Georgia, Missouri teams pop into Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls basketball rankings were shaken, stirred and presented in a new form. There were vaulters and tumblers. That’s the beauty of the Go-To 25.

After two weeks of eye-popping results, disappointment and a sudden power surge, the rankings hope a static week is in store. Only three teams in the Top 10 held their position, including No. 1 Duncanville (Texas), which is creeping up on 100 straight victories. As they say, things are always done in a big way in Texas.

No. 4 Windward School (Los Angeles) made the biggest jump, as you’d expect. The Wildcats beat Poly (Long Beach) by one points in the waning seconds. No. 3 Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) recorded an impactful victory, gaining a measure of revenge in a defeat of then-No. 2 Incarnate Word (Bel-Nor, Mo.).

No. 15 Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.) and No. 24 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) enter the rankings. McEachern after a shaky December is back in the Go-To 25.  No. 17 Fairmont (Kettering, Ohio) had the biggest fall, sliding nine spots after a conference loss to Centreville.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates.

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

Blue Star Media Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 28, 2014

1. Duncanville, Texas (26-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Pantherettes are 11-0 in District 7-5A after thumping Cedar Hill, 71-46. Tasia Foman dropped a season-high 32 points. Only three games left in the regular season.

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (17-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Monarchs crushed Rosary (Fullerton), 73-26. Katie Lou Samuelson (20 points) and sophomore post Ally Rosenblum (19) teamed for 39 points. It’s  busy week ahead with four games on tap.

3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (20-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Blaze avenged a earlier loss to then-No. 2 Incarnate Word (Bel-Nor, Mo.), 58-49, at the Raatz Fence/O’Shea’s Classic in Louisville, Ky.

4. Windward School, Los Angeles (17-2)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Jordin Canada, a UCLA recruit, knocked down a free throw with 3.4 seconds remaining to clip then-No. 3 Poly (Long Beach, Calif.), 38-37, for the third time in as many years.

5. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (15-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Lost to then-No. 5 Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), 58-49, snapping a 47-game win streak. Junior Napheesa Collier had 16 points and 22 rebounds.

6. Miami Senior High, Miami, Fla. (23-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Stingarees captured their second consecutive Greater Miami Athletic Conference Tournament title, beating American (Miami), 49-42. Beatrice Mompremier (14 rebounds) and Amanda Mendoza each scored 13 points. The District 14-8A tournament opens Wednesday at home.

7. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (16-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Aliyah Mazyck flipped in 20 points during a 68-42 rout of Rocky River.

8. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (15-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: After two easy league wins, the Jackrabbits were edged in the dying seconds by then-No. 9 Windward (Los Angeles), 38-37.

9. Manvel, Texas (28-2)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The defense allowed only 35 total points in two district games.

10. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (24-0)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Won twice at the Mecca Challenge in Bronx, N.Y, including a 45-43 win over Montclair (N.J.). Lucky Rudd scored 18 points against Montclair.

11. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (16-0)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: The Saints had a light week recording a 70-point league win. A pair of Philadelphia Catholic League showdowns with state ranked teams will punch up the schedule.

12. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (13-2)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The average margin of victory was 56 points in two goals. Remember the local showdown vs. Highlands Ranch is Feb. 5.

13. Homewood (Ill.)-Flossmoor (15-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Two more wins by barely breaking a sweat.

14. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (13-1)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs crushed Gloucester Catholic (Gloucester City), 60-43. Georgia Tech-bound Zaire O’Neil scored eight of her 14 points in the decisive second quarter. Also beat Life Center Academy (Burlington), 68-55, at the Mecca Challenge in Bronx, N.Y. Vanessa Watson earned coaching win No. 700 against Life Center.

15. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (13-2)

Previous: Not ranked

Low-down: The Bruins delivered back-to-back wins against Illinois elite Class 4A teams then-No. 11 Whitney Young (Chicago) and Edwardsville. Losses are to Tennessee schools.

16. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (24-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Senators clinched the Class 6A, Area 15 crown, taking down Hazel Green, 45-38. Alexis Jennings, a Kentucky recruit, tossed in 22 points and hauled down 12 boards. She also surpassed 2,100 career points.

17. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (16-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Firebirds suffered an upset at the hands of  rivals Centreville, 60-55, dropping to 5-1 in conference. Next up is Beavercreek on Wednesday.

18. Whitney Young, Chicago (18-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Dolphins ripped then-No. 22 Joliet Catholic, 75-53, as SMU-bound Taylor Brame had 13 points and 10 rebounds. They opened last week losing to Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.), 54-48, at an event in St. Louis, Mo.

19. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (18-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Although the Wildcats are Indiana’s top-ranked team, they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Conference. That means Friday’s game vs. first place Center Grove will likely decide the regular season champion.

20. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (16-1)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Stars are allowing less than 35 points per game. With four games left before the postseason that bodes well for the defending Class 4A champions.

21. Seton-LaSalle, Pittsburgh (14-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Rebels are in control of WPIAL Section 4-AA at 9-0 record with four games left.

22. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (13-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Lost to Capitol Christian Academy (Landover), 58-56, at Ballin for a Cure in Takoma Park. Chania Ray scored 23 points in the Crusaders’ lone game last week.

23. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (14-4)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Rams averaged 96 points in two victories.

24. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (16-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: After a sluggish 3-2 start to the season, the Indians have peeled off 13 straight wins. Most notably a 69-43 drubbing of crosstown Hillgrove. Only six games remain in the regular season.

25. Nazareth Regional, Brooklyn, N.Y. (15-4)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: After a lopsided league win over Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn), the Lady Kingsmen have two games to fine tune things before meeting archrivals Christ the King (Middle Village) on Feb. 6.

Dropped: No. 17 Saint Mary’s (Albany, Calif.) and No. 20 Joliet (Ill.) Catholic.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (14-3)

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (12-2)

3. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (14-0)

4. Cosby, Midlothian, Va. (11-0)

5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (15-1)

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

Midlands

1. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (16-0)

2. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (22-1)

3. Joliet (Ill.) Catholic (20-1)

4. Edwardsville, Ill. (17-1)

5. Martin Luther King, Detroit (13-1)

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

South

1. Salmen, Slidell, La. (21-1)

2. Dunbar, Fort Myers, Fla. (23-1)

3. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (16-1)

4. Blount, Prichard, Ala. (25-3)

5. Horn Lake, Miss. (18-1)

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

Far West

1. Highlands Ranch, Colo. (14-1)

2. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (15-3)

3. Desert Vista, Phoenix (19-1)

4. Dobson, Mesa, Ariz. (21-2)

5. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (13-3)

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

Records through Sunday.

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.