BENSALEM, Pa. – When it comes to the month of March the only guarantee is that aren’t any. And for the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings that means chaos and reshuffling.

To wit this week’s Elite 25 features three new teams, including one coming in on the heels of a state championship. No. 20 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) did it again by winning a second straight Illinois Class 4A state championship. The Redwings were consistent all year but made a late season push to land in the Elite 25. It was another well earned, well deserved state titles. No. 16 Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.) won the CIF-Southern Section Open Division crown and served notice to the rest of the Golden State that when the state final is booked, don’t be surprised when the Eagles are opposite No. 1 St. Mary’s (Stockton). In Ohio, No. 25 Wadsworth has its hand full with the Division I state tournament in Columbus. The Grizzlies play Reynoldsburg in the semifinals and then Solon or Mason in the final. That’s a ton of heavy lifting in a less than two days.

Last weekend, Duncanville (Texas), Bellevue (Wash.), St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.), Wenonah (Birmingham, Ala.), Canyon (Texas) and Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) all won state championships and National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Md.) bagged a national postseason championship.

Meanwhile, the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament, which starts April 1 in New York City, is still nebulous. As of Monday, the best bets for the four-team bracket are Elite 25 teams St. Francis, Ribault, Seton Catholic Prep (Ariz.) and Maryland rivals National Christian and Riverdale Baptist School. Once we find out so will you. Keep abreast via Twitter at #clawlor or #bluestarmedia1.

Additionally, there’s a special shout out to a special player in Michigan, who last week recorded a special feat. Meet senior guard Kysre Gondrezick of Benton Harbor (Mich.), whose father played in the NBA and at UNLV and is a Michigan recruit. Gondrezick pumped in a state record 72 points as Benton Harbor won a Class B playoff game over Buchanan, 80-78,in double-overtime on Feb. 29. To score 72 points is a feat, but if that accounts for 90% of your team’s output and produced the game-winning basket with 6 seconds left defies logic. [Note: Previous state mark was 63 points in 1979 by Detroit Mumford’s Debra Walker.]

Gondrezick hit 27-of-54 field goals, going 10-of-27 on treys, and hitting 8-of-12 free throws. She scored 15 in the first then 8, 13, 13 and 23 in the two extra sessions. Gondrezick is a finalist for Michigan’s Miss Basketball, which will be announced on Monday March 14.

The Elite 25 girls’ rankings will be released again on March 16. The boys return on March 15.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for updates and columns all season long. Our staff is always attending events and keeping you abreast of the latest issues. We hope to see you at a game soon, so get out there because the playoffs are underway and season is drawing to a close. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Rankings, March 9, 2016

1. St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (27-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Rams won their ninth straight sectional title and 17th overall after hammering St. Francis (Sacramento), 94-58, in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section final. Kat Tudor scored 14 points with four 3-point field goals and Sierra Smith added 13 points and 9 steals. In the semifinals, the Rams drilled Folsom, 83-53. The attention shifts to the CIF Northern California Open Division first round on Friday when they host Carondelet (Concord).

2. Duncanville, Texas (39-0)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Perfection! The Pantherettes wrote another chapter in their illustrious history, whipping Spring Dekaney, 76-42, to capture the Class 6A state championship. It was the program’s third title in four years and ninth overall plus a fifth undefeated season with the last in 2013. Sophomore G Zarielle Green scored 25 points and had 6 rebounds and 5 assist to take home game Most Valuable Player honors and C Ciera Johnson, a McDonald’s All-American, added 8 points and 14 rebounds. Season complete.

3. Centennial, Las Vegas (31-1)*

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Won Division I state championship. Season complete.

4. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (33-1)*

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Won a 10th straight Virginia Independent Schools Division I tournament championship, beating league rival Bishop O’Connell (Arlington), 67-57, as Katie Klimkiewicz scored 16, Amira Collins had 14 and Ashley Owusu 10. They also stopped Trinity Episcopal (Richmond), 61-38, in the semifinals and Episcopal (Alexandria), 71-40, in the quarterfinal with Collins netting 15 points. The Panthers previously won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament crown. Season complete.

5. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (29-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Sabrina Ionescu produced 25 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Matadors to a third consecutive CIF-North Coast Sectional Division III title, topping Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland), 82-67. In the semifinals, the Matadors beat Tamalpais (Mill Valley), 87-32. The CIF NorCal Open Division tips Friday with Northside Christian (Stockton) coming to the East Bay.

6. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (25-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The defending Class AA champions opened their title defense doubling up Deleone Catholic (McSherrystown, Pa.), 49-24. Now it’ll be Minersville in the second round on Tuesday. The quarterfinals are Friday against Holy Redeemer (Wilkes-Barre) or York Catholic.

7. Canyon, Texas (35-1)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won a third straight state championship and 18th overall holding off Frisco Liberty, 41-34, in the Class 5A state final. Championship game MVP Angel Hayden scored 16 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Senior G Caitlyn Cunyus joined Hayden on the all-tournament team. The Lady Eagles made their state record 26th appearance in the state tournament but need two more titles to equal the state mark of 20, held by Nazareth. Season complete.

8. National Christian Academy, Fort Washington, Md. (31-0)* ***

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won USA National Prep Tournament, defeating Legacy Charter (Greenville, S.C.), 59-25, in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

9. St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (31-1)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Won second consecutive Class A Private state championship, trouncing Greenforest Christian Academy (Decatur), 63-37, in the final. Junior Maya Dodson flipped in 22 points and sophomore Jala Jordan posted a double-double, with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Expect the Lady Knights to receive an invite to the Dick’s Nationals that starts on April 1 in New York City. Regular season is complete.

10. Bellevue, Wash. (29-0)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won first state championship since 1975, destroying Arlington, 69-40, in the Class 3A final. Tournament MVP Shelby Candler fired in 21 points, Quintessa Caylao dropped in 20 and Stanford-bound All America PG Anna Wilson had 5 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. Earlier in the tournament, the Wolverines stopped No. 16 Lynnwood (Bothell), 73-60, in the semifinals and Mount Spokane (Mead), 62-53, in the quarterfinals. Season complete.

11. Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (29-1)*

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. Could the Dick’s National be next? The season is complete.

12. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (24-1)*

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won second straight Division I state championship. Season complete.

13. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (23-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The CIF-Central Coast Section Open Division champions move onto California’s Sweet Sixteen, where the Monarchs play meet Salesian Prep (Richmond) in the loaded CIF Northern California Region Open Division first round Friday. The winner goes the semifinals against No. 5 Miramonte or Brookside Christian (Stockton). No. 1 St. Mary’s (Stockton) is the clear cut favorite to win it all.

14. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (37-3)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won Bishop Walsh Girls Invitational Tournament, Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 61-45, in Cumberland, Md. It was the second major postseason tournament victory for the Lady Crusaders, who may get an invite to the Dick’s Nationals.

15. Highlands Ranch, Colo. (25-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Falcons have moved into position for another Class 5A state championship and will face Ralston Valley (Arvada) Thursday in the state semifinals in Boulder. In earlier rounds, they took out Horizon (Thornton), 65-35, in the Great 8 and Dakota Ridge (Littleton), 70-41, in the Sweet 16. F Brianne Stiers scored 23 points in the Great 8 round (quarterfinals).

16. Chaminade, West Hills, Calif. (27-4)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Eagles won the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship, tipping then-No. 19 Poly (Long Beach), 72-63. Duke-bound All America Leaonna Odom tossed in 23 points and Valerie Higgins, A USC recruit, hit for a game-high 24. The teams have split two games this season and might meet for a third time in the regional playoffs. The top-seeded Eagles play Palisades (Pacific Palisades) in the Southern California Region first round Friday.

17. Lynnwood, Bothell, Wash. (26-1)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: In what amounted to the de facto Class 3A state championship game, the Chimeras fell to then-No. 12 Bellevue, 73-60, in the state semifinals. However, they responded to capture the third-place game, throttling Kamakian (Kennewick), 58-42. In the quarterfinals, they beat Prairie (Vancouver), 46-37. Oregon State-bound Mikayla Pivec was named to the all-tournament team. Season complete.

18. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (29-4)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Warriors will play the Class AAA state tournament in the their backyard, starting with Morristown West in the quarterfinals Wednesday at Middle Tennessee State University. The winner plays Wilson Central (Lebanon) or Memphis Central in the semifinals on Friday morning. The final is Saturday. In the sub-state, they beat Cumberland County (Crossville), 76-56. Anastasia Hayes, a Miss Basketball finalist, had a memorable game by scoring 30 points and surpassing the 2,000-point career barrier, while teammate Brine Alexander had 24. The Warriors also won the Region 4 tournament, beating rival Stewarts Creek (Smyrna), 51-48.

19. Wenonah, Birmingham, Ala. (33-1)*

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Won third consecutive Class 5A championship, crushing Tuscaloosa Central, 58-33, in the final. The Dragons forced 32 turnovers with a taut defense to produce 19 points. MVP junior Alexus Dye had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Mississippi-bound Kaitlyn Rodgers added 12 points and 14 rebounds. In the semifinals, they defeated Charles Henderson (Troy), 63-51, with Dye netting 30 points (12 of 18 shooting) and snaring 13 rebounds. Season complete.

20. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (32-3)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A state championship for the second straight year, edging Fremd (Palatine), 42-39. In a rematch of last year’s 4A final, MVP Kathleen Doyle’s 24 points (four 3-pointers) paced the Redwings. Doyle, a senior point guard, is committed to Nebraska. Season complete.

21. Poly, Long Beach, Poly, Calif. (25-4)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Jackrabbits were upended in the CIF Southern Section Open Division final, falling to Chaminade (West Hills), 72-63. Jasmine Jones scored 13 points and Ayanna Clark added 12. It might not be the last meeting of the postseason between the teams. However until then next is La Jolla Country Day in the Southern California Region first round Friday.

22. North Shore, Galena Park, Texas (36-2)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Upset by Spring Dekaney, 62-51, in the Class 6A semifinals. Season complete.

23. Bishop Gorman, Las Vegas (29-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Advanced to Division I Sunset Region final. Season complete.

24. Providence Day School, Charlotte, N.C. (27-2)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won seventh straight North Carolina Independent Schools 3A championship. Season complete.

25. Wadsworth, Ohio (26-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Grizzlies advanced to the Division I state semifinals, defeating Whitmer (Toledo), 47-39, in the Norwalk Regional final. Jodi Johnson had a monster offensive effort with 29 points. Now it’s a date with Reynoldsburg in the state semifinals on Friday in Columbus. The winner gets Mason or Solon in Saturday’s final.

Dropped: No. 7 Cicero (N.Y.)-North Syracuse; No. 23 Whitney Young, Chicago; and No. 25 Mansfield (Texas) Timberview.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Villa Maria Academy, Erie, Pa. (26-0)
2. Norwin, Irwin, Pa. (26-0)
3. Forestville, Md. (23-2)
4. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (27-1)
5. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (27-1)

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

Midwest

1. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, Mich. (21-1)
2. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (31-3)
3. Mason, Ohio (26-2)
4. Penn, Mishawka, Ind. (28-2)*
5. Archbishop Alter, Kettering, Ohio (26-2)

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

Southland

1. Argyle, Texas (35-1)*
2. Spring (Texas) Dekaney (37-2)
3. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (29-3)*
4. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (28-4)*
5. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (25-7)*

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

Far West

1. Central Valley, Veradale, Wash. (28-0)*
2. Seton Catholic Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (32-1)*
3. Mission Hills, San Marcos, Calif. (28-3)
4. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (24-5)
5. Layton, Utah (25-0)*

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

* Won a state, national or conference/league postseason tournament championship

*** Record includes one vacated loss

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls Basketball Rankings are released weekly from November until the conclusion of the high school season in early April. 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, administrators and prep sports writers. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.