BENSALEM, Pa. – About the only thing left for the Elite 25 girls’ basketball teams is to finish. That’s winning out once you get the postseason, claim a piece of history with a state championship and reflect.

Easier said than done. And that’s the approach most Elite 25 take especially No. 1 Mount Notre Dame of Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cougars, who open the Division I playoffs this week, must navigate through three layers of the postseason—sectional, district and regional tournaments—before reaching the state semifinals from March 12-14 in Columbus.

The bull’s-eye only grows each round for those top-seeded or sitting atop the brackets. Mount Notre Dame is talent, tested and looking to repeat as Ohio’s Division I champions.

This week’s Elite 25 girls’ rankings feature the high risers and those moving down. No. 15 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) jumps five places after knocking off No. 16 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) in a Washington Catholic Athletic Conference showdown. Expect the two to meet again in the WCAC playoffs that get underway next week.

McNamara dropped eight spots and No. 14 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) nine after lopsided losses. Sierra traveled to the East Coast last weekend and split two games with New Jersey powerhouse programs.

Ten teams picked up ground in the rankings, six remained same, including the top-4, and there’s one addition from the West Coast. Debuting is No. 21 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.). The Monarchs are the top team from the Northern California Region. Mitty will be a tough out in the upcoming sectional and regional playoffs.

The CIF-Southern Section playoffs tip this week and the Open Division’s pool play is the hottest trending tournament. The Open Division has two pools of four dynamite teams from the Los Angeles area.

The Open Division seeds are: Sierra Canyon, Windward, Poly (Long Beach), Mater Dei, Etiwanda, Rosary Academy y, Corona Centennial and Lynwood.

Each team plays three pool games and the pool winners meet for the title on Feb. 29 at the Pyramid in Long Beach.

Last week, we started the GEICO High School Nationals tracker and we’re updating weekly until the field is select for the semifinals in April 3 in New York.

Remember, it’s a select four-team field so the margin of error magnifies with each loss. You better have a rock-solid resume to make it to Father John Savage Gymnasium at Christ the King High School in the Queens neighborhood of Middle Village, N.Y.

The four teams that have an inside track through Feb. 12 are Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Tenn.), Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, Md.), Westlake (Ga.) and Lake Highlands Prep (Orlando, Fla.). The latter two must win state tournaments in Georgia and Florida, respectively. Westlake opens the Georgia Class AAAAAAA state tournament this week after securing a regional title. Lake Highlands is on a roll and headed to Florida Class 4A regional play this week.

Later this month, Riverdale Baptist and Hamilton Heights Christian could participate in the National Association of Christian Athletes Division I tournament in Tennessee and if they meet, it might serve as a play-in game. That holds as long as either team does not have a late-season slipup.

However, teams from Nevada, Maryland, District of Columbia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, Washington, Florida, Georgia and Utah are in the running. We’re hearing a few surprise states might allow their girls’ state champions to compete. That would be a game-changer for the GEICO Nationals. We’re also waiting to see if the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference gives the thumps-up again.

OK, that’s a wrap.

Check back regularly at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events, postseason tournaments and key games all season. We’ll keep you abreast of anything breaking in the girls’ hoop world.

The playoffs state by state are rolling out each week. Finally, kudos to Iolani School (Honolulu), which won the Hawaii Division I (large school) state championship last weekend. The Raiders went 25-2, capturing back-to-back state crowns.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings return on February 19.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 12, 2020

1. Mount Notre Dame, Cincinnati (22-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low-down: Idle. The Girls Greater Cincinnati League champions open the Division I postseason Wednesday against Withrow (Cincinnati) in the Cincinnati 3 Sectional first round. The quarterfinals are Monday.

2. Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, Chattanooga, Tenn. (22-1)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: The Lady Hawks defeated Legacy Early College (Greenville, S.C.), 63-47, to sweep the two-game season series. Next is the National Association of Christian Athletes Division 1 tournament, starting Feb. 25 in Dayton, Tenn.

3. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (26-1)

Previous: 3.

Low-down: The CIF-San Diego Section Open Division tournament gets underway next week, but first the Torreys entertain Tri-City Christian (Vista) Friday in the regular season finale.

4. Cypress Creek, Houston (34-0)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: If the Cougars won Tuesday at Cypress Falls (Houston), it means a perfect regular season and an unblemished run in District 17-6A.

5. Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh, N.C (21-1)

Previous: 6.

Low-down: The regular season wraps up this week with two games, including a league road game at Sanderson (Raleigh) Friday.

6. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (20-0)

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Maya Nnaji scored a game-high 23 points and Taylor Woodson added 19 during a 69-34 victory over Buffalo. The Royals play three times this week with showdown at Wayzata (Plymouth) on tap Friday. Nnaji averages 18.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

7. Ensworth School, Nashville, Tenn. (23-0)

Previous: 9.

Low-down: The Tigers improved to 9-0 in Class AA Middle Region with two more wins.

8. Northwestern, Kokomo, Ind. (26-0)

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A Logansport Section, capturing three games including the final against McCutcheon (Lafayette), 70-38. Next up is Fishers Saturday in the Marion Regional semifinals. The winner gets Fort Wayne schools Homestead or Carroll in the final later that night.

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

Previous: 11.

Low-down: Coach Mike Bozeman’s team is fun, high-spirited crew is a joy to watch. They can score in bunches, play defense and fearless on the court and scheduling high-level opponents. The Crusaders edged National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Md.), 51-50, to cap a 3-0 week. The Lady Crusaders finish the regular slate with Good Counsel (Olney) Thursday and Maret (Washington, D.C.) Saturday.

10. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (18-1)

Previous: 12.

Low-down: Paris Clark stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 6 assists and 5 steals and Kaylene Smikle bucketed 22 points in a resounding 59-46 victory over Brooklyn Law & Tech. The Lady Crusaders, who are New York State’s top-ranked Class AA team, finish the regular season with Truman (Bronx) Thursday, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) Monday and Staten Island (N.Y.) Academy on Feb. 22.

11. Duncanville, Texas (31-3)

Previous: 13.

Low-down: The Pantherettes have little competition in District 8-6A after winning games by 81 and 85 points last week to push the win streak to 20 games. The regular season closed on Tuesday at White (Dallas).

12. DeSoto, Texas (29-2)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: The Lady Eagles could have clinched a tie for the District 7-6A crown Tuesday against Mansfield Summit. The Class 6A bi-district playoff game is next week.

13. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (26-2)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: The Monarchs shared the Trinity League title with Rosary Academy (Fullerton) and play Etiwanda Saturday in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division Pool A play. The pool play action resumes on Feb. 19 and 22. The final is Feb. 28.

14. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (24-4)

Previous: 5.

Low-down: The Trailblazers secured a perfect season in capturing Gold Coast League championship. They also split two games last weekend at the Metro Classic in Toms River, N.J. The playoff schedule tips off with Lynwood Saturday in the first of three Pool A games in the CIF-Southern Section Open Division. Pool play continues Feb. 19 and 22. The winners of Pool A and B meet on Feb. 28 for the title.

15. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (25-3)

Previous: 20.

Low-down: The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference quarterfinals are on Feb. 22 in Hyattsville, Md. Last week, the Panthers hammered league rivals then-No. 8 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 54-29. That’s a statement from a team peaking at the right time.

16. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (22-4)

Previous: 8.

Low-down: The Mustangs suffered their first loss in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference, falling to No. 15 Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.), 54-29, but rebounded to beat Archbishop Carroll (Washington, D.C.), 102-43. Three WCAC games are slated for this week to close out the regular season.

17. Edison Public School Academy, Detroit (13-0)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Defeated Southfield Arts and Technology, 74-36. The Pioneers host Mercy (Farmington Hills) Wednesday.

18. Amarillo, Texas (31-2)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: The season concluded Tuesday with Lubbock. The Class 5A bi-district playoff game is next week.

19. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (26-2)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: The Redwings closed out the regular season in style, knocking off Evanston, 75-71, in double-overtime. Next is the Class 4A sectional semifinals on Feb. 18. The final is on Feb. 20.

20. Westlake, Atlanta (25-2)

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Captured Region 2-AAAAAAA championship, defeating Campbell (Smyrna), 68-46, in the final. The Georgia Class AAAAAAA state playoffs tip later this week against Etowah (Woodstock).

21. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (19-3)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low-down: The Monarchs have won 12 straight games and now look to close out the regular season with victories over St. Ignatius (San Francisco) Wednesday and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep (San Francisco) Friday. If so, they will be 10-0 and chalk up another West Catholic League championship before embarking on the CIF-Central Coast Section playoffs.

22. Trenton Catholic Academy, Hamilton, N.J. (20-1)

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Gina Boulden scored 15 points and the Lady Mike rallied a 14-2 run to end the game during a 50-48 win over previously unbeaten Immaculate Heart Academy (Washington Township). Also beat Westhampton Tech, 88-33, as Jasmin Boyd contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds; and Burlington Township, 86-26, behind a 15-point, 4-assist night from the West Virginia-bound Boulden and 10 points from three others. The Lady Mikes play Rutgers Prep (Somerset) Saturday in a highly-anticipated South Jersey showdown. The two could meet in the state playoffs.

23. Lake Highlands Prep, Orlando, Fla. (24-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won the Class 4A, District 7 championship, beating Bishop Moore (Orlando), 65-26, in the final. Plays Tarpon Springs in the Class 4A, Region 2 quarterfinals Thursday. The semifinals are Feb. 18.

24. St. Frances Academy, Baltimore (22-3)

Previous: 24.

Low-down: The Panthers clinched the IAAM A Conference regular season title with a 13-1 record. The IAAM playoffs opened Tuesday with Institute of Notre Dame (Baltimore) in the quarterfinals.

25. St. Joseph Central Catholic, Huntington, W.Va. (18-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Idle.

Dropped: No. 21 Poly (Long Beach, Calif.).

High-Fives by Region

East

1. New Hope Academy, Landover Hills, Md. (20-7)
2. Poly, Baltimore (18-1)
3. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (19-1)
4. Rutgers Prep, Somerset, N.Y. (18-3)
5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (19-1)

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. (26-0)
2. Homestead, Fort Wayne, Ind. (25-1)
3. Iowa City, Iowa (17-0)
4. Newark, Ohio (20-2)
5. Millard South, Omaha, Neb. (21-0)

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. (24-1)
2. Hoover, Ala. (29-2)
3. Cherokee, Canton, Ga. (25-2)
4. Meridian, Miss. (25-1)
5. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (22-3)

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

Far West

1. Windward School, Los Angeles (22-4)
2. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (22-4)
3. Centennial, Las Vegas (19-6)
4. Cashmere, Wash. (19-0)
5. Woodinville, Wash. (22-0)

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.