BENSALEM, Pa. – News flash: There’s a new No. 1 in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings. With Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) losing that opened the door for the new top-ranked Miami (Fla.) Country Day to take over.

Don’t expect the Spartans of Miami-Dade County to be challenged until Florida’s Class 4A state tournament later this month at the Lakeland Civic Center. If you are looking for a candidate, perhaps Seffner Christian can pull off the upset, but that might be a stretch. MCD needs to win a state title and then restart their mojo in late March at the DICK’S Sporting Good High School National Tournament in New York.

A lot can happen in the next two months.

Getting back to No. 3 Paul VI, the Panthers slipped two slots, after a 68-52 loss at No. 2 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.) in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference showdown. The rematch is Feb. 12 and the two will likely meet in the conference tournament later this month. The win moved the Cadets up five spots into the on-deck circle should Miami Country Day falls.

No. 24 Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.) enters the Elite 25 after winning their first 19 games this season. Capturing Minnesota’s Class 4A state championship will be a chore for the Royals but this program has a championship pedigree. Their main competitors in 4A include Elk River, Lakeville North, Roseville, Apple Valley and Eastview.

The next round of Elite 25 rankings are out on February 8. Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for updates from around the globe. Our contributors have the pulse of the girls’ basketball scene,

Memo to hoop fans in Indiana and Florida: It’s time for one-and-done basketball. Simply lose your next game and it’s bye-bye until next fall. Playoff basketball can be cruel. Also this week in Honolulu is the Hawaii state championships for Division I and II. That’s a good enough reason to get out to watch a game. So please support your local high schools and any basketball events in your community or area. Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings, Feb. 1, 2017

1. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (23-1)

Previous rank: 2.

Low-down: The Spartans ascend to the top spot after stopping IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.), 73-60. The Class 4A district tournaments open statewide this week, with MCD heading to Weston for District 6.

2. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (17-1)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Virginia Tech-bound G Aisha Sheppard was on fire last week in a 68-52 takedown of then-No. 1 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.). Sheppard bucketed six 3-pointers as the Cadets were up 13 points at halftime. The reverse fixture is Feb. 12 in Virginia and then a likely meeting in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament later this month.

3. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (19-1)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Say goodbye to a 37-game win streak as the Panthers were upended by WCAC rivals then-No. 7 St. John’s College (Washington, D.C.), 68-52. Notre Dame-bound C Mikayla Vaughn scored 16 points. The rematch is Feb. 12. They also defeated Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), 71-24, as three players scored 10 points apiece.

4. Centennial, Las Vegas (24-2)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The Lady Bulldogs squeezed three regional foes, allowing 55 total points.

5. Monacan, North Chesterfield, Va. (19-0)

Previous: 4

Low-down: Lindsay Estes had 16 points and 18 rebounds and Jadeisia Fludd threw in 18 points to beat Wythe (Richmond), 64-24. Only three games remain in the regular season.

6. Riverdale, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (20-0)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The district record moved to 9-0 with wins over Stewarts Creek, 69-56, and Oakland (Murfreesboro), 64-41. Also beat Hoover (Ala.), 52-43, at Robertson’s Sportswear Classic in Tupelo, Miss. Alex Whittington, a Middle Tennessee State signee, surpassed the 1,000-point career barrier.

7. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (13-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The Wolves won by 71 and 19 points, remaining unbeaten in Colorado. UCLA-bound G Michaela Onyenwere totaled 46 points, sinking 18 of 26 shots, and pulling down 16 rebounds in two games.

8. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (16-2)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Two more wins with an impressive 64-48 decision at Carondelet (Concord). The Monarchs are six victories from recording a perfect season in the West Catholic League.

9. Butler, Louisville, Ky. (23-1)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won their third Louisville Invitational Tournament in four seasons, thrashing Male (Louisville), 85-57, in the final. Junior C Molly Lockhart finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks and was named the tournament’s top defender. Jaelynn Penn nabbed the top offensive player at the event. The Bearettes have won 23 straight since losing opening night to Male.

10. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (21-2)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Coach Craig Campbell’s crew peeled off three overwhelming victories. The Golden Eagles are the lone team to knock off top-ranked Miami (Fla.) Country Day.

11. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (16-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Four wins separate the Jackrabbits from another perfect run in the Moore League.

12. Amarillo, Texas (31-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: The regular season is down to three games, closing out at Dumas on Feb. 7.

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

Previous: 13.

Low-down: After losing to nationally-ranked Butler (Louisville, Ky.), the Lady Broncos advanced to the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday. The semifinals are Thursday and the final is Saturday.

14. Fayetteville, Ark. (20-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: This is light week for the Lady Bulldogs with a road game at Bentonville on Friday.

15. North Central, Indianapolis (23-0)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference champions completed a perfect regular season. Up next is Warren Central (Indianapolis) in the Class 4A Warren Central Sectional. The winner Lawrence North (Indianapolis) Friday in the semifinals and the final is Saturday.

16. Timberview, Mansfield, Texas (28-2)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: The real season starts in two weeks once the Wolves polish off three more district opponents.

17. Duncanville, Texas (29-2)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Texas’ top-ranked Class 6A squad is rolling into the bi-district playoffs that start in two weeks.

18. Detroit Country Day School, Beverly Hills, Mich. (12-0)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Following a nearly two-week respite, the Yellowjackets drilled Romulus, 55-10, and Waite (Toledo, Ohio), 74-26. Up next is Edison (Detroit) on Thursday.

19. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (18-1)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: A road trip to Tupelo, Miss., produced a 69-41 blowout of Choctaw Central (Philadelphia, Miss.) at the Robertson’s Sportswear Lady Challenge.

20. Collins Hill, Suwanee, Ga. (20-2)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The win streak hit four games after defeating Mountain View (Lawrenceville), 72-47

21. Norcross, Ga. (21-2)

Previous: 21.

Low-down: The Blue Devils conclude the regular season Friday with Parkview (Lilburn).

22. Destrehan, La. (24-0)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Louisiana’s top-ranked team crushed East St. John (Reserve), 79-59, and Hahnville (Boutte), 58-47.

23. Olive Branch, Miss. (24-1)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Mississippi’s top-ranked squad beat DeSoto Central (Southaven), 77-46. On tap is a rivalry game at Horn Lake on Friday.

24. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (19-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Royals are Minnesota’s No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A. In their latest conquest, Paige Bueckers (28 points) and Raena Suggs (26) combined to score 54 points during a 78-32 win over De La Salle (Minneapolis). Up next is Washington (Sioux Falls, S.D.) on Friday.

25. Seton Catholic Prep, Chandler, Ariz. (23-3)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Championship caliber squads always find a way to bounce back after a setback. Well, the Sentinels did so in impressive fashion by winning three times in four days while locking down on defense to surrender only 50 points along the way.

Dropped: No. 23 Manasquan (N.J.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (21-0)
2. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (13-3)
3. Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, Del. (12-1)
4. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (17-1)
5. St. Rose, Belmar, N.J. (15-2)

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

Midwest

1. Edwardsville, Ill. (22-0)
2. Rock Island, Ill. (25-1)
3. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (21-2)
4. Appleton (Wis.) North (12-0)
5. Newark, Ohio (17-0)

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

Southland

1. Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (19-3)
2. St. Francis, Alpharetta, Ga. (18-4)
3. Clear Springs, League City, Texas (25-3)
4. Deshler, Tuscumbia, Ala. (25-0)
5. Fort Gibson, Okla. (17-0)

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

Far West

1. Mesquite, Gilbert, Ariz. (24-1)
2. Harvard-Westlake, Studio City, Calif. (20-2)
3. Mission Hills, San Marcos, Calif. (20-2)
4. Central Valley, Spokane Valley, Wash. (17-0)
5. La Salle Catholic College Prep, Milwaukie, Ore. (15-2)

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 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.