. Sophomore Maliya Hunter had 14 points and Tee McCarthy and Devin Cosgriff each had 10. 

Mitty’s defense forced 32 turnovers. 

Saturday night’s blowout victory played out like a film Bay Area basketball fans know by heart. Dominant defense, relentless pace and a scoreboard that tilted heavily in Mitty’s favor long before the final buzzer.

With the win, Mitty captured its 34th CCS championship overall and its 11th in the Open Division, further cementing a dynasty that has defined girls basketball in the section for decades. Year after year, opponent after opponent, the Monarchs have turned the CCS Open into familiar territory, raising the standard and, once again, leaving little doubt about who rules the region.

Mitty coach Sue Phillips dedicated Friday’s win to her father, John Phillips, who died on Monday. He was 98. 

“I’m incredibly blessed to have such an amazing dad,” Phillips said. “When I would call home, my mom wanted to know the margin of victory. My dad would want to know if everyone played.”

The Monarchs walked through the Crusaders early, not allowing the San Francisco school to get into any rhythm. Mitty opened the game with a 9-0 run, prompting Riordan coach Will Watkins to call timeout. 

After the first eight minutes, Mitty led 22-3, asserting its dominance from tip off. 

“That’s just something we try to do every game,” Woliczko said of the early run. “When we had our pregame talk, it was an emphasis to keep our foot on the gas. We just kept going from there.” 

The next three quarters replicated more of the same. 

A big Mitty run. A timeout to stop the bleeding. More Mitty baskets until the quarter ended. 

A flurry of baskets from Woliczko put the game away for good in the third quarter. By the time the final period rolled around m, the game was set to a running clock and Phillips cleared her bench. 

The win puts an exclamation point on Mitty’s run through the CCS. The Monarchs won every game in West Catholic Athletic League play and won all three of their CCS Open Division games by big margins. 

Mitty will now turn its attention to the NorCal playoffs where it is seeking its first CIF Open Division state championship since the bracket was created in 2013. The Monarchs will presumably be the No. 1 seed in the NorCal Open Division bracket, meaning they will get a bye in the first round. 

Waiting for them in SoCal could be any number of teams from Etiwanda to Ontario Christian, though OC will be the favorite to come out of the south. 

“At the end of the day, I think we’re arguably the No. 1 seed in NorCal, which would lend itself to a bye and home game next Saturday” Phillips said. “That’s why we do what we do.”