No. 17 Ridgeline (UT), No. 24 Loyola Academy (IL) land in Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings; Major showdown in CIF-Southern Section Open Division final is feature matchup

BENSALEM, Pa. – When the girls’ high school basketball season tips off annually, it’s weeks such as the final one in February that bridges the madness of March the nation awaits.

It’s a reward for all the sweat equity in backwater towns in June and July and the long bus rides during the months of December and January. The end result is winning the state championship and, in some cases, defending them.

That’s the theme for the latest Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings. The month of March is within touching distance and the hardware has been handed out or on hold.

Such is the case for two teams from Illinois and Utah that debut in the Elite 25.

No. 17 Ridgeline (Millville, Utah) added a third straight state championship title to the program’s résumé after winning the Utah High School Athletic Association Class 4A crown in blowout fashion over Snow Canyon (St. George) on Saturday, Feb. 22. The Riverhawks (28-0) are Utah’s top-ranked team regardless of classification and feature McDonald’s All-American Emilee Skinner, who will attend Duke in the fall.

Methinks the Riverhawks have not played their last game of the season but we’ll explain later in the column.

In suburban Chicago, No. 24 Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.) is five wins away from a second straight Illinois High School Athletic Association Class 4A state championship. A year ago, the Ramblers went 38-0 en route to claiming the title. This season they are 31-2 and in the sectional semifinals. The Ramblers feature 5-6 guard Aubrey Galvan, a 2,000-point scorer (at two different schools) and Vanderbilt signee.

Both teams are extremely well coached and deserve the Elite 25 ranking.

Elsewhere, the state and conference or league tournaments are in full swing or on the cusp of completion. The biggest game of the week is the California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section Open Division final, pitting a defending champion and an up-and-coming program.

No. 1 Ontario Christian faces No. 2 and reigning champions Etiwanda on Saturday, March 1 at the Toyota Center in Ontario. It’s the second session of the day and a separate ticket is required. Courtside tickets go on sale to the public on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The sectional finals will be played at three venues in southern California.

There’s more.

The Maryland Private School girls’ state tournament might be one of the most competitive eight-team brackets on the East Coast. The quarterfinals are Tuesday, March 4 at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg. The pairings are Mount Zion Prep (Lanham)-Elizabeth Seton, 4 p.m.; No. askjhg Bishop McNamara (Forestville)-St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown), 5:40 p.m.; St. Frances Academy (Baltimore)-Rosedale Christian Academy, 7:20 p.m.; and Bullis School (Potomac)-Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro), 9 p.m.

In Indianapolis, the Indiana High School Athletic Association stages four title games at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in two sessions on Saturday, March 1.

Session 1 (All times Eastern)

10:30 a.m., Class 1A
Lafayette Central Catholic (25-4) vs. Borden (22-5)

 12:45 p.m., Class 2A
Rensselaer Central (26-2) vs. South Knox (27-2) 

Session 2

6 p.m., Class 3A
Norwell (22-6) vs. Greensburg (27-0) 

 8:15 p.m., Class 4A  
Warsaw Community (26-1) vs. Lawrence North (18-8)

Get Indiana tickets here.

The New York Catholic High School City Championship will be played three days this week.

The quarterfinals are Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Christ the King High School in Middle Village: Monsignor Scanlon (Bronx) vs. Xaverian (Brooklyn), 5:30 p.m. and Christ the King vs. The Mary Louis Academy (Jamaica Estates), 7 p.m.

The semifinals are Thursday, Feb. 27 at St. John’s Prep in Astoria. Top-seeded Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn) plays the first winner at 5 p.m., and second-seeded St. Joseph by-the-Sea (Staten Island) gets the second winner at 7 p.m. The championship game is 1 p.m. Sunday, March 2 at Draddy Gymnasium on the campus of Manhattan College in Riverdale. Tickets for the first two rounds are here.

The CHSAA Tier 4 bracket is here.

Finally, the University Interscholastic League will conduct its Texas state championship this weekend in the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Under a revised format there are 12 state championships spread over three days starting on Thursday, Feb. 27. Two Elite 25 teams could be competing for titles if they advance from the semifinals that are held at neutral sites this week.

No. 20 Lincoln (Dallas) could be vying for the Class 4A, Division II title on Friday, Feb. 28, tipping at 5 p.m. CT. No. 16 Boswell (Fort Worth) is eyeing the Class 6A, Division II crown on Saturday, March 1 at 5 p.m. CT.

For general admission tickets, parking and spectator information click here.

As for the latest Elite 25 rankings, there are two newbies from Illinois and Utah; two remained the same; 15 moved up with No. 2 Etiwanda going plus-seven; and six dipped with No. 23 Conway (Ark.) cratering 10 slots after a shock loss. Four teams from the Elite 25 have captured state or conference/league major postseason tournament titles. Three more state titles will be contested this week and four California teams are playing for sectional championships with the regional brackets getting underway on Tuesday, March 4.

We’re also starting to look ahead to the CHIPOTLE High School Nationals in April in Fishers, Ind. The Elite 25 teams that appear in positions headed to the Indianapolis area (April 2-5) are (in no order) Montverde Academy, IMG Academy, Westtown School, Ridgeline and Bishop McNamara. Teams from Florida, Georgia, Washington, District of Columbia, Maryland, Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, Arizona and Nevada would be under consideration.

Well, that’s it for the third week of February. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings return on Wednesday, March 5.

Here’s a reminder.

In Southern California, people are in desperate need after the wildfires ravaged the surrounding Los Angeles area. After two months, people are starting to pick up the pieces of the lives. It’s going to be a long haul.

Consider donating here to the Red Cross to assist the relief efforts, The Salvation Army or Fire Aid. No dollar amount is too small and prayers are always welcome. Be safe California and keep the faith during the recovery phase.

Bye for now.

Hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 26, 2025

1. Ontario (Calif.) Christian (28-1)

Previous rank: 1.

The Lowdown: Super sophomore Kaleena Smith recorded a double with 21 points and 10 assists and Tati Griffin added 19 points when the Knights defeated No. 4 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth), 62-52, to capture Pool A of the CIF-Southern Section Open Division playoffs with a 3-0 record. The Knights carry a 14-game win streak into the Open Division on Saturday, March 1 against No. 2 Etiwanda in Ontario.

2. Etiwanda, Calif. (25-4)

Previous: 9.

The Lowdown: The defending champion Eagles are headed back to the CIF-Southern Section Open Division championship after beating No. 7 Mater Dei (Santa Ana), 63-60, to claim Pool B with a 3-0 ledger. Arynn Finley pumped in a game-high 17 points.

3. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (24-1)

Previous: 4.

The Lowdown: In one of the top games nationally last week, the Eagles defeated No. 11 IMG Academy (Bradenton), 65-57. Also beat The Academy of Central Florida (Orlando), 67-38. Aaliyah Crump scored 18 points and Holland Harris added 15. The regular season ends with DME Academy (Daytona Beach) on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Expect the Eagles to receive an invitation to the CHIPOTLE High School Nationals in April.

4. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (27-2)

Previous: 3.

The Lowdown: The Trailblazers lost to No. 1 Ontario Christian, 62-52, in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A finale. They went 2-1 in pool play. Jerzy Robinson threw in 24 points. Up next is the CIF-Southern Region playoffs.

5. Morris Catholic, Denville N.J. (23-0)

Previous: 2.

The Lowdown: Won a fourth consecutive Morris County Tournament title, beating Chatham, 54-40, in the final. The Lady Crusaders used a 14-7 run in the third quarter for a 45-29 lead. Mia Pauldo scored 15 points and her sister Mya added 13. The Non-Public A North Section tournament tips with a quarterfinal game on Monday, March 3 and the regular season concludes with Montclair Immaculate on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

6. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (26-1)*

Previous: 8.

The Lowdown: Won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship, defeating Bishop Ireton (Alexandria, Va.), 61-42, in the final. Qandace Samuels led the Lady Mustangs with 15 and Craft had 10. Also stopped Elizabeth Seton (Kensington, Md.), 55-43, in the semifinals and Holy Cross (Kensington, Md.), 72-34, in the quarterfinals. The Lady Mustangs are back at it on Tuesday, March 4 with St. Mary Ryken (Leonardtown, Md.) in the Maryland Private Schools Tournament quarterfinals in Kensington.

7. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 5.

The Lowdown: Went 2-1 in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool B play and await the CIF-Southern Regional playoffs. In a 63-60 loss to No. 2 Etiwanda, Iowa-bound Addie Deal tallied 14 points and 9 assists. Amaya Williams had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Lani Stores added 14 points and 6 rebounds. The Southern Region tip on Tuesday, March 4.

8. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (31-0)

Previous: 7.

The Lowdown: The Golden Eagles are one win from winning the CIF-Central Section Division I crown after disposing of Central (Fresno), 50-29, in the semifinals and Arroyo Grande, 69-24, in the quarterfinals. Up next is rivals Clovis in the final on Saturday, March 1 at Selland Arena in Fresno.

9. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (23-3)

Previous: 10.

The Lowdown: The Monarchs won the West Catholic Athletic League title for the 10^th consecutive year and stretched the league win streak to 103 games after defeating St. Francis (Mountain View), 89-39. In the CIF-Central Coast Section Pool A round-robin play, the Monarchs moved to 2-0 after defeating Saint Ignatius College Prep (San Francisco), 81-49. The pool play phase ends on Wednesday, Feb. 26 against Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) with the two pool winners meeting in the final on Friday, Feb. 28.

10. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (24-3)*

Previous: 13.

The Lowdown: The Moose are the top seed in the Pennsylvania Independent School Athletic Association Tournament and have a bye until the second round on Tuesday, Feb. 25 when they meet Penn Charter (Philadelphia). The final is Sunday, March 2 at Hagan Arena on the campus of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.

11. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (17-4)

Previous: 6.

The Lowdown: Lost to No. 3 Montverde (Fla.) Academy, 65-57.

12. Hebron Christian Academy, Dacula, Ga. (27-1)

Previous: 14.

The Lowdown: Defeated Prince Avenue Christian (Athens), 93-25, in the GHSA Private State Tournament second round. They faced Mount Paran Christian (Kennesaw) on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the quarterfinals.

13. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (28-1)

Previous: 15.

The Lowdown: Won the District 6-AAAA championship, defeating Ooltewah, 93-20, in the final.

14. Johnston, Iowa (22-0)

Previous: 17.

The Lowdown: Defeated Lincoln (Council Bluff), 76-28, in the Class 5A, Region 1 semifinals. The Dragons played Ames in the regional final on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

15. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (22-2)

Previous: 18.

The Lowdown: On Senior Night, the Red Knights stopped Ursuline (St. Louis), 74-42. Peyton Hill scored 17 points and Indiana-bound Neveah Caffey added 14 points and Peyton Olufson had 12 points with two 3s and 6 assists. The regular season closes with Notre Dame (St. Louis) on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The Class 6, District 3 tournament starts Thursday, March 6.

16. Boswell, Fort Worth, Texas (37-2)

Previous: 19.

The Lowdown: The Pioneers advanced to the Class 6A, Division II state semifinals after beating Frenship, 42-30, in the Region I final. Up next is Lancaster on Tuesday Feb. 25 in the Class 6A, Division II semifinals. The final is this weekend in San Antonio.

17. Ridgeline, Millville, Utah (28-0)*

Previous: Not ranked.

The Lowdown: Won the UHSAA Class 4A state championship for the third straight year, defeating previously-unbeaten Snow Canyon (St. George), 65-46. Duke signee and McDonald’s All-American Emilee Skinner scored 21 points, Brooke Smith had 18 points and Abby Mumford added 14 points and 10 rebounds. In the last four years, Skinner tallied 2,305 points and her teams went 102-4. The Class 4A All-Tournament Team: Mumford (MVP), Skinner, Smith and Makaydi Jenks. Regular season is complete.

18. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (25-3)*

Previous: 20.

The Lowdown: Won the Independent School League Division AA title, beating archrivals Bullis School (Potomac, Md.), 67-62, in the final. The Quakers avenged two losses to Bullis in the regular season. Autumn Fleary pumped in 29 points and Jordyn Jackson had 19.

19. Providence Academy, Plymouth, Minn. (26-0)

Previous: 21.

The Lowdown: Defeated Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wis.), 79-69, and Hortonville, 96-46, closing out the regular season. Junior Maddyn Greenway totaled 33 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists and 9 steals against Hortonville.

20. Lincoln, Dallas (37-2)

Previous: 22.

The Lowdown: The Tigers are headed to the Class 4A, Division II state semifinals after defeating Godley, 62-41, in the Region II final and semifinals and  Sunnyvale, 47-38, in the semifinals. Up next is Glen Rose in the Class 4A, Division II semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in Mansfield.

21. Winter Haven, Fla. (25-2)

Previous: 23.

The Lowdown: The Blue Devils coasted into the Class 7A state tournament, defeating Venice, 73-31, in the Region 3 final and Riverview (Sarasota), 89-35, in the semifinals. The 7A semifinal matchup with Doral Academy isn’t until Friday, March 7 in nearby Lakeland.

22. Paul VI, Haddonfield, N.J. (23-0)

Previous: 24.

The Lowdown: Brooke Stagliano scored 15 points with three 3-pointers and Azanah Campbell added 14 points and 9 rebounds when the Eagles topped Cherokee (Marlton), 49-41. The top-seeded Eagles earned a bye to the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A quarterfinals on Monday, March 3.

23. Conway, Ark. (27-2)

Previous: 13.

The Lowdown: Upset by Little Rock Central, 61-56. The Wampus Cats look to rebound with their final two games of the regular season, finishing up with Cabot on Thursday, Feb. 27.

24. Loyola Academy, Wilmette, Ill. (31-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Lowdown: The Ramblers, the defending Class 4A state champions, return to the Elite 25 for the first time this season after annexing the Class 4A regional crown following a 60-26 victory over Evanston in the final while extending the win streak to 25 games. Up next is the sectional semifinals at Glenbrook North (Northbrook) on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The final is Thursday, Feb. 27. The Super-Sectional is Monday, March 3 in Bloomington.

25. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (18-5)

Previous: 25.

The Lowdown: Season complete.

Dropped: No. 11 Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) and No. 16 Converse (Texas) Judson.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (22-0)
2. Bishop Ireton, Alexandria, Va. (25-6)
3. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (21-3)*
4. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (23-4)*
5. Bullis School, Potomac, Md. (23-7)

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

Midwest

1. Strongsville, Ohio (23-1)
2. Nazareth Academy, La Grange, Ill. (31-2)
3. Warsaw (Ind.) Community (26-1)
4. Belleville, Mich. (20-1)
5. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (18-6)

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

Southland

1. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (27-3)
2. Putnam City North, Oklahoma City (22-1)
3. Walker, La. (31-2)
4. Hillcrest, Tuscaloosa, Ala. (31-2)
5. Biloxi, Miss. (30-1)

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

Far West

1. Centennial, Las Vegas (23-2)*
2. Clackamas, Ore. (20-2)
3. Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (21-2)
4. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (19-3)
5. Tualatin, Ore. (20-1)

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

Records through Monday

* Won state, national or conference postseason tournament championship

[Editor’s note: Each asterisk represents a separate postseason title]

About: The Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ High School Basketball Rankings are released weekly from December until the conclusion of the high school season in April. 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 at the conclusion of the season. Follow him on X at @clawlor.