SHOW ME: Incarnate Word Academy (MO) new No. 1 in Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings; No. 4 Etiwanda (CA) pulls stunner, wins CIF Open Division state title

BENSALEM, Pa. – It was all there for the taking and Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth, Calif.) knew it.

State championship. Check.

Undefeated season. Check.

National championship. Check.

Well, it was check mate for the Trailblazers last week in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Region final during a 55-54 last-second loss to No. 4 Etiwanda.

No. 5 Sierra Canyon was seconds away overtime and perhaps a second chance in the region final. Juju Watkins evened the game at 54 with 11 seconds left but Etiwanda pushed the ball up the floor and sophomore Aliyahna Morris was fouled with 2.4 seconds. She made one and a desperate halfcourt heave from Watkins was off the mark.

Sierra Canyon, who many feel are the nation’s best girls’ team and were closed to holding down the No. 1 in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings, dipped four slots after the shock loss. The Blazers went 31-1. Etiwanda (32-3) went on to beat No. 11 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 69-67, in the CIF Open Division final on Saturday in Sacramento on a buzzer-beating putback

That means the new No. 1 Incarnate Word Academy (Bel Nor, Mo.) is two wins away from clinching a second straight Blue Star Media Elite 25 National Championship. The Red Knights (30-0) carry a 98-game win streak into the Missouri Class 6 semifinals on Friday. They could bag a sixth consecutive state title on Saturday. Though the final Elite 25 rankings won’t be revealed until April 10 and if the Red Knights record a third straight undefeated campaign, it will take a special effort to supplant them.

However, there’s a month of basketball remaining and anything can happen.

GEICO Nationals

It’s that time of year again for the GEICO High School Nationals. We’ve already announced the boys’ bracket and here’s the girls. Three of the four teams are in the current Elite 25 rankings and the fourth could appear by the time the tournament tips on March 31 on ESPNU and the final is April 1 at 10 a.m. on ESPN2. Matt Schick and Maylana Martin Douglas are on the call for the three girls’ games live from Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.

The semifinal pairings are:

10:30 a.m.: McDonogh School (Owings Mills, Md.) vs. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)

12:30 p.m.: Westtown School (West Chester, Pa.) vs. Montverde (Fla.) Academy.

Defending champions Montverde Academy will take on a field composed of all first-time participants.

This leads to latest Elite 25 rankings. There were no newcomers but we’ve mentioned there is a new No. 1. Eighteen teams remained the same with two dropping and five moving up, including No. 12 Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Ky.), which vaulted five slots. SHA won the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen State Championship last weekend in a single-class format.

The Elite 25 has 13 teams having won 14 state or major conference tournament titles. State tournaments are still slated for Alaska, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Missouri, Connecticut and Minnesota.

All the best to the state champions and those going for it over the next two weekends.

That’s a wrap for another week.

The Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ rankings will return March 22. It’s your last chance to check out the prep hardwood heroes in your backyard if you already haven’t. There are a few weeks left. Enjoy a night out at a gymnasium in your area.

In the meantime, stay safe.

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

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball Rankings, March 15, 2023

1. Incarnate Word Academy, Bel Nor, Mo. (30-0)

Previous: 2.

Low-down: Defeated Troy Buchanan (Troy), 68-26, in the Class 6 state quarterfinals for the program’s 98th straight win. Nebraska-bound center Natalie Potts had 14 points and 7 rebounds and Brooke Coffey scored 13. Up next is Raytown Friday in the semifinals with the winner heading to the Class 6 final against Eureka or Rock Bridge (Columbia) on Saturday afternoon in Springfield.

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

Previous: 3.

Low-down: Idle. Next up is the GEICO High School Nationals semifinals on March 31 in Fort Myers, Fla.

3. Long Island Lutheran, Brookville, N.Y. (20-2)

Previous: 4.

Low-down: Idle. The Lady Crusaders won’t play again until the New York State Federation Class AA tournament later this month.

4. Etiwanda, Calif. (32-3)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won CIF Open Division state championship, edging No. 11 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose), 69-67, on a putback at the buzzer. Jada Sanders grabbed an offensive rebound and her putback beat the buzzer as the Eagles rallied from five points down with two minutes left. Sanders finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 blocks. However, the Eagles reached the final by taking down previous No. 1 Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth), 55-54, in the Southern Region final. Sophomore Aliyahna Morris’ free throw with 2.4 seconds left snapped a 54-all tie. Season complete.

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (31-1)

Previous: 1.

Low-down: Everything vanished in one game. A perfect season, state championship and national title. The Trailblazers lost to No. 4 Etiwanda, 55-54, in the CIF Southern Region Open Division final. Etiwanda broke the tie with a free throw with 2.4 seconds left to bust a 54-all tie. All-American forward and USC recruit Juju Watkins concluded her brilliant prep career with 16 points. Izela Arenas topped the team with 17. Season complete.

6. Centennial, Las Vegas (24-1)*

Previous: 5.

Low-down: Won Class 5A state championship. It was the program’s eighth straight Nevada state title and 14th overall. Regular season complete.

7. Sidwell Friends, Washington, D.C. (28-3)*

Previous: 7.

Low-down: Won second consecutive District of Columbia State Athletic Association AA championship. Regular season complete.

8. Hoover, Ala. (35-1)*

Previous: 8.

Low-down: Won a third straight Class 7A state championship. Season complete.

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

Previous: 9.

Low-down: Won a state-record sixth consecutive Class 6A state championship. Season complete.

10. Nazareth Academy, La Grange Park, Ill. (35-1)*

Previous: 10.

Low-down: Won Class 3A state championship. Season complete.

11. Archbishop Mitty, San Jose, Calif. (28-3)

Previous: 11.

Low-down: The Monarchs lost a heartbreaker in the CIF Open Division championship game to No. 4 Etiwanda, 69-67. The game was tied when an Etiwanda player grabbed an offensive rebound to bucket the game-winner as time expired. The Monarchs advanced to the final by beating Salesian College Prep (Richmond), 86-49, in the Northern Region final. Season complete.

12. Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Ky. (36-3)*

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Won third consecutive Mingua Beef Jerky Sweet 16 Tournament, beating McCracken County (Paducah), 68-53, in the final. The trio of sophomore ZaKiyah Johnson (30 points), Reagan Bender (19) and Angelina Pelayo (17) teamed for 66 points. Pelayo joined the 1,000-point club in the contest and Johnson was named the game MVP for the second straight ear. Season complete.

13. Edmond (Okla.) North (29-0)*

Previous: 13.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 6A state championship, rallying to beat Norman, 65-58, in the final. Elle Papahronis, a San Francisco recruit, scored 18 of her game-high 30 points in the second half and cleared 11 rebounds. Papahronis turned it on in the third quarter with 13 points as the Lady Huskies came back from a one-point hole to lead 49-42 after three. Season complete.

14. La Jolla (Calif.) Country Day (30-4)

Previous: 14.

Low-down: Season complete.

15. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (29-4)

Previous: 15.

Low-down: Season complete.

16. Duncanville, Texas (26-5)

Previous: 16.

Low-down: Season complete.

17. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (31-1)

Previous: 17.

Low-down: Season complete.

18. Clovis West, Fresno, Calif. (30-2)

Previous: 18.

Low-down: Season complete.

19. Lone Peak, Highland, Utah (24-3)*

Previous: 19.

Low-down: Won second straight Class 6A state championship. Regular season complete.

20. Morris Catholic, Denville, N.J. (27-3)*

Previous: 20.

Low-down: Won the Non-Public B state championship. Regular season complete.

21. The Webb School, Bell Buckle, Tenn. (32-4)*

Previous: 21.

Low-down: Won Division II-A state championship. Season complete.

22. Westtown School, West Chester, Pa. (22-4)**

Previous: 22.

Low-down: Idle. The Moose are headed to the GEICO Nationals in Florida.

23. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (26-2)

Previous: 23.

Low-down: Won Section 6AAAA title, beating Wayzata (Plymouth), 70-68, in overtime. Taylor Woodson tossed in a game-high 21 points and Liz McGill ad 18. The Lady Royals face Roseville Wednesday in the Class 4A state quarterfinals at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena in Minneapolis.

24. Bedford (Ind.) North Lawrence (27-3)*

Previous: 24.

Low-down: Won Class 4A state championship. Season complete.

25. South Bend (Ind.) Washington (27-1)

Previous: 25.

Low-down: Season complete.

Dropped: None.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. McDonogh School, Owings Mills, Md. (24-2)*
2. Lansdale (Pa.) Catholic (24-2)*
3. St. John’s College, Washington, D.C. (26-7)*
4. Georgetown Visitation, Washington, D.C. (24-6)*
5. Paul VI, Haddonfield, N.J. (21-3)

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

Midwest

1. Example Academy, Frankfort, Ill. (21-2)*
2. Pleasant Valley, Riverdale, Iowa (26-0)*
3. Purcell Marian, Cincinnati (27-2)*
4. Grand Rapids (Mich.) West Catholic (25-0)
5. Kettle Moraine, Wales, Wis. (28-1)*

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

Southland

1. Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla. (30-1)*
2. Clark, San Antonio (34-3)*
3. Bradley Central, Cleveland, Tenn. (35-1)*
4. Brookwood, Snellville, Ga. (31-1)*
5. Germantown, Madison, Miss. (29-2)*

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

Far West

1. Desert Vista, Phoenix (28-3)*
2. Clackamas, Ore. (26-4)*
3. Garfield, Seattle (23-1)*
4. Oakland (Calif.) Tech (30-5)*
5. Iolani School, Honolulu (20-5)*

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

Records through Monday’s games

* Won state, national or major conference postseason tournament title(s)

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

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 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. Follow him on Twitter at @clawlor.