Go-To 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, February 20, 2013

BENSALEM, Pa. – Dreams will be realized and crushed this weekend. That’s because several state tournaments will be played. Only three teams in the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 high school girls’ basketball haven’t hit the postseason but that will change next week.

The most high profile Go-To 25 team, No. 2 St. Mary’s (Phoenix) needs two wins for a second straight Division I crown—Arizona’s largest classification—but that won’t be easy with two games remaining. First the Lady Knights must win in the semifinals on Thursday. The dream matchup with regionally ranked Pinnacle (Phoenix)—on the other side of the bracket—is two wins away. Additionally Utah, Nevada and Florida will conduct their tournaments. In Florida, No. 13 Dr. Phillips (Orlando) is back in the semifinals Friday against Dwyer (West Palm Beach) at the Lakeland Center. In Illinois, the Class 2A final takes place Saturday at Illinois State’s Redbird Arena in Bloomington. Regionally ranked St. Thomas More (Champaign), coached by Chris Mennig, is aiming for gold but must get past El Paso (Gridley) Friday night.

The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament might be one of the most competitive this weekend. No. 12 St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) won the regular season title with a 17-1 record will get strong challenges from No. 25 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and regionally ranked Good Counsel (Olney, Md.). In Pennsylvania’s largest city, the Philadelphia Catholic League plays a championship doubleheader Monday at the historic University of Pennsylvania Palestra, tipping at 6:45 p.m. with the girls’ final. The boys follow at 8:15.

This week the Blue Star Media Go-To 25 has two additions. Making the biggest splash was No. 11 Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence swaps with Columbus North. BNL ruined North’s title quest with an emphatic win in the regional semifinals. A win this weekend in the Semistate puts them in the final on March 2 in Indianapolis. No. 23 Twinsburg (Ohio), Ohio’s Division I defending champions, rolled through an unbeaten regular season and are hungry for more. The matchup everyone is looking for would pit Twinsburg at states against No. 24 Fairmont (Kettering) in March. The tournament action really starts picking up next week at the Texas state championships in Austin. We’ll keep you abreast of the results and what to look for as the journey to tourney unfolds.

Hope to see you at a game soon. Enjoy a game in your area this weekend. – Christopher Lawlor

Varsity Letters

Player of the Week

Antania Hayes, senior, No. 18 Martin Luther King (Detroit): Playing with a heavy heart after the recent death of her brother, Hayes helped her team win their second straight Detroit Public School League championship, beating Cass Tech (Detroit), 45-38, in a meeting of unbeaten last Friday. After a sluggish start, Hayes’ driving layup gave MLK a 12-10 lead and it never looked back. In the fourth quarter, she sunk a pair of free throws icing the game. Hayes, the leading candidate for Michigan’s Miss Basketball Award, had 10 points and six rebounds. In the semifinals, DePaul-bound, slashing 6-foot-1 guard contributed 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting, and had 10 rebounds and five assists. MLK now embarks on the quest to capture Michigan’s Class A state championship.

Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings, February 20, 2013

1. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (26-0)

Previous: ranking 1.

Low-down: The Monarchs opened the postseason, thrashing Wilson (Long Beach), 89-31.  Up next is Silverado (Victorville) Wednesday in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-AA Tournament.

2. St. Mary’s, Phoenix (27-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Lady Knights stopped Chandler, 57-31, in the Division I quarterfinals and Desert Vista (Phoenix), 80-34, in second round. Up next is Hamilton (Chandler) Thursday in semifinals. The final is Saturday.

3. Duncanville, Texas (37-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Pantherettes keep rolling after a 66-29 win over L.D. Bell (Hurst), 66-29, in Class 5A Area playoffs. Next up is Cedar Hill Tuesday in Region I quarterfinals at Mansfield Timberview High.

4. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (28-0)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Junior PG Alexa Middleton scored 25 points, hitting 12 of 14 shots, during a 68-58 win over ranked Blackman (Murfreesboro) in the District 7-AAA final for its 51^st straight triumph. Tyisha Petty, a Middle Tennessee State recruit, flipped in 20 points as the Lady Warriors defeated Smyrna, 74-59, in semifinals. Up next is Shelbyville Central Friday in the Region 4 semifinals

5. Marion County, Lebanon, Ky. (30-0)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Lady Knights concluded a perfect regular season, knocking off Mercy (Louisville), 64-46. Up next is Taylor County (Campbellsville) Thursday in the 20^th District semifinals. Heading into the postseason, coach Trent Milby’s squad have beaten seven top-ranked teams in their regions and have won 46 of 47 games.

6. Windward, Los Angeles (26-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Wildcats are in the CIF-Southern Section Division IV-AA quarterfinals following two wins by an average margin of 62 points.

7. Edwardsville, Ill. (29-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Kortney Dunbar hit for a career-high 28 points and Louisville-bound Emmonnie Henderson posted 13 points and 13 rebounds in a 72-30 victory over Springfield in the Class 4A Alton Regional final. The Tigers met Belleville West in sectional semifinals on Tuesday. The final is Thursday.

8. Incarnate Word Academy, St. Louis (24-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Sophomore Napheesa Collier pumped in a game-high 28 points in an 80-18 blowout of Jefferson City. Collier concluded the game with 1,052 career points, having hit the elusive four-digit mark in a win over Visitation (St. Louis). The Red Knights played Cor Jesu (St. Louis) Tuesday and concludes the regular season Thursday against Ursuline (St. Louis).

9. Pflugerville, Texas (34-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: The Panthers knocked out Klein Forest, 67-55, in Class 5A Area playoff. Up next are the Region II quarterfinals Tuesday against Austin Bowie at McNeil High in Austin.

10. North Gwinnett, Suwanee, Ga. (25-1)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Bulldogs stopped regionally ranked Norcross, 58-53, in Region 7-AAAAAA final. Lexie Brown tossed in a game-high 22 points and Peyton Whitted had 15 points and nine rebounds. The Bulldogs won the opening two games by 26 and 50 points. Up next is the Class AAAAAA state tournament.

11. Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence (26-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Won Class 4A Bedford Regional, defeating Franklin Central (Indianapolis), 58-51. The Stars shot down then-No. 6 Columbus North, 71-45, in semifinals. Up next is Roncalli (Indianapolis) in Semistate Saturday.

12. St. John’s, Washington, D.C. (26-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The Cadets clinched the top seed in the upcoming Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament, beating No. 25 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 64-60, for the second time in 10 days. Notre Dame-bound G Lindsay Allen, who was named a McDonald’s All-American last week, celebrated with 15 points and Tori Oliver added 17.

13. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (27-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Panthers are back in the state tournament for the fourth year after eliminating Lake Mary, 71-34, in the Class 8A Region 1 final. Sydnei McCaskill had 14 points and 11 assists and Hannah Schaible, back from a high ankle sprain, dropped in 15 points. Up next is Dwyer (West Palm Beach) Friday in the 8A semifinals at the Lakeland Civic Center. The winner plays Miami High or Colonia (Orlando) Saturday for the title, which the Panthers have won the last two.

14. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (31-1)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The two-time Class 3A champions defeated Rosary (Aurora), 65-23, in 3A Crane Regional final. Played Westinghouse (Chicago) Tuesday in LaGrange Park Sectional semifinal. The final is Thursday at Nazareth Academy.

15. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (23-1)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs advanced to the Essex County Tournament championship game, edging Mount St. Dominic (Caldwell), 40-36, in semifinals. They will play East Orange Campus Saturday for the county crown in Newark.

16. Central Catholic, Portland, Ore. (20-3)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Rams tagged on two more league wins. Additionally, seniors Jordan Reynolds (Tennessee recruit) and Kailee Johnson (Stanford) were named to the McDonald’s All-American Game at Chicago’s United Center in April.

17. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (23-3)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The Dragons head into the CIF-North Coast Section Division III playoffs riding a 17-game win streak following a loss to ranked Windward (Los Angeles) on Dec. 29.

18. Martin Luther King, Detroit (17-0)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won Detroit Public School League Tournament crown, stopping previously undefeated Cass Tech (Detroit), 45-38. LaQuita Hart led the winners with 17 points as coach William Winfield won his 21^st Detroit PSL title championship with MLK.

19. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (23-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Erin O’Toole’s 17 points helped the Royals cap a 3-0 week in a 79-50 victory over St. Michael-Albertville. The regular season closes Friday with Andover.

20. New Hope Christian Academy, Thomasville, N.C. (27-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Phoenix won twice at the Planet Athlete National Women’s Prep Showcase in Laurel, Md.

21. Science Hill, Johnson City, Tenn. (28-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Lady Toppers cruised into Tuesday’s District 1-AAA final with Tennessee High (Bristol) following an easy win.

22. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (23-4)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Keyla Morgan and Jada Matthews teamed for 23 points and 15 boards in a 66-33 win over Downey in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division I-AA Tournament. Up next is Great Oak (Temecula) Wednesday in second round.

23. Twinsburg, Ohio (23-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Cleveland area’s top-ranked team is poised to defend their Division I state title. The Tigers carry a 37-game win streak into Thursday’s sectional final against Warren G. Harding (Warren).

24. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (20-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Idle. Plays Lebanon in Division I Harrison 1 District quarterfinals at Troy High.

25. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (25-3)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Lost to No. 12 St. john’s (Washington, D.C.), 64-60, finishing 15-3 in the WCAC. West Virginia-recruit Ariana Freeman scored 24 points. Up next are the WCAC playoffs this weekend.

Dropped: No. 5 Columbus (Ind.) North and No. 18 Good Counsel (Olney, Md.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Seton LaSalle, Pittsburgh (21-1)

2. Lake Taylor, Norfolk, Va. (24-0)

3. Archbishop Spalding, Severn, Md. (27-1)

4. Good Counsel, Olney, Md. (23-4)

5. Life Center Academy, Burlington, N.J. (23-2)

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

Midlands

1. Columbus (Ind.) North, Columbus, Ind. (24-1)

2. Whitney Young, Chicago (26-4)

3. Marian Catholic, Chicago Heights, Ill. (28-1)

4. St. Thomas More, Champaign, Ill. (31-2)

5. Grosse Pointe (Mich.) South (17-1)

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

South

1. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (24-0)

2. Dutch Fork, Irmo, S.C. (27-0)

3. Plano West, Plano, Texas (35-3)

4. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (23-3)

5. Norcross, Ga. (22-5)

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

Far West

1. Troy, Fullerton, Calif. (24-3)

2. St. Mary’s Stockton, Calif. (25-2)

3. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (19-2)

4. St. Mary’s, Albany, Calif. (25-4)

5. Pinnacle, Phoenix (31-2)

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

Records are though Monday.

About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 Girls Basketball Rankings are released weekly 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 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. Follow him on Twitter at clawlor or BlueStarMedia1, and www.bluestarmedia.org.