BENSALEM, Pa. – For the third time this season the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings have a new No. 1. This week it’s Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati) that ascends to the top spot.

And two spots opened with No. 10 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) and No. 14 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) sliding in. Actually, McNamara is back after an impressive week that saw it top two nationally ranked teams, including previous top ranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference.

Both teams recorded key victories last weekend at the Blue Star High School Invitational in Philadelphia.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings return on January 15.

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.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Jan. 8, 2020

1. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (12-0)

Previous rank: 2.

Low-down: The nation’s top ranked team has three games this week but an interstate game with Ryle (Union, Ky.) looms large on Saturday. Super sophomore KK Branford has scored in double-digits in all 12 games, averaging 21.3 points. The regular season is down to 10 games for the defending Ohio Division I state champions.

2. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (10-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Lady Panthers won three games and have two more on the national stage this week with No. 18 South Shore (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and league rival Roland Park Country Day (Baltimore).

3. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (14-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Averaged 93 points in two victories at the She Got Game Classic in Atlanta, Georgia last weekend.

4. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (16-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Won two games in the Matt Denning Nike Hoops Classic.

5. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (17-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Wiped out Centennial (Las Vegas, Nev.), 70-42, at the Matt Denning Nike Hoops Classic. Freshman center Breya Cunningham netted 18 points.

6. Cypress Creek, Houston (25-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: The Cougars won district games by 55 and 57 points. Won’t be any competition until the Class 6A playoffs.

7. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (14-3)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Blazers won twice last week.

8. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C (11-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Idle.

9. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (12-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Finally, a game against out-of-state competition for the Royals and it was an easy 78-57 win over Aquinas (La Crosse, Wis.) last Saturday. KK Adams (24 points) and Taylor Woodson (22) teamed for 46 points for the Royals, who led 52-32 at halftime. It’s a light schedule this week with the lone game against Edina on Jan. 7.

10. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (13-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: It was an impactful week for the Lady Mustangs after toppling two teams from the Elite 25 and thus returning to the rankings. First, they upended top-ranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 62-45, as Yonta Vaughn buried four 3-pointers en route to a 17-point night. McNamara improved to 5-0 in the WCAC. Then it was an impressive 76-60 victory over then-No. 19 Trenton Catholic Academy (Hamilton, N.J.) at the Blue Star High School Invitational in Philadelphia. Madison Scott pumped in a game-high 22 points as the Lady Mustangs took leads of 22-4 and 40-20 in the first half.

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

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Idle. The Lady Tigers have two region games this week after weeklong break following a Naples (Fla.) Holiday Shootout National Division title in December.

12. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (14-0)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Idle. The Tigers are Indiana’s top-ranked squad and enjoyed a 10-day respite. That rest is over with three games this week against Eastern (Greentown), West Lafayette and Logansport.

13. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (12-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The holidays were good to coach Carl Buggs’ team and that good vibe carried into the new year with a 64-49 victory over Corona Centennial. For the rest of way, the Lady Jackrabbits will concentrate mostly on winning another Moore League crown.

14. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (10-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Crusaders are red-hot and took down top-ranked Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 64-53 at the Blue Star High School Invitational in Philadelphia. Paris Clark was the game’s Most Valuable Player after totaling 21 points and 6 boards and teammate Simona Visockaite posted a double-double with 21 points and 17 rebounds. Next up is Murry Bergtraum (Manhattan, N.Y.) on Sunday. Last month, the Crusaders captured the Diamond State Classic, crushing Centerville (Ohio), 68-50, in Wilmington, Del.

15. Duncanville, Texas (21-3)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Pantherettes are back in action this week visiting district foes Skyline (Dallas) and Lake Highlands (Dallas).

16. DeSoto, Texas (19-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Defeated Waxahachie, 77-33. The district schedule picks up this week with Lake Ridge (Mansfield) and Mansfield.

17. Westlake, Atlanta (16-1)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Lions won twice in overwhelming fashion. Next is a road trip this weekend to Nevada for two games in the Big West Shootout.

18. South Shore, Brooklyn, N.Y. (12-0)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Lady Vikings have four games this week with an Elite 25 showdown against No. 2 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) this weekend as the highlight.

19. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (7-0)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Beat East Lansing, 65-48, for the first win of the new year.

20. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (13-2)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: The Panthers lost twice last week and drop 21 positions. We’ll find out if there’s bounce in their step this week with three games in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference on tap. PVI is 3-1 in the WCAC after losing to No. 10 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 62-45.

21. Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (10-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Defeated Kenwood (Chicago), 46-43. The Nubians close out the regular season with all in-state games save one on Feb. 1.

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

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Lady Crusaders went 1-1 last weekend against New Jersey powerhouse programs.

23. Amarillo, Texas (22-2)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: It was a short week with one game and a 62-39 blowout of Monterey (Lubbock). The Sandies have district games with Randall and Lubbock this week.

24. Evanston, Ill. (14-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: Tough weekend in the Big Easy going 1-2 at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic Platinum bracket.

25. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (15-2)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The Redwings were upended by Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa),69-58, at the Chicagoland Invitational Showcase. A very strong showing in the month of December keeps them in the Elite 25 but no more slipups.

Dropped: No. 19 Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J.; and No. 24 Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill.

 High-Fives by Region

East

1. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (12-6)
2. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (5-1)
3. Chartiers Valley, Bridgeville, Pa. (11-0)
4. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (9-1)
5. St. Vincent Pallotti, Laurel, Md. (10-3)

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. (17-0)
2. St. Joseph Central Catholic, Huntington, W.Va. (12-0)
3. Maine West, Des Plaines, Ill. (16-1)
4. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (10-1)
5. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (18-0)

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

Southland

1. Hazel Green, Ala. (22-0)
2. Lovejoy, Ga. (14-1)
3. Tampa Bay Tech, Tampa, Fla. (10-3)
4. Cherokee, Canton, Ga. (14-2)
5. Booker T. Washington, Tulsa, Okla. (9-0)

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

Far West

1. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (9-3)
2. Etiwanda, Calif. (11-3)
3. Corona (Calif.) Centennial (14-3)
4. Cashmere, Wash. (9-0)
5. Woodinville, Wash. (11-0)

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.