Blaze of Glory: New No. 1 for Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – Here are the latest Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings.

For the second straight week, there’s a new team at No. 1 in the Go-To 25 rankings. After Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) fell in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division final to Windward School (Los Angeles), it opened the door for Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) to move in. Blackman won Tennessee’s Class AAA title last weekend in convincing fashion, but that doesn’t assure the Blaze of the No. 1 rankings.

There are at least four teams who might ascend to the top spot depending how they perform in the final weeks of the season.

Two schools join the Go-To 25 rankings and with several state championship this weekend, another seismic shift could occur.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from events nationwide and other tidbits evolving from the game. Nearly half of the states are 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, March 11, 2014

1. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (35-1)*

Previous rank: 2.

Low-down: Won Class AAA state championship, defeating Ridgeway (Memphis), 65-41, in final. MVP Crystal Dangerfield tossed 19 points. It was the school’s first-ever state title in any sport since opening 14 years ago. The Blaze also stopped Mount Juliet, 55-46, in semifinals; and Houston (Germantown), 52-38, in quarterfinals. Season complete

2. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (27-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Red Knights polished off the Class 4, District 5 title and open the Class 4 state tournament against MCIDS (St. Louis) Wednesday.

3. Windward School, Los Angeles (25-2)

Previous: 4

Low-down: Won CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, beating then-No. 1 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 61-46, in final. UCLA-bound Jordin Canada had 14 points and dished 9 assists. The Wildcats are the top seeds in the Southern California Region Open Division Tournament opening with Clovis West (Fresno) or Etiwanda in the quarterfinals on March 18.

4. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (25-2)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 4 Winward (Los Angeles), 61-46, in CIF-Southern Division Open Division final. Junior Katie Lou Samuelson scored 14 points as the Monarchs trailed, 46-23, at the break. Next up is No. xx Poly (Long Beach) or The Bishop’s School (La Jolla) in the Southern California Regional semifinals on March 18.

5. Manvel, Texas (37-2)*

Previous: 4.

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

6. Miami High, Miami, Fla. (31-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Won Class 8A state championship. Regular season complete but the Stings are headed to New York City in April for the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament.

7. Duncanville, Texas (35-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Finished runner-up in Class 5A. Last week, coach Cathy Self-Morgan was named the Naismith High School Coach of the Year. Season complete.

8. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (29-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 4A state final, beating Ardrey Kell (Charlotte), 54-46, in the Western Regional championship game. Saadia Timpton and Aliyah Mazyck each scored 16 points and Rydeiah Rogers was named MVP, finishing with 10 points and 13 boards. Next up is Southeast Raleigh Saturday at North Carolina State’s Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

9. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (26-0)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Saints opened the Class AA Tournament with an easy 74-36 win over Camp Hill. Next up is Minersville Tuesday in the second round. The winner plays St. Basil Academy (Jenkintown) or Deleone Catholic (McSherrystown) Friday in the quarterfinals.

10. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (23-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Idle. Hosts The Bishop’s School (La Jolla) in the first round of the CIF Southern California Region Open Division Tournament.

11. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (24-2)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Two more wins in the Class 5A tournament for the Raiders. Next up is Poudre (Fort Collins) Thursday at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.

12. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (26-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs crushed Bloomfield Tech, 74-38, in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 semifinals. They play New Providence in the sectional final Tuesday. Three victories from another Group 1 title.

13. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (22-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Class 5A, District 9 title, beating Hickman (Columbia), 60-25. The Bruins open the Class 5 state tournament against Washington (Cedar Hill) Wednesday.

14. Whitney Young, Chicago (32-3)* **

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Won second Class 4A state championship in three years, topping Rolling Meadows, 60-44. Sophomore Kiara Lewis pumped in a game-high 20 points. The Dolphins closed on a 14-game wins streak, securing the program’s third state title. Season complete.

15. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (24-5)**

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Rams won the CIF Sac-Joaquin Division I title, crushing Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills), 77-53. Now it’s Miramonte (Orinda) in the CIF Northern California Open Division Friday.

16. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (27-1)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 4A state championship, beating Penn (Mishawaka), 51-41. The Stars are 55-1 in the last two years. Brittani Rizzi hit for 17 points, including a trio of 3s. Season complete.

17. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (27-3)*

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The National Association of Christian Athletes Division I champions are in the Dick’s Sporting Good High School National Tournament next month in New York.

18. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (28-2)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won the Class AAAAAA for the second time in three years, knocking off Archer (Lawrenceville), 81-62. North Carolina-bound junior Te’a Cooper (17 points) and Caliya Robinson (20) teamed for 37 points. Season complete.

19. Princeton, Cincinnati (26-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Vikings advance to the Division I state semifinals in Columbus, where they face Notre Dame Academy (Toledo) Friday. Ohio State-recruit Kelsey Mitchell totaled 81 points, including 50 in the semifinals, in two region games. Kelsey scored her 2,000^th career point last week.

20. Canyon, Texas (34-4)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

21. Shades Valley, Birmingham, Ala. (31-4)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

22. Salmen, Slidell, La. (33-1)*

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 4A state championship, holding off archrivals Warren Easton (New Orleans), 56-48. In two state games, Salmen’s Kalani Brown was named the state’s overall MVP totaling 35 points and 32 rebounds. Season complete.

23. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (33-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Lost in Class 6A final. Season complete.

24. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (34-1)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The regular season is complete. The Phoenix might play in the Dick’s Sport Goods High School National Tournament.

25. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (34-2)*

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Won fourth Class 3A state championship in five years, beating Joliet Catholic, 57-44. The Broncos made 11 of 20 3-pointers as Kelly Karlis scored 16 points, Lea Kerstein 13 and Kateri Stone 12. Next season the Broncos moved up to Class 4A. Season complete.

Dropped: No. 13 Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) and No. 20 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (21-2)

2. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (24-0)

3. Cosby, Midlothian, Va. (25-0)

4. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (26-1)

5. McDonogh, Owings Mills, Md. (29-2)*

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

Midlands

1. Mercy, Farmington Hills, Mich. (24-1)

2. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (27-1)

3. St. Thomas More, Champaign, Ill. (33-2)*

4. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (24-3)

5. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines, Iowa (23-3)*

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

South

1. Broken Arrow, Okla. (25-0)…th-states

2. Horn Lake, Miss. (27-1)…wed

3. Tucker, Ga. (29-4)*

3. Elizabethtown, Ky. (29-4)

5. Miami (Fla.) Country Day, (26-3)*

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

Far West

1. Saint Mary’s College, Albany, Calif. (26-7)

2. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (25-1)*

3. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (24-3)

4. Reno, Nev. (30-1)*

5. Desert Vista, Phoenix (30-2)*

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

Records through Sunday

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament

** Includes forfeit wins or losses

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.