BENSALEM, Pa. – The Blue Star Media Go-To 25 girls’ basketball rankings have a familiar look for the second straight week. Simply put, there are no changes and no one entered the rankings.
Seems like everyone won and maintained their lofty position in the national scene. That could change this week when No. 25 Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and regionally ranked Christ the King (Middle Village) hook up Friday in Queens. Expect the archrivals to meet at least twice more in the postseason. No. 12 Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.) has strong tests in back-to-back weeks against ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) and Highlands Ranch. No. 23 St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) hosts regionally ranked Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) on Saturday afternoon.
Florida is in the second week of playoffs; the regional tournament begins with the four winners heading off the to the state tournaments in two weeks in Lakeland.
Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from these showcase events. Hard to believe but next week the Florida postseason tips off. Regardless, get out to your local gym to soak up a game.
We hope to see you at a game soon. – Christopher Lawlor
Blue Star Media Girls’ Basketball Rankings, Feb. 4, 2014
1. Duncanville, Texas (28-0)
Previous rank: 1.
Low-down: The Pantherettes closed out the regular season Tuesday against DeSoto. Texas-bound G Ariel Atkins was selected to play in the McDonald’s All-America Game.
2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (20-1)
Previous: 2.
Low-down: Three lopsided wins capped a successful week. The real competition won’t start until the CIF Southern Section tournament.
3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (23-1)
Previous: 3.
Low-down: The Blaze knocked off archrivals Riverdale (Murfreesboro), 58-49, improving to 10-0 in District 7.
4. Windward School, Los Angeles (20-2)
Previous: 4.
Low-down: Defeated The Bishop’s School (San Diego), 50-46. Jordin Canada was named to the McDonald’s All-America Game.
5. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel-Nor, Mo. (16-1)
Previous: 5.
Low-down: Rebounded from a loss to defeat Miller Career (St. Louis), 71-55. Junior Napheesa Collier had a double-double, with 22 points and 14 rebounds.
6. Miami Senior High, Miami, Fla. (25-1)
Previous: 6.
Low-down: The Stingarees won the District 14 tournament title. Next up are the regional quarterfinals against West Broward (Pembroke Pines) on Thursday.
7. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (17-1)
Previous: 7.
Low-down: Defeated Butler (Charlotte), 69-39.
8. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (17-2)
Previous: 8.
Low-down: The next test for the Jackrabbits is Feb. 8 against Lynwood.
9. Manvel, Texas (30-2)
Previous: 9.
Low-down: The Mavericks closed out the regular season Tuesday against Rayburn (Pasadena).
10. New Hope Christian, Thomasville, N.C. (26-0)
Previous: 10.
Low-down: Defeated The Miller School (Charlottesville, Va.), 53-37.
11. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (18-0)
Previous: 11.
Low-down: The Saints recorded a colossal win, beating Archbishop Wood (Warminster), 53-38, and sit in first place of the Philadelphia Catholic League.
12. Regis Jesuit, Aurora, Colo. (15-2)
Previous: 12.
Low-down: The Rocky Mountain showdown is here as Highlands Ranch awaits Wednesday. Then it’s ThunderRidge (Highlands Ranch) on Feb. 14.
13. Homewood (Ill.)-Flossmoor (17-2)
Previous: 13.
Low-down: Two more relatively easy wins.
14. Shabazz, Newark, N.J. (16-1)
Previous: 14.
Low-down: Opened the Essex County Tournament, throttling Bloomfield, 64-21.
15. Rock Bridge, Columbia, Mo. (15-2)
Previous: 15
Low-down: The Bruins defeated Hickman (Columbia), 66-51, in a rivalry game.
16. Sparkman, Harvest, Ala. (26-2)
Previous: 16.
Low-down: Alexis Jennings and Toni Brewer each scored 15 points in a 62-50 win over Austin (Decatur).
17. Fairmont, Kettering, Ohio (18-2)
Previous: 17.
Low-down: Defeated Wayne (Huber Heights), 85-53. Two games left in the regular season.
18. Whitney Young, Chicago (21-3)
Previous: 18.
Low-down: The Dolphins edged Montini Catholic (Lombard), 54-45. Tanita Allen flipped in 14 points and Khaalia Hillsman had 11 points and cleared 11 rebounds.
19. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (19-1)
Previous: 19.
Low-down: A light week saw the Wildcats clip Center Grove, 78-63. The regular season concludes Friday.
20. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (18-1)
Previous: 20.
Low-down: The Stars won twice allowing only 29 points per outing.
21. Seton-LaSalle, Pittsburgh (16-3)
Previous: 21.
Low-down: The Rebels won two games, with a huge game Friday against Bishop Canevin (Pittsburgh) in Section 4-AA.
22. Riverdale Baptist School, Upper Marlboro, Md. (14-3)
Previous: 22.
Low-down: Crushed South River, 78-28. Chania Ray is averaging 19.6 points and Chloe Jackson is at 18.6 per game.
23. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (16-4)
Previous: 23.
Low-down: The Rams scored an eye-popping 121 points in a lopsided win. Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) visits Saturday afternoon in a Northern California showdown.
24. McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga. (17-2)
Previous: 24.
Low-down: Inclement weather wreaked havoc in the Atlanta area and so did the Indians in an 83-57 trouncing of Campbell (Smyrna).
25. Nazareth Regional, Brooklyn, N.Y. (18-4)
Previous: 25.
Low-down: After polishing off three appetizers last week, the main course is Friday at Christ the King (Middle Village).
Dropped: None.
High-Fives by Region
East
1. Christ the King, Middle Village, N.Y. (15-3)
2. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (13-2)
3. Eleanor Roosevelt, Greenbelt, Md. (16-0)
4. Cosby, Midlothian, Va. (12-0)
5. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (17-1)
Geography: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.
Midlands
1. Eastview, Apple Valley, Minn. (18-0)
2. Montini Catholic, Lombard, Ill. (23-2)
3. Joliet (Ill.) Catholic (20-1)
4. Edwardsville, Ill. (20-1)
5. Martin Luther King, Detroit (13-1)
Geography: Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
South
1. Salmen, Slidell, La. (21-1)
2. Dunbar, Fort Myers, Fla. (25-1)
3. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (18-1)
4. Blount, Prichard, Ala. (27-3)
5. Horn Lake, Miss. (19-1)
Geography: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
Far West
1. Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland, Calif. (17-3)
2. Desert Vista, Phoenix (2f2-1)
3. Dobson, Mesa, Ariz. (23-2)
4. South Medford, Medford, Ore. (15-3)
5. Highlands Ranch, Colo. (15-2)
Geography: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Records through Sunday.
About: The Blue Star Media Go-To 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 April 8, 2014. Follow him on Twitter at #clawlor.
