TRENTON, N.J. – Just when you think it’s fait accompli, a bolt of lightning strikes. When St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) was upended last week in the CIF-NorCal Open Division semifinals, it threw the top-ranking in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings in doubt.

The No. 6 Rams lost to unranked Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills, Calif.), 72-69, stopping a 57-game win streak in the process. Four days later, Pinewood was pasted by 33 points in the NorCal final to No. 4 Miramonte (Orinda). Go figure.

There are three scenarios:

Duncanville (Texas) stays at No. 1 after moving up a slot; No. 4 Miramonte slides into the top spot if it captures the California Open Division championship this weekend in Sacramento; or if a team in the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School National Tournament emerges when the event is played next week.

For now Duncanville stays at No. 1. Miramonte needs an uber performance this weekend while the Dick’s Nationals is still in play. There’s more on the Dick’s Nationals, which starts April 1 in New York next week.

No. 25 St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) re-enters the Elite 25 rankings after capturing the New Jersey State Tournament of Champions following a double-overtime win over Manasquan at the Sun National Bank Arena here on Monday. The Lady Lancers (31-1) won the TOC for a record seventh time.

Manasquan, which returns all five starters, will be in position to win the TOC in 2017 along with Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.). Both teams are serious candidates for the preseason rankings next November.

On Monday, Kelly Campbell showed why she was the steal of last summer. Campbell guided the Lady Lancers to the Non-Public A title and then the TOC crown after signing with DePaul. Campbell was cool in the second OT dropping in 9-of-10 free throws to finish with a game-high 23 points. Coach Doug Bruno is getting a four-year floor leader in Chicago and should win many battles in the Big East.

Vianney, which lost once this season during a holiday tournament in Florida to Pennsylvania Class AAA runner-up Villa Maria Academy (Erie), beat Manasquan for a fourth time this season but blew a late lead and overcame a deficit early in the first OT.

Afterwards Vianney coach Dawn Karpell said, “Our message was that we were so prepared for any situation that would arise.”

The Lady Lancers were and passed the eyeball test. They overcame sloppy play and flicked aside a familiar opponent from their backyard.

And here’s a quick a reminder for the Dick’s Nationals.

The girls’ field includes three 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.

The Elite 25 girls’ rankings are back March 30. The boys return on March 29. We will be in Chicago for the McDonald’s All American Games.

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.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings, March 23, 2016

1. Duncanville, Texas (39-0)*

Previous rank: 1.

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. Now the Pantherettes must wait to see what transpires the rest of the way. The top-ranking is not in the bag yet. Season complete.

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

Previous: 3.

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

3. 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.

4. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (32-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Sabrina Ionescu produced 29 points (five 3s), 14 rebounds and 4 assists and Clair Steele scored all 14 points before halftime and the Matadors raced past Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills), 73-40, in the CIF-Northern California Open Division final. Uriah Howard also posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Next is the Open Division state final Saturday back at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento.

5. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (29-1)*

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Saints pulled away in the 24-5 second-quarter run to win a second straight PIAA Class AA state championship, crushing North Star, 65-28. Syracuse-bound Alisha Kebbe had 20 points and 7 rebounds and junior Chyna Nixon added 14. In two seasons, coach Andrea Peterson is 59-1 with two state championships. That’s one of the greatest starts to a coaching career. In the semifinals, the Saints took an early lead and expanded it to 12 points by halftime to defeat Dunmore, 52-26. Season complete.

6. St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (28-1)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: The Rams were shocked in the CIF Northern California Open Division semifinals, falling to Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills, Calif.), 72-69. The win streak of 57 games (which began in December 2014) went down the drain as Pinewood nailed 16 3-pointers and used a 25-10 run in the second half to rally for a 63-59 lead. The Rams misfired on two 3s at the end. Sophomore Aquira DeCosta scored 10 of 26 points in the second half for the Rams, who had won nine straight sectional titles. Season complete.

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: 8.

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: 9.

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: 11.

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. (28-4)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Leaonna Odom’s 3-pointer bounced three times off the rim and dropped in as time expired as the Eagles won a thriller over then-No. 18 Poly (Long Beach), 50-49, in the CIF-Southern California Region final. USC-bound Valerie Higgins tossed in 21 and Odom hit for 19 to turn back Mission Hills (San Marcos), 79-69, in the semifinals. Before the game, Odom, a McDonald’s All American and Duke commit, has presented a game ball for surpassing 1,000 career points in less than two season at the school.

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

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won Division I Class AAA state championship for the fifth state title and first since 2013. Season complete.

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

Previous: 15.

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

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

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Finished third in the Class 3A state tournament. Season compete.

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

Previous: 17.

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

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

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won third straight Class 5A state championship and state-record seventh overall. The Cavaliers competed in their state-record eighth straight final and 10th overall. Season complete.

19. Poly, Long Beach, Poly, Calif. (27-6)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Talk about heartbreak. The Jackrabbits lost in CIF-Southern California Region Open Division final on a buzzer-beating, 3-pointer to No. 13 Chaminade (West Hills), 50-49. The Jackrabbits closed with an 11-1 run and held off Clovis West (Fresno), 53-44, in the semifinals. USC-bound junior Ayanna Clark scored 11 points and Danae Miller and Jasmine Jones each had 10. Season complete.

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

Previous: 20.

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

21. Wadsworth, Ohio (28-1)*

Previous: 21.

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

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

Previous: 22.

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

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

Previous: 23.

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

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

Previous: 24.

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

25. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (31-1)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Lady Lancers won the State Tournament of Champions, outlasting archrival Manasquan, 75-68, in double overtime. It was Vianney’s fourth win over Manasquan this season. DePaul-bound Kelly Campbell scored 23 points, making 9-of-10 free throws in the second OT. The victory gave Vianney a girls’ record seventh TOC crown, but the first since 2009. In the TOC semifinals, they defeated Lenape (Medford), 57-36, as Campbell scored 23 points and Kimi Evans tossed in 11 of her 14 in the third period. The Lady Lancers also won their state-record 17th girls’ state title, beating Immaculate Heat Academy (Washington Township), 72-31, in the Non-Public A final. Campbell fired in 17 of her 20 points before the intermission. Season complete.

Dropped: No. 25 Villa Maria Academy, Erie, Pa.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Forestville, Md. (25-2)*
2. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (29-3)*
3. Ossining, N.Y. (28-2)*
4. Manasquan, N.J. (28-7)*
5. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (25-6)*

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

Midwest

1. Penn, Mishawka, Ind. (28-2)*
2. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (31-3)
3. Minnetonka, Minn. (25-4)*
4. Kickapoo, Springfield, Mo. (29-3)*
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. Butler, Louisville (31-5)*
4. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (29-3)*
5. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (28-4)*

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. Brea (Calif.) Olinda (28-4)
4. ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (26-3)*
5. Layton, Utah (25-0)*

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.