The final bell has rung, and the 2025-26 school year is officially in the rearview mirror. Now comes the fun part: looking back at the performances we’ll be talking about for years.
Readers ultimately selected Isabellah Crabb’s 26 points, six threes help Sierra reclaim city bragging rights as the year’s best, but it was only one chapter in a season filled with remarkable individual efforts.
Record books were rewritten. Playoff games were taken over. Stars delivered when their teams needed them most.
These are The Record’s top 15 single-game girls basketball performances of the year.
Coronado scores more than Stagg, drops 39 points in Kimball season opener
Switching sports usually comes with an adjustment period. Emma Coronado skipped that step. Less than a month after finishing a flag football season that included 8,079 passing yards, 1,453 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns, the Kimball senior guard erupted for 39 points in a 74-30 victory over Stagg on Nov. 22.
St. Mary’s Smith posts 18 points, 18 rebounds in rout of California top-50 team
After a 20-14 season, questions surrounded what St. Mary’s could become. Those questions began to fade quickly on Nov. 29. Facing Buchanan, a top-50 team in California, Oregon State signee Evelini Smith dominated with 18 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks in a 75-45 victory in just the Rams’ second game of the season.
Ten steals headline Escalon’s Velasco’s triple-double performance against Millennium
Softball may be her future, but Arianna Velasco’s basketball talent was on full display Dec. 3. The Escalon junior finished with a triple-double of 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 steals while adding eight assists in a 56-23 victory over Millennium.
Kimball’s Coronado erupts for 40 points in blowout of Chavez
How does it feel to outscore the opposing team by yourself? Emma Coronado is one of the few who know. The Kimball senior guard scored 40 points in a 72-24 victory over Chavez on Dec. 8, while also adding eight steals.
Millennium’s Digiallonardo posts jaw-dropping 32-point, 24-rebound effort
Some performances require context. This wasn’t one of them. Just read the numbers. Millennium’s 5-foot-10 senior center Sarah Digiallonardo piled up 32 points and 24 rebounds in a 68-28 victory on Dec. 9, putting together a stat line that demands a second, third and maybe even fourth look.
Velasco carries Escalon past Gregori with 38-point performance
Putting a team on one’s back is a phrase often used in sports. On Dec. 12, Arianna Velasco provided a fitting example. Less than 24 hours after a win over Venture Academy, the Escalon junior finished with a career-high 38 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and five steals in a 55-50 victory over Gregori.
One steal shy, Escalon’s Velasco nearly joins exclusive quadruple-double club against Pitman
Four games in four days did little to slow down Arianna Velasco. Thirteen days after coming two assists shy of a quadruple-double, the Escalon junior nearly pulled it off again, recording 10 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists and nine steals in a 54-22 victory over Pitman on Dec. 16.
Smith’s 34-point double-double helps Lincoln topple VOL powerhouse East Union
Long before East Union’s run to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship game, Terrazia Smith gave a glimpse of what it would take to knock off the Lancers. The Lincoln sophomore stuffed the stat sheet with 34 points, 10 rebounds and six steals while shooting 15-for-25 from the field in a 75-65 victory on Dec. 19.
Digiallonardo reaches 20-20 plateau with ease as Millennium sneaks past Venture Academy
The stakes couldn’t have been much higher when Millennium faced Venture Academy. A loss would have left the Falcons out of a share of the Central California Athletic Alliance League title race. Sarah Digiallonardo refused to let the opportunity slip away, finishing with 23 points and 26 rebounds in a 47-45 victory over eventual co-champion Venture Academy on Jan. 20.
Escalon’s Velasco caps title run with 29 points, 19 rebounds over defending champs
League championships are often won in games like this. Arianna Velasco made sure Escalon stayed in control of the TVL race, piling up 29 points, 19 rebounds and six assists in a 56-33 victory over defending league champion Ripon on Feb. 10.
Crabb’s 26 points, six threes help Sierra reclaim city bragging rights
A three-point loss to Manteca earlier in the season gave Sierra extra motivation when the rivals met again on Feb. 5. Isabellah Crabb made sure the Timberwolves took advantage. The senior sharpshooter, who led San Joaquin County in made 3-pointers, scored 26 points while shooting 9-for-15 from the field and 6-for-11 from deep in a 59-28 victory.
St. Mary’s Horton shines with 27 points in 61-point victory of rival Lincoln
With future college talent spread throughout the lineup, it would have been easy for a freshman to blend into the background. Dylan Horton never did. The St. Mary’s guard spent the season emerging as the team’s top scorer, and against rival Lincoln on Feb. 12 she was flawless, pouring in 27 points while shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the field in a 101-40 victory.
Smith’s 30-point performance sends St. Mary’s to CIF SJS semifinals
Evelini Smith’s impact is often felt in ways that don’t always show up in the scoring column. Against No. 9 Sheldon in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinals, however, the St. Mary’s senior center took advantage of every opportunity she got. Smith poured in 30 points on 14-for-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in a 91-30 victory on Feb. 19, helping send the Rams to the semifinals.
Lathrop’s 30th straight win, CIF SJS semifinal berth comes behind Porter’s double-double
League opponents know each other too well for a third meeting to come easy. Yet when Lathrop faced Ceres in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinals on Feb. 19, senior Shakara Porter helped make sure the result stayed the same. The lone senior in the Spartans’ starting lineup recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and five steals in a 60-52 victory that delivered a semifinal berth and a 30th consecutive win.
Hardy delivers two-way gem as St. Mary’s captures CIF SJS title No. 23
The bright lights of Golden 1 Center never seemed too big for Aynya Hardy. After spending the season proving she belonged on one of the state’s top teams, the St. Mary’s freshman guard delivered on the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship stage, finishing with 21 points, four assists, no turnovers and eight steals while helping the Rams secure their 23rd section title on Feb. 28.
This article originally appeared on The Record: San Joaquin County’s 15 best girls basketball performances of 2025-26
Reporting by Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record / The Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan Ackermann, The Stockton Record | USA TODAY Network
