New Orleans area school lets good times roll in Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – The postseason will go quick; it usually does. Dreams die and heroes are born at this time of year. And the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings have the pulse of the nation.

After two weeks of playoffs, Florida will wrap up their season this weekend, with several states concluding in the coming weeks. There was little movement in the Go-To 25 rankings but don’t tell that to No. 25 Salmen (Slidell, La.). The Spartans enter the rankings and are the No. 1 seed in Louisiana’s Class 4A, 32-team state tournament.

In Southern California, the newly formatted Open Division will feature ranked teams Mater Dei, Windward School and Long Beach Poly will surely reshape the national scene over the next two weeks. All three earned byes into the quarterfinals of the nation’s most loaded, talented bracket. Without question, it’s must-see viewing with instant classics in the making.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from events nationwide and other tidbits evolving from the game. Half the nation is playing postseason basketball. It goes quickly so support your local high school.

We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 18, 2014

1. Duncanville, Texas (31-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Pantherettes recorded two playoff wins and advanced to Tuesday’s Class 5A, Region 1 quarterfinal vs. South Grand Prairie.

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (23-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Monarchs are on a roll heading into the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, having won 13 consecutive games and earning a first-round bye.

3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (26-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Blaze played Monday in the District 7-AAA final against their archrivals Oakland (Murfreesboro), a team they beat by 26 points last month.

4. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (21-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Red Knights play archrivals St. Joseph Academy (St. Louis) Friday.

5. Windward School, Los Angeles (23-2)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Wildcats defeated Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth), 57-49, for their 39^th straight league victory in the regular season finale. USC-bound Kristen Simon scored 12 points for the Wildcats, who are in the newly formed CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoff bracket. They received a bye to the quarterfinals and play Troy (Fullerton) or Canyon Springs on Feb. 26.

6. Miami Senior High, Miami, Fla. (28-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Stingarees advanced to the Class 8A state semifinals, beating Ferguson (Miami), 69-45. They will play Seminole (Sanford) Friday in Lakeland. The winner faces Park Vista (Lake Worth) or Treasure Coast (Port St. Lucie) for the state title Saturday.

7. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (21-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Game vs. East Mecklenburg (Charlotte) pushed back by heavy snowfall.

8. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (22-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Jackrabbits set their sets on the loaded CIF-Southern Section Open Division when they play on Feb. 26 against Chaminade (West Hills) or Lynwood in the quarterfinals.

9. Manvel, Texas (33-2)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Mavs crushed Fort Bend Hightower, 72-51, in the Class 5A Area playoff game. Next up are the Region 3 quarterfinals.

10. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (28-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Idle. The Phoenix play Tuesday at Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.) and the nation’s top-ranked senior A’ja Wilson.

11. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (22-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Saints hammered Lansdale Catholic, 71-47, in their Philadelphia Catholic League playoff opener. In the semifinals, they will play Bonner-Prendergast (Drexel Hill, Pa.) on Wednesday at Philadelphia University.

12. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (19-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Kelsi Lidge and Jordan Molyneaux each scored 10 points in a huge 54-32 league win over ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch). Two games this week and it’s off to the playoffs.

13. Homewood (Ill.)-Flossmoor (21-2)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Kristen Moore dropped in 14 points in a 49-42 win over Lincoln-Way in the regular season finale. The Vikings went 14-0 in the Southwest Suburban Blue and are top-seeded in the Class 4A Bloom Sectional.

14. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (22-1)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Zaire O’Neill scored 21 points when the Lady Bulldogs topped Weequahic (Newark), 61-43, in the Essex County Tournament semifinals. Next up is Montclair in the final Saturday.

15. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (30-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Senators have won 21 consecutive games as they head into Tuesday’s Class 6A Northwest Regional semifinals against defending champion Hoover. Kentucky-bound Alexis Jennings had 18 points and 7 rebounds in a 59-24 win over James Clemens (Madison) in a sub-regional game.

16. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (21-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Firebirds ripped West Carrollton, 73-20, in the Division I, Harrison District 3 opening round. Up next is Clayton Northmont Wednesday in the quarterfinals. The final is March 1.

17. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (18-3)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Bruins wiped out Jefferson City, 61-23. Two games remain until the district tournament begins.

18. Whitney Young, Chicago (25-3)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The postseason tips off this week with the Class 4A Sectionals.

19. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (23-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Wildcats won the Indianapolis Tech Sectional, beating Roncalli (Indianapolis), 45-41, in final. Up next is the Class 4A Decatur Central Regional against Anderson.

20. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (21-5)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Rams forfeited a game with McNair (Stockton) after a fight broke out in the stands of the freshman game. No chance they drop.

21. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (23-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Stars advanced to the Class 4A Columbus North Regional, where it will play Castle in the semifinals.

22. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (19-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Lady Crusaders carry a six-game win streak into their final two games.

23. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (22-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Weather pushed back the Class AAAAAA, Region 4 tournament to this week.

24. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (19-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Idle. The CHSAA Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan playoffs are this week.

25. Salmen, Slidell, La. (28-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Spartans captured the District 8-4A regular season title, beating Franklinton, 68-43. Kalani Brown had a double-double, with 25 points, 12 boards and blocked 4 shots.

Dropped: No. 22 Seton-LaSalle (Pittsburgh).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Nazareth Regional, Brooklyn, N.Y. (19-5)

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (17-2)

3. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (19-0)

4. Cosby, Midlothian, Va. (15-0)

5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (21-1)

Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Midlands

1. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (27-2)

2. Edwardsville, Ill. (24-1)

3. Martin Luther King, Detroit (17-1)

4. Iowa City, Iowa (21-0)

5. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (21-1)

Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

South

1. Dunbar, Fort Myers, Fla. (28-1)

2. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (21-1)

3. Science Hill, Johnson City, Tenn. (29-0)

4. Blount, Prichard, Ala. (28-3)

5. Horn Lake, Miss. (21-1)

Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Far West

1. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (20-4)

2. Riverton, Utah (21-0)

3. Dobson, Mesa, Ariz. (28-2)

4. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (19-3)

5. Lynnwood, Bothell, Wash. (21-1)

Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Records are through Sunday’s games.

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 High School Girls’ Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season. Criteria considered are the quality of the team and its players, strength of schedule, tradition, and quality of the team’s league, conference, region or district. The rankings are compiled by Blue Star Media’s Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released April 8, 2014. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.