BENSALEM, Pa. – For this time of year when the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings has no additions, well, perhaps that’s the news. It was the second straight that no teams entered the Elite 25.

There were two losses involving the Elite 25 rankings with No. 15 Poly (Long Beach, Calif,) slipping three notches after a loss to No. 6 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) and No. 25 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) getting upset in league play.

Future losses won’t fly in the near future with the postseason on the horizon. Again, a word to the wise: Strength of schedule matter. That means a traditionally strong league or challenging non-conference slate. Losing to Elite 25 teams will soften the blow and show gumption when scheduling.

There two great events this weekend in the Bronx, New York and Louisville, Kentucky that attract high-level talent give Elite 25 teams a real late-season push.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events and key games all season. We’ll keep you abreast of anything breaking in the girls’ hoop world.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings return on January 29.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 22, 2020

1. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (19-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Just when the Cougars appeared headed to the first loss of the season, they used a 15-10 fourth-quarter run to erase a deficit in a 49-48 win over Winston-Salem (N.C.) Christian at the Classic in the Country. Makira Cook popped in 22 points, making four 3-pointers. Only three games remain in the regular season.

2. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (16-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Lady Panthers have won 14 straight games and have not lost since Dec. 12. However, a challenging weekend shows three games, including a home game with St. Vincent Pallotti (Laurel) in an IAAM A Conference showdown Friday. They also meet Poly (Baltimore) in the William Wells Classic at Morgan State University in Baltimore the next day.

3. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (17-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Lady Hawks held off two of Canada’s top teams last weekend at the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn, N.Y., and have their hands full with Pickerington (Ohio) Central and Elizabethtown (Ky.) this weekend at the Raatz Fence-O’Shea’s Classic in Louisville, Ky.

4. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (21-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Coach Terri Bamford guided her team to a pair of wins over Northern California schools at the MLK Showcase in the Bay Area.

5. Cypress Creek, Houston (29-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Only five games are left for a perfect regular season. Perhaps the playoffs will give the Cougars their next stiff level of competition.

6. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (18-3)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Just when the Trailblazers were craving a late season win that could test their mettle it arrived in a 62-56 decision over then-No. 12 Poly (Long Beach). The regular is down to eight games, including two in early February in New Jersey.

7. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C (15-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Cap 7 competition heats up with Raleigh schools Broughton Friday and Millbrook on Jan. 27.

8. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (15-0)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Connecticut-bound Paige Bueckers fuels the high octane offense with 20.8 points and 9.5 assists per game. The Royals entered Tuesday’s game with rival Wayzata (Plymouth) winning games by an average of 40 points per outing and averaging 87 points as a team.

9. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (18-3)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Defeated St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 42-37, to remain unbeaten (10-0) in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. Liatu King tallied a game-high 10 points.

10. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (13-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Beat Poplar Bluff (Mo.), 81-51. The Lady Tigers have back-to-back game this weekends with a regional matchup versus Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy Friday and Madison (Ala.) Academy Saturday.

11. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (20-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The win streak hit 27 games over the last two season, including an Indiana Class 4A championship, after topping Maine West (Des Plaines, Ill), 61-58, at the Derril Kip p Hoopfest in Villa Park, Ill. Purdue-bound Madison Layden pumped in 22 points and Kendall Bostic, who signed with Michigan State, added 19.

12. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (14-0)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Lady Crusaders are off the best start in program history but must be aware of No. 20 Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, Md.) Friday and Manasquan Sunday.

13. Duncanville, Texas (26-3)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Pantherettes averaged nearly 92 points per game in three lopsided district wins.

14. DeSoto, Texas (24-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Recorded a quality 51=34 win over South Grand Prairie (Grand Prairie) last week.

15. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (17-3)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The best thing that happened last week was a 62-56 loss to No. 6 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth). That’s because the two will likely hook up again at least twice more in the postseason.

16. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (20-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The Monarchs look avenge a rare Trinity League loss on Thursday at Rosary Academy (Fullerton).

17. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (8-0)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Idle.

18. Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (13-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Only seven games remain in the regular season that concludes in early February.

19. South Shore, Brooklyn, N.Y. (17-1)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The highlight of a 3-0 week was a 57-50 triumph over Bishop Loughlin (Brooklyn) at the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn. The schedule ratchets up this weekend with powerhouse New Hope Academy (Landover Hills, Md.) at The Mecca in the Bronx

20. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (15-3)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Beat National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Md.), 76-59. Taniyah Greene topped four double-digits scorers with 14 points and Kaylah Ivery added 12 points and five rebounds.

21. Amarillo, Texas (26-2)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Sandies are rolling in District 3-5A. They are currently Texas’ top-ranked Class 5A team.

22. Evanston, Ill. (17-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Jayla Turchin and Ambrea Gentile teamed for 32 points and 35 boards as the Wildkits punctuated a 2-0 week, defeating Mother McAuley (Chicago), 59-49, at the Coach Kipp Hoopfest in Villa Park, Ill.

23. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (19-2)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: DePaul-bound Kendall Holmes’ driving layup with 14 seconds left and two free throws from junior Milly Sheehan with11 seconds to go proved to be the go-ahead points in beating Thornwood (South Holland), 66-63, at the Coach Kipp Hoopfest in Villa Park, Ill.

24. Westlake, Atlanta (20-2)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Three games remain in the regular season that concludes with Campbell (Smyrna) on Jan. 31.

25. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (17-3)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Panthers split two WCAC games but fell to Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.), 45-39. The next big league game is St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) Sunday. PVI stays in the Elite 25 with a strong schedule and one of the top league’s in the nation but that won’t cut it as the season dwindles.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (11-1)
2. Chartiers Valley, Bridgeville, Pa. (16-0)
3. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (12-1)
4. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (10-0)
5. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (13-7)

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

Midwest

1. Crown Point, Ind. (21-0)
2. St. Joseph Central Catholic, Huntington, W.Va. (15-0)
3. Maine West, Des Plaines, Ill. (18-2)
4. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (19-1)
5. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (20-3)

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

Southland

1. Hoover, Ala. (25-1)
2. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (15-1)
3. Booker T. Washington, Tulsa, Okla. (11-0)
4. Cherokee, Canton, Ga. (20-2)
5. Lovejoy, Ga. (19-2)

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

Far West

1. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (14-3)
2. Etiwanda, Calif. (18-3)
3. Cashmere, Wash. (14-0)
4. Woodinville, Wash. (14-0)
5. Windward, Los Angeles (16-3)

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

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.