BENSALEM, Pa. – The harsh reality of the postseason is business as usual for some but for the weak it’s adios! Welcome March, one fickle month that spits out the pretenders and rewards the contenders.

For the few in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings who have built up equity and are fortunate enough to have played another strong team from a talent laden state and class bracket, count your blessings. Those are the teams that can absorb a loss and remain ranked.

There are 14 state champions in the Elite 25 rankings. More to come.

With less than a month left, three teams have departed. Though the door closes, another opened for No. 19 Princess Anne (Virginia Va.), No. 24 South Salem (Salem, Ore.) and No. 25 Villa Maria Academy (Erie, Pa.). Princess Anne and South Salem are both in after repeating as state champions, while Villa is two wins shy of their first title since their run of three straight culminated in 2011.

Moving forward the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament field was announced last week.

The girls’ field includes three different state champions: Seton Catholic Prep (Chandler, Ariz.), Ribault (Jacksonville, Fla.) and St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.). Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) will have the opportunity to become the first three-time girls’ champion. The semifinals pairings are Riverdale Baptist vs. St. Francis and Seton Catholic Prep vs. Ribault.

The television schedule:

The three-day, single-elimination tournament begins March 31, at 12 p.m. ET (boys quarterfinals on ESPNU) and continues on April 1, at 11 a.m., all from Christ the King High School (girls semifinals on ESPNU and boys semifinals on ESPN2). On April 2, competition shifts to Madison Square Garden, where a girls (ESPN2 at 10 a.m.) and boys champion (12 p.m. on ESPN) will be crowned.

In Maryland, the mess at National Christian Academy (Fort Washington) is shameful and it’s moving day. NCA was dropped from the Elite 25 until they get their house in order.

Last month, the team had a loss at national tournament vacated when their opponent used an ineligible player enrolled at another school. Now according to a published report, NCA used two players enrolled at another school and will vacate four wins. Two weeks ago, the Eagles captured USA National Prep Tournament in South Carolina and were under serious consideration for the Dick’s Nationals, but that was immediately squashed. According to the report, NCA officials were under the assumption that the girls would eligible to play. Coaching point: Never assume.

NCA is appealing.

The Elite 25 girls’ rankings will be released again on March 23. The boys return on March 22.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for updates, photos and columns. Our staff is always attending events and keeping you abreast of the latest issues. Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day. We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings, March 16, 2016

1. St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (28-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Rams are now three games from a perfect season and history (a.k.a. National Championship). Without getting too far ahead, Naje Murray scored 21 points, Oregon State-bound Kat Tudor had 18 and Nebraska-commit Mi’Cole Cayton added 14 in a 90-65 victory over Carondelet (Concord) in the CIF Northern California Open Division first round. Next is Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) Tuesday in the semifinals with winner going to Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on Saturday for the championship game. After that it’s the Open Division final back in Sacramento on March 25 or 26. Additionally, Tom Gonsalves was the recipient of the Pat Summitt Trophy given to the WBCA High School National Coach of the Year. He also walked away with the same honor from Naismith.

2. Duncanville, Texas (39-0)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Won 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. 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 and third straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament and regular season titles. Season complete.

5. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (30-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: In one of the lopsided games in the postseason, the Matadors overwhelmed Northside Christian (Stockton), 109-41, in the CIF-NorCal Open Division. Sabrina Ionescu fired in a game-high 30 points and added 13 assists and 6 rebounds, while Uriah Howard had 19 points and pulled down 7 boards. They played Salesian College Prep (Richmond) Tuesday in the semifinals. The final is Saturday in Sacramento.

6. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (27-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Saints needed a 13-3 run in the third and fourth quarters to edge out Holy Redeemer (Wilkes-Barre), 48-39, in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals. A stingy defense allowed two points in the fourth. Morgan Lenahan and Jabria Ingram each scored 10 points to knock out Minersville, 71-33, in the second round. Next is Dunmore, a team that coach Andrea Peterson really respects, in Tuesday’s semifinals back in Bethlehem. The state final is Friday afternoon in Hershey.

7. Canyon, Texas (35-1)*

Previous: 7

Low-down: Won a third straight state championship and 18th overall state tournament title. Season complete.

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

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won second consecutive Class A Private state championship. Next stop is the Dick’s Nationals semifinals in New York on April 1.

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

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. The Dick’s Nationals are next and No. 9 St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) is the semifinal opponent on April 1 in Middle Village, N.Y., which is a neighborhood in the borough of Queens.

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

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

11. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (36-3)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: After winning two postseason tournaments and playing a challenging national schedule, the Lady Crusaders head back to the Dick’s Nationals. They last won it in 2014 and will play Seton Catholic Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) in the semifinals on April 1.

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

Previous: 12.

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

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

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Eagles moved onto the CIF Southern California Region Open Division semifinals, stopping Palisades (Pacific Palisades),79-67, in the first round. It doesn’t get any easier Tuesday when Mission Hills (San Marcos) visits for a semifinal tilt, with the winner advancing to Saturday’s final in Long Beach.

14. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (32-4)*

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Won Division I Class AAA state championship, trouncing Oak Ridge, 68-36, in the final. Junior PG Anastasia Hayes, a Miss Basketball finalist, dropped in 27 points, making 11 of 19 shots. The Warriors raced to a 37-16 halftime lead, cruising to their fifth state title and first since 2013. In the semifinals, Alexis Whittington scored 23 points and Brinae Alexander netted a double-double, 10 points and 15 rebounds, to rout Memphis Central, 80-58. Alexander tossed in 17 points with two 3-pointers, made 6 steals and snared 5 rebounds in a 70-55 quarterfinal win over Morristown West. Season complete.

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

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won third consecutive Class 5A state championship. Season complete.

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

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won third-place consolation game in the Class 3A state tournament. Season compete.

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

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A state championship for the second straight year. Season complete.

18. Poly, Long Beach, Poly, Calif. (26-4)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Ayanna Clark produced 15 points and 7 rebounds as the Jackrabbits stopped La Jolla Country Day, 46-39, in the Southern California Region first round. They played Tuesday at Clovis West (Fresno) on the semifinals. The winner moved into the region final.

19. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (29-2)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship, knocking off Highland Springs, 73-50, in the final. Minnesota-bound Gadiva Hubbard scored 29 points and sophomore Xaria Wiggins had 17 points, 11 rebounds and blocked four shots. The Cavaliers captured a third straight state title and state-record seventh overall while competing in their state-record eighth straight final and 10th overall. Season complete.

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

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 6A state tournament semifinals. Season complete.

21. Wadsworth, Ohio (28-1)*

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won Division I state championship, upending Mason, 41-30, to avenge the lone regular season loss on the state’s biggest stage at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus. The Grizzlies won their second state crown and first since 1997 when it coincidentally topped Mason. Senior Jodi Johnson, who is headed to Division II Ashland (Ohio), bucketed 28 points (8 of 12 shooting, 10 of 11 free throws). The semifinals were a statement in resiliency as the Grizzlies used a 20-7 fourth-quarter tear to rally past Reynoldsburg, 58-48. Johnson struck again, tossing in 24 points and hauling down 9 rebounds. Season complete.

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

Previous: 23.

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

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

Previous: 24.

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

24. South Salem, Salem, Ore. (28-1)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Saxons returned to the winner’s podium after defeating Tigard, 49-42, capturing their second straight Class 6A state championship. Junior Dani Harley was the unlikely hero striking for a game-high 18 points, including five 3-pointers, as the Saxons rallied from a third quarter deficit. Boise State-bound Jordan Woodvine was limited to 7 points and elite junior Evina Westbrook threw in 11 but it didn’t matter for coach Nick McWilliams’ club. Season complete.

25. Villa Maria Academy, Erie, Pa. (28-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Victors defeated South Fayette (McDonald), 54-44, in the PIAA Class AAA quarterfinals. Villa won the previous two rounds by 21 and 26 points and rolls out Division I talent Anna Sweny (singed with Canisius), Jennifer Oduho (Youngstown State) and Sarah Agnello (Lafayette). Agnello (19 points) and Sweny (13) teamed for 32 points in the quarters. Next is South Park in the semifinals on Tuesday and the final is Saturday night in Hershey.

Dropped: No. 8 National Christian Academy, Fort Washington, Md.; No. 13 Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif.; and No. 15 Highlands Ranch, Colo.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Forestville, Md. (25-2)*
2. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (29-1)*
3. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (29-1)*
4. Ossining, N.Y. (26-2)*..FED
5. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (27-3)

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. (23-1)
2. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (31-3)
3. Mason, Ohio (27-3)
4. Penn, Mishawka, Ind. (28-2)*
5. Archbishop Alter, Kettering, Ohio (28-2)*

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. (29-3)
4. Salesian College Prep, Richmond, Calif. (27-5)
5. ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (26-3)*

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

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

 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.