COUGARS PROWL: No. 2 Mount Notre Dame (OH) survives double OT to claim Ohio Division I title; three teams from Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings to play at GEICO Nationals

BENSALEM, Pa. – Top o’ the morning. Sorry for the Saint Patrick’s Day reference but we could not resist.

The biggest new this week is the GEICO High School National were released on Tuesday. Three of the four teams are featured in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings. The fourth is ranked in the Far West Region.

Here’s what you need to know. No. 3 Westlake (Atlanta), which is fresh off winning a fourth straight Georgia state championship, earned the top seed and play Fremont (Plain City, Utah) in the semifinals on April 2. Tipoff is 12:30 p.m. The day starts out with No. 1 Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) playing No. 19 Paul VI (Chantilly, Va.) at 10:30 a.m. Those games will be shown on ESPNU. The final is April 3 at 10 a.m. on ESPN2.

Last weekend three Elite 25 teams won state championships and No. 25 Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.) took home the Philadelphia Catholic League title. In Ohio, No. 2 Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati) needed two overtimes but won the Division I state crown over No. 23 Newark by two points. Newark slipped six slots but not out of the Elite 25.

In Georgia, No. 3 Westlake (Atlanta) are champions for a fourth consecutive year after bagging the Class AAAAAA championship. No. 5 DeSoto (Texas) prevailed in the UIL Class 6A bracket, knocking off previously-undefeated No. 8 Cypress Creek (Houston). For the second straight year Cypress Creek reached the Class 6A final unscathed only to fall.

This weekend Arizona, Missouri and Colorado will crown state champions. The playoffs get underway in Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Minnesota this week.

Well, that’s wrap on the second week in March.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return on March 24.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for our staff updates. We’ll keep you abreast of anything breaking on the girls’ basketball universe. For now, get your vaccine when possible, practice social distancing and mask up.

Keep safe and hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor

 Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings, March 17, 2021

1. Lake Highland Prep, Orlando, Fla. (19-0)*

Previous rank: 1.

The Low-down: Won the Florida Class 4A state championship. Will compete at the GEICO Nationals on April 2 in Fort Myers, Fla.

2. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (28-0)*

Previous: 2.

The Low-down: Junior K.K. Bransford’s jumper with 22 seconds left in the second overtime broke a 55-55 tie and propelled the Cougars past then-No. 17 Newark, 57-55, in the Ohio Division I state championship game. Bransford wound up with 21 points and 10 assists and Michigan-bound Laila Phelia scored 11 points. In the semifinals, Notre Dame Academy (Toledo), 59-50. The Cougars led 25-24 at halftime and pulled away in the third quarter. Bransford (26 points) and Phelia (20 points) combined to score 46 points. Season complete.

3. Westlake, Atlanta (19-0)*

Previous: 3.

The Low-down: Won the Georgia Class AAAAAA state championship, beating Carrolton, 64-46. This is the fourth straight state crown for the Lady Lions, who previously won three straight in 7A. They became Georgia’s seventh team to win fourth straight state championships. South Carolina-bound Raven Johnson collected 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists; Ta’Niya Latson drained a game-high 24 points and Brianna Turnage had 11 points and 9 rebounds. The Lady Lions aren’t done and will head to Florida for the GEICO Nationals. Regular season complete.

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

Previous: 5.

The Low-down: It was a crushing 31-2 first-half tear that spurred the Lady Royals over Becker, 85-58, in a showdown of state powerhouse teams. Nu Nu Agara pumped in 19 points to lead five double-digit scorers. Next are the Minnesota Section 6-AAAA playoffs.

5. DeSoto, Texas (28-2)* #

Previous: 6.

The Low-down: Won Class 6A state championship, beating then-No. 4 Cypress Creek (Houston), 53-37. The Lady Eagles were down 11 points in the first half but led 27-24 at the break and rolled to their first-ever UIL state title. Houston-bound Kendall scored a team-high 12 points and junior F Sa’Myah Smith added 10 points and 14 rebounds and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. Season complete.

6. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (14-0)

Previous: 7.

The Low-down: Unfortunately, there was no postseason in New Jersey. Season complete.

7. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (27-0)

Previous: 8.

The Low-down: The Red Knights make their 19^th Final Four appearance this weekend after beating Rock Bridge (Columbia), 46-42, in the Class 6 quarterfinals. Next up for the Red Knights is Staley (Kansas City) Friday in the Class 6 semifinals in Springfield. The final is Saturday.

8. Cypress Creek, Houston (32-1)

Previous: 4.

The Low-down: For the second straight year, the Cougars went unbeaten until the Class 6A state final and for the second time they lost, this time to No. 5 DeSoto, 53-37. The Cougars led 19-8 early but could not hold the lead against a much taller opponent. The Texas-bound backcourt of Rori Harmon (8 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and Kyndall Hunter (17 points) teamed for 265 points but struggled from the floor going 10-of-33. The Cougars went 73-2 over the last two seasons but fell short in the Class 6A both times. Season complete.

9. Hazel Green, Ala. (36-1)*

Previous: 9.

The Low-down: Won Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

10. Hoover, Ala. (32-1)*

Previous: 10.

The Low-down: Won third Class 7A state championship since 2017. Season complete.

11. Edison Public Academy, Detroit (10-0)

Previous: 11.

The Low-down: The Pioneers keep rolling after defeating East Grand Rapids (Mich.), 64-43, and Arbor Prep (Ypsilanti), 62-35. In a Detroit area showdown, Damiya Hageman, a Michigan State recruit, poured in 26 points with four 3-pointers and junior Ruby Whitehorn added 24 points in a 69-41 rout of West Bloomfield.

12. Simeon, Chicago (10-0)

Previous: 12.

The Low-down: Defeated South Shore International (Chicago), 58-22, and Brooks (Chicago), 85-16. The Wolverines close out the campaign this week with two league games.

13. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (16-0)

Previous: 13.

The Low-down: Played Chaparral (Parker) in the Class 5A Great 8 round on Tuesday. Also defeated Columbine (Littleton), 82-33, in the Class 5A Sweet Sixteen and Pine Creek (Colorado Springs). 74-19, in the first round.

14. Valor Christian, Highlands Ranch, Colo. (14-0)

Previous: 14.

The Low-down: Played Rangeview (Aurora) Tuesday in the Class 5A Great 8 round. Also beat Castle View (Castle Rock), 68-35, in the Class 5A Sweet Sixteen and Westminster, 75-14, in the first round.

15. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (0-0)

Previous: 15.

The Low-down: The CIF-Southern Section Open Division champions won’t play until the spring.

16. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (0-0)

Previous: 16.

The Low-down: California Interscholastic Federation teams won’t start until the spring.

17. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.J. (13-0)

Previous: 18.

The Low-down: Season complete.

18. Winston Salem Christian, Winston-Salem, N.C. (25-1)

Previous: 19.

The Low-down: Season complete.

19. Paul VI, Chantilly, Va. (10-0)

Previous: 20.

The Low-down: Idle. The Panthers are headed to GEICO Nationals on April 2 in Florida.

20. Cardinal Newman, Columbia, S.C (18-1)*

Previous: 21.

The Low-down: Won third consecutive SCISA Class AAA state championship. Season complete.

21. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (14-3)*

Previous: 23.

The Low-down: Reniya Jones buried six 3-pointers for 18 points and junior Kennedy Fauntleroy netted 16 to beat Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), 86-53. Season complete.

22. Converse (Texas) Judson (26-2)

Previous: 22.

The Low-down: Season complete.

23. Newark, Ohio (29-2)

Previous: 17.

The Low-down: In heartbreaking fashion, the Wildcats dropped the Ohio Division I state final, 57-55, to No. 2 Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati) in double overtime. Gwen Stare netted 19 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. In the semifinals, defeated Archbishop Hoban (Akron), 55-41, doing most of the damage from the perimeter, making 11 3-pointers. Stare scored 16 points and junior Maddie Vejsicky added 13. Season complete.

24. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (22-2)

Previous: 24.

The Low-down: Season complete

25. Archbishop Wood, Warminster, Pa. (13-2)

Previous: 25.

The Low-down: Won Philadelphia Catholic League Tournament, beating Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield), 56-48. Junior Ryanne Allen flipped in 22 points and Kaitlyn Orihel added 12. In the semifinals, they edged Archbishop Carroll (Radnor), 38-37. Allen (19 points) made two free throws with 1.3 second left to rally from a one-point deficit. The Vikings face Mastery North (Philadelphia) Wednesday in the Class AAAA District XII final.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (10-0)*
2. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (14-1)
3. Madison, Vienna, Va. (16-1)*
4. St. Elizabeth, Wilmington, Del. (14-0)*
5. Bridgewater (Mass.)-Raynham (12-0)

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

 Midwest

1. Pius X, Lincoln, Neb. (25-0)*
2. Crown Point, Ind. (25-1)*
3. Hersey, Arlington Heights, Ill. (16-0)
4. Germantown, Wis. (29-1)*
5. Farmington, Minn. (17-0)

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

 Southland

1. Norman, Okla. (19-0)*
2. Duncanville, Texas (28-3)
3. Cedar Park, Texas (27-1)*
4. Elizabethtown, Ky. (22-0)
5. Vance, Charlotte N.C. (12-0)*

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

Far West

1. Fremont, Plain City, Utah (26-0)*
2. Casteel, Queen Creek, Ariz. (18-0)
3. Mountain View, Meridian, Idaho (20-2)*
4. Hamilton, Chandler, Ariz. (18-1)
5. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (13-1)

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

* Won state championship or national tournament title

 # Includes forfeit loss

Records are through Monday

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 nationwide. 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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.