Alijah Arenas, son of Gilbert Arenas, breaks California state championship scoring record
SACRAMENTO - Alijah Arenas has already proven he's a standout prep basketball player in just two seasons, but on Saturday, he cemented himself in California history after breaking two CIF State records at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Arenas broke the Division IV record for field goals made in a final with 17, breaking Shon Tarver's 12 made field goals in 1990. Arenas also broke Tarver's the single-game scoring record of 35 in a Division IV final with 44 points.
Tarver was a standout from Oxnard Santa Clara.
Chatsworth's Alijah Arenas skies for two points in the CIF State Division IV final against Monterey at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento on March 9, 2024.
Dennis Lee
The 44 points and 17 made field goals are both second-most all-time (regardless of division) behind Tracy Murray's 64 points and 23 made field goals, which he set with Glendora High in Division II in 1989.
"I'm very grateful and very blessed to be in this situation. It felt good to know that I did something historic," Arenas said. "I feel like I could've done more for my teammates, but I do also feel like we played hard and gave it our all."
Despite the historic afternoon, Chatsworth fell short to Monterey High in its first CIF State final appearance 74-66.
Arenas got the 44 points on 17 of 32 shooting, including 2 of 6 from downtown. He was also 8 of 12 from the free throw line with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Arenas, who's just a sophomore and the son of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, broke the scoring record with about five minutes to play in the game after hitting a mid-range jumper (video above).
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At halftime, Gilbert was on the court giving Alijah tips on the second half.
"He told me to know my surroundings and utilize the space on the NBA court," Alijah said after the game. "He also told me to control myself, not get too out of hand, which I did in the second half and I think that helped me."
Alijah's scoring performance has shown the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. The 5-star recruit's career-high is 56, which he set as a freshman, but he most recently scored 53 points in a CIF State playoff game en route to Saturday's Division IV final against Monterey High.
