BENSALEM, Pa. – It was a quiet week in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings. No additions and just one team slipped four spots.

No. 9 Pinewood School (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) dipped after a loss.

Consider that low key stretch of days over. Starting Thursday the annual bonanza of games and events that highlight the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend is about to be unleashed. There’s a chance of massive changes in the Elite 25 on the horizon.

One of the top events this weekend is the Classic in the Country Challenge, held in bucolic Berlin, Ohio from Saturday to Monday. The 20-game event is comprised mostly of teams from Ohio but there are visitors from other states that spice up the showcase at Hiland High School. Check here for the complete listing of games.

Other notable events will be played in Springfield, Massachusetts; Stockton, California; Villa Park, Illinois; and Brooklyn, New York. It’s a great chance to see a slew of quality games in one setting.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.orgfor staff updates from showcase events and key matchups this season. Blue Star Media will keep you abreast of anything breaking in the girls’ basketball world.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings return on January 23. There are plenty of events each weekend, until the state tournaments begin, that will dictate how the rankings are shaped. The MLK national events are one of the most influential run of games before most schools head into the postseason.

Get out to a game this weekend and honor the memory of Dr. King, a great American. We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, January 16, 2019

1. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (17-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: The Lady Mustangs will be pushed to the limit when they tangle at home with No. 22 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore) in a nonleague game on Thursday and No. 4 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) on Jan. 22 in a key Washington Catholic Athletic Conference contest.

2. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (14-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Spartans head north to the City of Brotherly Love for a pair late season showdowns at No. 24 Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.) on Friday and defending state champion (Class AAA) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) on Saturday. The forecast for the East Coast this weekend is calling for snow.

3. Africentric Early College, Columbus, Ohio (12-0)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Another road trip to the Classic in the Country in Berlin, Ohio features a matchup with Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) on Saturday evening.

4. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (16-1)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: The Cadets play the elite teams from the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference starting on Sunday hosting Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) and Jan. 22 at No. 1 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.). The latter is a next week’s game of the week.

5. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (21-3)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: Two games at the Rose Classic Super Jam in Brooklyn, N.Y., keep the Lady Tigers on guard this weekend.

6. Centennial, Las Vegas (12-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: A three-game road trip to Northern California this weekend is highlighted with two games at the St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) Martin Luther King Showcase against Etiwanda (Calif.) on Saturday and Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.) on Monday.

7. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (17-0)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Defeated Viewpoint (Calabasas), 71-33. The Trailblazers played No. 10 Windward School (Los Angeles) on Tuesday afternoon.

8. Mansfield (Texas) Timberview (27-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Seven games remain in the regular season for the Lady Wolves, who ar top-ranked in Texas Class 5A.

9. Pinewood School, Los Altos Hills, Calif. (13-1)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Lost at Carondelet (Concord), 67-59, but bounced back to beat Notre Dame (San Jose). 

10. Windward School, Los Angeles (16-3)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: A pair of nonleague games with No. 8 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) on Tuesday and at Clovis West (Fresno) on Monday highlight the week.

11. Westridge Academy, Kernersville, N.C. (15-0)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Idle. 

12. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (9-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Defeated Muskegon, 64-52. Next up are Detroit Mumford (Detroit) on Saturday and Pewamo-Westaphalia on Monday. 

13. Hamilton Heights Christian, Chattanooga, Tenn. (15-1)

Previous: 13. 

Low-down: Brazilian post Camilla Cardoso produced 28 points and 17 rebounds in a 69-31 win over Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.).

14. Maine West, Des Plaines, Ill. (21-0)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Coach Kim deMarigny’s team plays at the Derril Kipp Games (formerly the Chicagoland Girls Prep Classic)—renamed for the former Maine West coach—in Villa Park (Willowbrook High School) on Monday against Chicago-area powerhouse Benet Academy (Lisle).

15. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (15-1)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Tennessee’s top-ranked Class AAA team has two games in District 7-AAA this week before traveling to Alabama powerhouse Hazel Green on Jan. 22.

16. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (13-1)

Previous: 16. 

Low-down: Marisa Warren scored 16 points and Kiki Britzman added 15 during a 65-31 win over Nerinx Hall (Webster Groves).

17. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (19-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The win streak reached 16 games with a 65-23 blowout of Center Point (Birmingham, Ala.).

18. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (8-4)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Royals’ national schedule resumes when they face Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) Friday at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass., and visit No. 25 St. John Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) on Sunday afteroon.

19. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (11-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Five games in eight days is normally grueling but that includes two games at the Classic in the Country against Hoover (North Canton, Ohio) on Saturday and Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) on Sunday.

20. Redondo Union, Redondo Beach, Calif. (16-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The win streak is 14 games after a quality victory over San Diego Section powerhouse La Jolla Country Day, 51-48. The Sea Hawks traveled to league rivals Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach) on Tuesday evening.

21.  Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (11-1)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Idle.

22. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (11-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: The schedule blows up this weekend with a visit to top-ranked Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) on Thursday and two games this weekend in Brooklyn, N.Y.

23. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (17-3)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: The Lady Crusaders went 3-0 last week and play Norview (Norfolk, Va.) Saturday at the 757 Challenge in Hampton, Va.

24. Germantown Academy, Fort Washington, Pa. (15-0)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Lady Patriots host No. 2 Miami (Fla.) Country Day on Friday at 5 p.m. Last week, they topped Philadelphia Catholic League power Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.), 51-44, using a 19-8 fourth-quarter spree at the Lucas Showcase in Philadelphia.

25. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (9-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Sajada Bonner flipped in 12 points and the Lady Lancers nipped University (Newark), 47-46, at the Dribble Drop Showcase in Paterson. Vianney was outscored 12-5 in the fourth quarter but held on. Big matchup against No. 18 Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.) on Sunday in the game of the week.

Dropped: None. 

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Roland Park Country Day, Baltimore (15-1)

2. Franklin, Somerset, N.J. (8-0)

3. Saddle River (N.J.) Day School (11-1)

4. North Allegheny, Wexford, Pa. (13-0)

5. Cathedral, Boston (8-0)

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

Midwest

1. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (13-0)

2. Beaver Dam, Wis. (14-1)

3. Derby, Kan. (8-0)

4. Wayzata, Plymouth, Minn. (14-0)

5. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (18-2)

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

Southland

1. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (15-0)

2. Scott County, Georgetown, Ky. (16-0)

3. Wesleyan, Norcross, Ga. (17-0)

4. Hazel Green, Ala. (22-2)

5. Westlake, Atlanta (16-0)

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

Far West

1. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (11-0)

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (21-2)

3. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (10-3)

4. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (13-2)

5. Mount Spokane, Mead, Wash. (14-0)

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.