If you didn’t look to the sidelines to see who was yelling out instructions, you would swear that there had been no coaching change for the Aragon girls’ basketball team.
The Dons still rely on tough, physical defense, strong rebounding and an aggressive attitude on offense — the traits installed by former head coach Sam Manu, who guided the Dons to the 2019 and 2022 CCS Division II championships.
Granted, new head coach Kristie Hala’ufia learned at the foot of Manu as one of his assistants, but their bond runs much deeper. Manu is Hala’ufia’s uncle and much of the Manu clan is involved in coaching and playing basketball.
“Everything I learned about coaching, I learned from my family,” said 2005 Aragon grad Hala’ufia, following the third-seeded Dons’ 40-38 win over No. 2 Hillsdale in a CCS Division II semifinal game Thursday night.
That win sends Aragon (14-11) into the CCS Division II championship game against No. 1 Valley Christian (11-15) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Mission College in Santa Clara.
Hala’ufia took over the program last season and the Dons struggled, going 8-16 overall last year and just 3-9 in PAL Bay Division play, missing the playoffs.
“Last year, I was trying to find myself,” Hala’ufia said.
She and the Dons turned things around this season, finishing 12-11 and 6-6 in Bay play. Despite losing their last two games of the regular season, the Dons have rebounded in the playoffs and they lucked out getting to play two teams against whom they are intimately familiar. They hosted sixth-seeded San Mateo in a second-round game last Saturday, rolling to a 55-27 win before Thursday night win over the archrival Knights.
The Dons’ turnaround for the 2025-26 season coincided with the emergence of shooting guard Daisy Pantoja Beltran, who narrowly lost out on the PAL scoring title despite averaging 20 points per game. Half Moon Bay’s Zoey Lemoge averaged 21.
Last year, Pantoja Beltran averaged just under nine points a game.
She was held below her average Thursday, but still scored a game-high 15 points, with six rebounds and a blocked shot.
Saturday marks the seventh finals appearance for the Lady Dons, who won the 2019 and 2022 Division II crowns. For Hala’ufia, this is her sixth appearance. She appeared in two finals while playing for Dons, falling to Mitty in both 2004 and 2005. This will be her fourth as a coach, three as an assistant and her first as head coach.
“We’ve been blessed,” Hala’ufia said.
Valley Christian is making its seventh CCS championship game appearance. The Warriors are 5-1 in six previous appearances since 2001, but this is their first finals game since beating Aragon for the Division II title in 2018, 69-62.
Division I
No. 1 Menlo-Atherton (20-5) vs No. 2 Los Gatos (20-6)
5 p.m. Saturday at Santa Clara High School
The Bears may have missed out on the PAL Bay Division title, but they have a shot at their first CCS championship since 2020 when they face the Wildcats.
This is the second year in a row these teams will meet in the final. Last year, Los Gatos posted a 42-30 victory. This is M-A’s seventh title game appearance in 20 years. The Wildcats are making their fourth finals appearance since 2006, winning titles in 2022 and last year.
Division III
No. 1 Mills (13-13) vs No. 2 Santa Cruz (18-9)
3 p.m. Saturday at Santa Clara High School
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The Vikings, the defending Division III champion, will be looking for their third CCS crown in the last six years when they take on the Cardinals — who Mills beat 66-52 for the 2023 title.
This is the fourth straight title game appearance for Mills and they are looking for their third title in four years. Santa Cruz’s last CCS championship came in 2021.
Division IV
No. 1 Notre Dame-Belmont (19-4) vs No. 2 Scotts Valley (26-1)
11 a.m. Saturday at Mission College in San Clara
The top-seeded Tigers are making their first CCS appearance since 2021, when they lost to Half Moon Bay. Their only title in the last 20 years came in 2011 — when NDB beat Scotts Valley, 33-29.
This is the Falcons’ third CCS finals appearance in the last 20 years and are 0-2 in their two previous appearances.
Boys’ basketball
Division IV
No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep (15-11) vs No. 2 Half Moon Bay (16-10)
1 p.m. Saturday at Mission College in Santa Clara
The CCS success for these two teams could be even greater if not for several seasons getting hammered in the Open Division.
SHP appeared in the CCS toughest bracket four of the last six years, including three in a row from 2022 to 2024. HMB played in the Open Division in 2015 and 1016.
But the Gators still have managed make seven title game appearances in the last two years, winning crowns in 2021, 2014, 2011, 20-10, 2006 and 2006.
The Cougars are making their fifth championship game appearance since 2012, but have only the 2018 crown to their name.
Division V
No. 1 Palma (24-2) vs No. 2 Priory (19-6)
1 p.m. at Santa Clara High School
Priory has developed into a CCS small-school power over the last decade or so, having won three Division V titles in the last four years. The Panthers are defending CCS Division V and CIF Division IV state champs.
Palma is making its sixth finals appearance in the last 20 years, last winning a championship in 2007.
This game is a rematch of last season’s title game, a 61-52 Priory win.
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