Watch: Damien beats Clovis North 65-57, Mike LeDuc wins first CIF State title

Kaleb Smith led the Spartans with 23 points

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - In his 42nd year as a head coach, Damien’s Mike LeDuc won his first CIF State championship as the Spartans took down Clovis North 65-57 in the Division I boys basketball championship on Friday night in the Golden 1 Center.

"It's not about me, it's about those guys," LeDuc said pointing to his team at the championship postgame press conference. 

Damien led by double digits for the majority of the game, but the Spartans were outscored 21-12 in the final quarter as they struggled to close the game out against Clovis North’s pressure.

Damien’s Spivey Word scored 11 first-half points and RJ Smith added 10, including a vicious two-handed jam in the second quarter, to give the Spartans’ a 33-22 lead at halftime.

After the third quarter, the Spartans’ lead ballooned to 17 points at 53-36. Damien played active defense and consistently scored on the break to build their 17-point edge.

Kaleb Smith scored nine points in the third quarter and finished the night as Damien’s leading scorer with 23 points. Word had 17 points and RJ Smith scored 15.

Clovis North sophomore Connor Amundsen, son of head coach Tony Amundsen, scored a game-high 25 points in the loss.

Watch highlights of the game above.

• FULL COVERAGE OF THE CIF STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS