No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern (IN), No. 22 Conway (AR) enter Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings after claiming key holiday tournament chips

BENSALEM, Pa. – The holiday tournament season came and went. For the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball teams there were mixed results.

Ten teams claimed tournament titles last week but none more important than two that were played in Indiana and Texas.  No surprise the winners landed in the Elite 25 rankings for their efforts.

Let’s start in New Castle, Indiana, No. 8 Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) annexed the Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic championship, defeating then-No. 6 Lawrence Central (Indianapolis), 52-50. The Royals are Indiana’s top-ranked Class 4A team with a a unblemished mark in 15 games and took down the reigning 4A title holders in the process.

In Duncanville, Texas, No. 22 Conway (Ark.) crossed the state line and won the Sandra Meadows Classic championship, beating Boswell (Fort Worth, Texas) by four points in the final. The Wampus Cats improved to 17-1 and are the favorite to claim the Arkansas Class 7A title.

As for the current Elite 25, there are two debutants; five teams moved up with No. 9 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) going plus-10 after a big win at the Jordan Holiday Classic in New York City; 12 were unmoved; and six dropped with the No. 24 Duncanville (Texas) cratering 16 spots.

No. 12 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.) won for the 138^th consecutive time and go for the national record of 139 on Tuesday, Jan. 7 against St. Dominic (O’Fallon, Mo.).

The month of January features several national matchups with the majority of them over the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend. We’ll keep you apprised of what’s ahead in the coming weeks.

One more thing before we go.

Blue Star Invitational

If you think we are shamelessly promoting an event our organization holds annually, you would be correct and tad askew. The 17^th annual Blue Star High School Invitational is on Jan. 5, 2025, back in Philadelphia, one of the nation’s cradles of the women’s game from the CYO level to college to the pros to USA Basketball to the Hall of Fame.

Yes, the City of Brotherly Love is known for action on the hardwood and the BSHI is a reflection of what is good on the grassroots level.

If you go, here’s what you need to know.

Where: Jefferson University’s Gallagher Center, 4201 Henry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19144.

Format: 12 games on side-by side courts, featuring girls’ teams from five states and one from Canada. The first game tips at 9:30 a.m. Essentially, a full day of basketball with some of the most talented high schools from the Mid-Atlantic.

Schedule

Court 1, Nancy Dougherty/Jim Munn Memorial Bracket

9:45 a.m., Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) vs. Ursuline Academy (Wilmington, Del.); 11:05 a.m., Fort Erie Prep (Ontario, Canada) vs. Friends Central (Philadelphia); 12:25 p.m., Catholic (Virginia Beach, Va.) vs. No. 10 Westtown School; 1:45 p.m.; No. 2 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) vs. Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic; 3:05 p.m., St. Paul VI Catholic (Chantilly, Va.) vs. Archbishop Wood (Warminster, Pa.); 4:25 p.m., Audenreid (Philadelphia) vs. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)

Court 2, Karl J. Grentz Memorial Bracket

9:30 a.m., Shipley School (Bryn Mawr) vs. Germantown Academy (Fort Washington, Pa.); 10:50 West Catholic (Philadelphia) vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.); 12:10 p.m., Bethlehem (Pa.) Catholic vs. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia); 1:30 p.m., Upper Dublin (Fort Washington, Pa.) vs. Rutgers Prep (Somerset, N.J.); 2:50 p.m. Academy of Notre Dame (Villanova, Pa.) vs. vs. Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.); 4:10 p.m., George School (Newtown, Pa.) vs. Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia).

See you in Philly!

Well, that’s it for another week. The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings return Wednesday, Jan. 8. Because of the holidays, we were out earlier in the week. We will keep the Wednesday release in the weekly rotation until the final rankings in April.

Before signing off for the week, condolences to the family or former President Jimmy Carter on his passing at 100 years old on Sunday, Dec. 29. Carter was not an effective president. He was wracked with out-of-control inflation and the hostage crisis in Iran. He was a folksy kind of fella and peanut farmer from rural Plains, Georgia. He was the governor of his home state and his lack of national experience dragged him down after one term in 1980.

There’s no denying his faith in God, honesty and commitment humanitarianism. The Nobel Peace Prize winner and United States Naval Academy graduate remained loyal to his family, friends, country and hometown. Ultimately, it will be his legacy. Rest easy, Mr. President.

Happy New Year to all; may it be a healthy and prosperous one. Personally, it’s time to turn the page on 2024. Hopefully, 2025 brings better times.

Bye for now.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Dec. 31, 2024

1. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (8-0)

Previous rank: 1.

The Lowdown: Idle. The Monarchs had a break over the holidays, returning to the court on Friday.

2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (8-0)

Previous: 2.

The Lowdown: Won the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational She Got Game Championship, beating Palm Bay (Melbourne, Fla.), 73-61, in the final. Olivia Jones had 24 points and 7 assists, Taylor Brown added 23 points and Emily McDonald posted a double-double with 10 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists.

3. Ontario (Calif.) Christian (18-1)

Previous: 3.

The Lowdown: Won the Ontario Christian Knight Time Classic, going 4-0.

4. Morris Catholic, Denville N.J. (6-0)

Previous: 4.

The Lowdown: The Crusaders won twice at the West Orange Holiday Tournament. Mia Pualdo had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists during a 53-43 victory over West Orange (N.J.).

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. 13-0)

Previous: 5.

The Lowdown: Won the Glendora Tournament championship with four victories.

6. Montverde (Fla.) Academy (10-1)

Previous: 7.

The Lowdown: Won the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational She Got Game Championship, defeating Miami Country Day, 62-45, in the final.

7. IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (9-3)

Previous: 10.

The Lowdown: Idle.

8. Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Ind. (15-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Lowdown: Won the Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic championship, defeating then-No. 6 Lawrence Central (Indianapolis), 52-50, in the final. Addison Van Hoesen flipped in a shot at the buzzer to win it. Junior guard Kennedy Holman led the Royals with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals and junior forward Kayla Stidham scored 12 points. In the semifinals, they beat South Knox (Vincennes), 67-59. Up next is a road game at Carmel Friday night.

9. Bishop McNamara, Forestville, Md. (7-1)

Previous: 19.

The Lowdown: Defeated then-No. 9 Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.), 57-43, at the Jordan Holiday Classic in New York. Zhen Craft, a Georgia recruit, posted 22 points (11 of 15 shooting) and 11 rebounds. The Mustangs start play in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference on Friday.

10. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (9-3)

Previous: 9.

The Lowdown: Sophomores Jessie Moses (15 points) and Jordyn Palmer (14) teamed for 29 points but it wasn’t enough in a 57-43 loss to then-No. 19 Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.) at the Jordan Holiday Classic in New York.

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

Previous: 11.

The Lowdown: Defeated Woodland (Stockbridge), 89-44, and Jenkins (Savannah), 82-39.

12. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (6-0)

Previous: 12.

The Lowdown: The Red Knights won the Visitation Christmas Tournament, defeating Lift for Life Academy (St. Louis), 65-47, in the final. They also tied the national record for consecutive wins with 138. Peyton Hill scored a game-high 24 points. Coach Dan Rolfes’ team goes for the record on Tuesday, Jan. 7 against St. Dominic (O’Fallon, Mo.).

13. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (14-0)

Previous: 13.

The Lowdown: Won the Junior Orange Bowl Classic championship in Florida. The Bearettes face Alabama powerhouse Hazel Green on Saturday.

14. Lawrence Central, Indianapolis (14-1)

Previous: 6.

The Lowdown: Upended by Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers), 52-50, in the Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic championship game. The loss snapped a 38-game win streak, dating back to December 2023. Lola Lampley had game-high 18 points and 9 rebounds, Laila Abudrraqib added 16 points and Jaylah Lampley netted 12 points. In the semifinals, they beat Homestead (Fort Wayne), 66-42.

15. Etiwanda, Calif. (8-4)

Previous: 21.

The Lowdown: Won the So Cal Holiday Prep Classic WNBA Premier Gold Division title in San Diego, Calif. The Eagles went 4-0 at the event.

16. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (10-1)

Previous: 15.

The Lowdown: Finished second at the So Cal Holiday Prep Classic WNBA Premier Gold Division in San Diego, Calif.

17. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (15-2)

Previous: 17.

The Lowdown: Won the West Coast Jamboree Platinum Division championship, defeating  Windward (Los Angeles), 65-49, in the final. Iowa-bound Addie Deal was named the Most Valuable Player after putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in the title game. In the semifinals, Kaeli Wynn had 28 points and 12 rebounds in an 83-49 win over Bishop Montgomery (Torrance).

18. Lincoln, Dallas (23-1)

Previous: 14.

The Lowdown: Upset by Liberty (Frisco), 43-41. The Tigers’ shocking loss could be a mere bump in the road.

19. Johnston, Iowa (8-0)

Previous: 18.

The Lowdown: Idle.

20. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (6-2)

Previous: 20.

The Lowdown: Idle.

21. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (15-0)

Previous: 22.

The Lowdown: Won the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational ENG Sports Championship, defeating Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), 66-48, in the final.

22. Conway, Ark. (17-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

The Lowdown: Welcome Wampus Cats back to the Elite 25. It was a productive trip to Duncanville, Texas after claiming the 75^th Sandra Meadows Classic, beating Texas power Boswell (Fort Worth), 44-40, in the final. Emerie Bohanon was named the MVP and Samyah Jordan the Defensive MVP.

23. Belleville, Mich. (6-0)

Previous: 23.

The Lowdown: Defeated previously-unbeaten Gabriel Richard (Ann Arbor), 46-45, at the Michigan Winter Hoopfest in Wayne, Mich. Sophomore Sydney Savoury had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Marquette-commit junior Se’Crette Carter scored 10 points. The Tigers host East Kentwood (Kentwood) on Jan. 4

24. Duncanville, Texas (16-5)

Previous: 8.

The Lowdown: The Pantherettes are 3-0 in District 11-6A after beating Waxahachie, 70-47. The remainder of the regular season schedule will be played in the district.

25. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (7-4)

Previous: 25.

The Lowdown: Dee Alexander finished with 21 points and surpassed the 2,000-career point barrier when the Lady Cavaliers beat Cooper (Union, Ky.), 72-55, at the Castle Classic in Cincinnati.

Dropped: No. 16 Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic and No. 24 Mount Zion Prep Academy, Lanham, Md.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (11-0)
2. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (10-0)
3. Mount Zion Prep Academy, Lanham, Md. (12-4)
4. Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic (4-1)
5. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (5-3)

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

Midwest

1. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (14-1)
2. Providence Academy, Plymouth, Minn. (11-0)
3. Lyons, La Grange, Ill. (14-1)
4. Kenwood, Chicago (15-1)
5. Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines, Iowa (7-2)

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

Southland

1. Flower Mound, Texas (21-1)
2. Putnam City North, Oklahoma City (10-1)
3. Norman, Okla. (9-1)
4. Boswell, Fort Worth, Texas (24-2)
5. Tupelo, Miss. (13-0)

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

Far West

1. Grandview, Aurora, Colo. (6-2)
2. Clackamas, Ore. (6-2)
3. Ridgeline, Millville, Utah (13-0)
4. Bishop Montgomery, Torrance, Calif. (11-3)
5. Tualatin, Ore. (8-0)

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

Records through Monday

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.