BENSALEM, Pa. –The big news is the COVID-19 or Novel Coronavirus outbreak has brought change to the boys’ and girls’ basketball world.

The GEICO High School National Tournament will shift from New York to Roebuck, South Carolina out of fear of the virus is spreading. Last weekend, the New York governor declared a state of emergency but the plans to move the event were already in place.

The new home is Dorman High School near Spartanburg, S.C. The semifinals are April 3 and final April 4. The three games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks.

We heard this was happening last week but were asked to remain silent until Wednesday. There is a backup site in case Dorman’s 3,2000-seat facility is unavailable last minute.

To reiterate teams from Nevada, Maryland, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Washington, Florida, Georgia and Utah are in the running for the GEICO Nationals.

This week my ballot is (in no particular order) Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), Westlake (Atlanta), Hamilton Heights Christian Academy and Lake Highlands Prep (Orlando, Fla.). Lake Highlands slid back in when Cashmere (Wash.) was upset in the Washington Class 1A championship game on Saturday night in Yakima. We really thought Cashmere and star guard Hailey Van Lith would have been a natural fit but that is no longer on the table.

Those are the four teams that will travel to South Carolina for the semifinals on April 3. No word if there will be a spectator ban or restrictions. As we found out Wednesday night the NBA was suspending its season and NCAA Men’s and Women’s Tournaments–across the board–will be played in closed arenas. Major conferences such as the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Atlantic 10 and the Big East are following suit.

Elsewhere, No. 5 Duncanville (Texas) won an 11^th Texas state championship and No. 23 Centennial (Las Vegas) re-enters the Elite 25 after winning a sixth straight Nevada state championship.

State championships will be conducted this week in pivotal states such as New Jersey, Ohio, New York, California, Tennessee, Minnesota, Virginia and North Carolina. Methinks the Elite 25 might receive a jolt by Sunday when the games are completed. In Connecticut, both the boys and girls’ basketball tournaments were cancelled over COVID-19 or Novel Coronavirus concerns.

OK, that’s it for another week. We had an updated column on Wednesday, March 6 to break the news on the GEICO Nationals.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events, postseason tournaments and key games all season. We’ll keep you abreast of anything breaking in the girls’ hoop universe and that goes for the upcoming club season.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings return on March 18. Only three ranking periods remain. The final rankings will be released Monday April 6.

We hope to see you at a game soon and wash your hands with sanitizers whenever you step out. That nasty Coronavirus does not discriminate. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 11, 2020

1. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (28-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Won Ohio Division I, Region 4 championship, rallying to beat Fairmont (Kettering), 47-41. The Cougars trailed 19-8 after one quarter but slowly chipped away eventually held a 37-34 lead heading into the fourth. Sophomore sensation KK Bransford surpassed 1,000 career points in the game. Also toppled Springboro, 69-34, in the semifinals. The Cougars face Perrysburg/Notre Dame Academy (Toledo) in the semifinals Friday night at Ohio State’s St. John Arena in Columbus. The winner meets Newark or GlenOak (Canton) Saturday in the final.

2. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (25-1)*

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Idle. Won National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 tournament championship. Next stop is GEICO Nationals on April 3.

3. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (31-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Te-Hina Paopao, who was named California’s Gatorade Player of the Year last week, gave her team a boost with 22 points and 10 rebounds during a 54-44 victory over Etiwanda in the Southern California Region Open Division semifinals. Freshman Breya Cunningham added 17 points. The Torreys need two wins to complete the state championship but must get by No. ghgjhg Windward School (Los Angeles) Tuesday in the region final at home. The CIF Open Division title game is Saturday in Sacramento.

4. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C (27-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Won a fourth Class 4A East Regional title, topping conference rivals Millbrook (Raleigh), 43-24. The Lady Bulldogs unleashed an 18-0 run in the second quarter for a 23-5 lead at the break. Jamia Hazell led the Lady Bulldogs with 16 points. Next up is Vance (Charlotte) in the Class 4A final Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

5. Duncanville, Texas (41-3)*

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Tradition never graduates and that defined the Pantherettes who won their 11^th state championship, taking the Class 6A chip over then-No. 4 Cypress Creek (Houston), 63-47. Deja Kelly, a North Carolina signee and McDonald’s All-American Game selection, secured the Most Valuable Player with 23 points and 5 rebounds and Tristen Taylor scored 13 points. It was the first state title for LaJeanna Howard, who took over last spring for legendary coach Cathy Self-Morgan. In the semifinals, Kelly’s 13 points paced a low-scoring affair in a 45-36 victory over Converse Judson. Howard’s club closed with a 28-game win streak. Season complete.

6. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (28-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Captured the Section 6-AAAA chip, defeating Wayzata (Plymouth), 86-76, in the final. The Royals are top seeds for the Class 4A state tournament and carry a 60-game win streak into Wednesday’s quarterfinal game with Cambridge-Isanti at Williams Arena or “The Barn” in Minneapolis.

7. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (28-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: North Carolina State-bound Dontavia Waggoner totaled 20 points and 5 rebounds as the Tigers stopped Baylor School (Chattanooga), 66-29, in the Division II-AA semifinals. Ensworth raced to a 23-4 lead after one frame and cruised. Next is the state final with rival Brentwood Academy Saturday in Nashville.

8. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (22-1)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Idle. The Lady Crusaders won’t play again until the New York State Federation Class AA semifinals in late March.

9. Cypress Creek, Houston (41-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Lost in Class 6A state championship to No. 5 Duncanville, 63-47. Junior Kyndall Hunter scored 24 points but the Cougars only led once in the first quarter and never could catch up. Beat McKinney, 54-51, in the semifinal behind Hunter’s 31 points. Highly rated junior Rori Harmon did not play in both games for a violation of team rules. Season complete.

10. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (25-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Monarchs stretched their win streak to 18 games, defeating Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa), 64-40, in the Northern California Open Division semifinals. Amelia Scharpf scored 11 points and junior Olivia Williams and Ashley Hiraki added 10 apiece. The Monarchs faced St. Joseph Notre Dame (Alameda) Tuesday in the region final. The winner moved onto the Open Division final Saturday night in Sacramento.

11. Windward School, Los Angeles (27-5)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Clutch free throw shooting was difference in a 45-41 win over Poly (Long Beach) in the semifinals of the CIF-Southern California Region semifinals. The Wildcats opened region play, defeating Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth), 65-59. Michelle Duchemin made all 14 of her free throws, including six in the final minute to finish with 18 points. Windward hit on 21 of 24 from the line. So, it’s a huge test for the Wildcats, who travel to No. 3 La Jolla Country Day Tuesday in the region final. That winner advances to the CIF Open Division championship at Golden 1 Center Saturday in Sacramento.

12. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (22-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Won Division 2 District 56 title, beating University Prep (Detroit), 70-32, in the final. The Pioneers played Divine Child (Dearborn) in the Regional 14 semifinals on Tuesday. The regional final is Thursday.

13. Westlake, Atlanta (30-2)*

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won a third straight Georgia Class AAAAAAA state championship, walloping previously undefeated and then No. 23 Collins Hill (Suwanee), 72-53. Raven Johnson and TaNiya Latson scored 23 points apiece. The Lions are headed back to the GEICO Nationals after a one-year absence. Regular season is complete but the GEICO Nationals are next.

14. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (30-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Less than a week after CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship, the Monarchs were upended by Poly (Long Beach), 55-50, in the Southern California Region Open Division first round. Season complete.

15. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (27-5)*

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Idle. The Lady Mustangs are eyeing the GEICO Nationals in April.

16. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (32-4)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won the Virginia Independent Schools Division 1 championship. It was the 14^th consecutive state title for the Panthers. Season complete.

17. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (27-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Maniya Custis lit up the scoreboard with 26 points, including five made 3-pointers, in a 65-56 victory over Moorestown Friends in the Non-Public B South semifinals. Freshman Zoe Brooks pumped in 20 points and Aaylah Del Rosario had a double-double of 12 points and 14 rebounds to help defeat Our Lady of Mercy (Newfield), 87-28, in the quarterfinals. The Lady Mikes face Rutgers Prep (Somerset) Wednesday in the South final on Long Branch. The winner moves onto the Non-Public B final Saturday in Toms River.

18. Lake Highlands Prep, Orlando, Fla. (28-2)*

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete or will the Highlanders get an invitation to the GEICO Nationals?

19. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (25-3)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won its fifth consecutive  IAAM A Conference championship. Season complete.

20. St. Joseph Central Catholic, Huntington, W.Va. (23-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Irish will return to the Class A state tournament after knocking off Williamson, 93-47, in the regional playoffs. Next up is St. Marys Thursday in the Class A first round in the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Last week, Grace Hutson, a 5-10 junior, was named West Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

21. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (27-4)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Season complete.

22. DeSoto, Texas (32-3)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 6A, Region I quarterfinals, where it lost in the waning seconds to No. 5 Duncanville. Season complete.

23. Centennial, Las Vegas (24-6)*

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs re-enter the Elite 25 after capturing a record sixth-consecutive NIAA crown, beating Desert Oasis (Las Vegas), 79-51, in the Class 4A championship game in Reno. For a chunk of the season, Centennial operated with a makeshift lineup due to injury but recovered and coasted to another Nevada state title. Season complete.

24. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (26-4)*

Previous: Not ranked.

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

25. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (29-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Advanced to the Class 4A state championship game. Last week, senior Madison Layden was named Indiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Season complete.

Dropped: No. 23 Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (27-1)
2. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (23-8)
3. Chartiers Valley, Bridgeville, Pa. (26-0)
4. Poly, Baltimore (22-1)
5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (25-1)

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

Midwest

1. Newark, Ohio (28-2)
2. Simeon, Chicago (34-3)*
3. Aquinas, La Crosse, Wis. (24-1)
4. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (30-7)*
5. Morton, Ill. (37-1)

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

Southland

1. Hazel Green, Ala. (35-2)*
2. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (32-2)
3. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (29-3)
4. Blanche Ely, Pompano Beach, Fla. (29-6)*
5. Cardinal Newman, Columbia, S.C (23-1)*

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

Far West

1. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (26-7)
2. Etiwanda, Calif. (26-6)
3. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (25-7)
4. Iolani School, Honolulu (25-2)*
5. Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (25-1)

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

* Won a state, national or recognized 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. 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 Senior Writer Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released in April. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.