SUNSHINE STATEMENT: Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania teams join Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings

BENSALEM, Pa. – Three teams join the Blue Star Media high school girls’ basketball rankings. This is normal following the Dr. Martin Luther King Weekend when countless showcases and tournaments are conducted nationally.

Making the biggest splash is No. 17 Dillard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), which enters following a win over previous-No. 15 Miami Country Day. Dillard is a traditional state power and occasionally nationally from Broward County.

In Georgia, there is a state of flux atop the Class AAAAAA rankings. This latest No. 1 is South Forsyth (Cumming), which checks in as the Elite 25’s No. 23 club. The War Eagles are undefeated against Georgia competition and is eyeing another serious run in the state tournament.

No. 24 Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) has maintained the top-spot in Pennsylvania’s Class AAAA rankings despite a loss in December to a local rival. The Eagles have an impressive regional resume and are the early favorite to repeat as AAAA state champions.

In the East Region, No. 3 Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.) debuts after a strong showing at the Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Mass. The magnet school, featuring two high Division I players—Kiah Gillespie (Maryland recruit) and junior Desiree Elmore (Syracuse)—is unbeaten in-state and has a long loss to previously ranked Eastside (Paterson, N.J.). We were particularly impressed watching the Trailblazers’ blowout of South Medford (Medford, Ore.) at the Hoophall. South Medford is the favorite to win Oregon’s Class 6A state title and started the season ranked in the Elite 25. Capital is more than capable of running table en route to a state championship in March.

A handful of teams in the Elite 25 lost last week but remained ranked. But those free passes are running low as January closes. For some states, the postseason is less than two weeks away. This weekend there the event we’ll staff is the Raatz Fence Invitational that tips off Friday at Mercy High School in Louisville, Ky. The marquee matchup on Saturday pits Rogers (Toledo, Ohio)—a team five Division I recruits—and No. 3 Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Blue Star’s defending national champions.

Check back periodically at www.bluestarmedia.org for staff updates from showcase events all season. Our staff will be busy until early April. If you know of a story idea about a player, coach, team or event, please reach out through our website.

The next Elite 25 girls’ rankings will appear Jan. 28. Hope to see you at a game soon; please support your local high school teams. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 High School Girls’ Basketball rankings, January 21, 2015

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (14-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low down: The Saints had a showdown with Philadelphia Catholic League heavyweight Archbishop Carroll on Monday. Last week, they took out Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield) and Archbishop Wood (Warminster) in league play and crushed Upper Dublin (Fort Washington), 59-25, at the Blue Star Elite High School Invitational in Radnor, Pa.

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (17-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: The Monarchs jumped to a 29-8 lead after one quarter and coasted to a 67-45 win over Miramonte (Orinda) at the MLK Showcase in Stockton, Calif. Up next is Fairmont Prep (Anaheim) Saturday.

3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (16-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: The Blaze is on autopilot recording wins of 22 and 54 points in District 7-AAA action. The concentration shifts Saturday to an out-of-town showdown with Rogers (Toledo, Ohio) on Louisville, Ky.

4. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (15-1)

Previous: 4.

Low down: In two league games, the Rams scored 103 and 109 points and then backed it up with a quality 85-77 victory over southern California powerhouse Sierra Canyon School (Chatsworth) at the Martin Luther King Showcase in Stockton.

5. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (18-0)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Defeated Columbus East (, 54-29, and Floyd Central (Floyds Knob), 73-36, in Hoosier Hills Conference play. With the regular season winding down, the Stars have non-conference foe Roncalli (Indianapolis) Saturday and won their last 32 games.

6. Potter’s House Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (23-2)

Previous: 6.

Low down: The Lions are back in action this week with a trip to south Florida that includes Saturday’s showdown with No. 19 Miami Country Day.

7. Whitney Young, Chicago (16-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Junior Kiara Lewis flipped in 22 points and Tanita Allen had a double-double, with 12 points and 12 rebounds, in a 52-48 win over then-No. 7 Marian (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.).

8. Chaminade, West Hills, Calif. (16-2)

Previous: 9.

Low down: Three wins last week was highlighted by a 59-58 win over Alemany (Mission Hills). Leaonna Odom, who scored 21 points and hauled down seven rebounds, hit the decisive jumper with 15 seconds left rallying the Rams from a one-point deficit.

9. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (14-1)

Previous: 10.

Low down: In what amounts to the “unofficial” state championship, the Mustangs downed independent powerhouse New Hope Christian Academy (Thomasville, N.C.), 62-58. Coach Barbara Nelson’s team shouldn’t be seriously challenged in the final eight regular season contests.

10. Ridgeway, Memphis (15-0)

Previous: 11.

Low down: It was a light week for the Roadrunners, who crushed Collierville, 77-42. Just six games left in the regular season.

11. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (16-0)

Previous: 12.

Low down: Mercedes Tapia dropped in a career-high 21 points and dished out seven assists in a 79-39 win over Green Run (Virginia Beach), improving to 6-0 in the Atlantic Conference. The most important triumph was a 50-45 decision over Maury (Norfolk), with an away rematch on Feb. 6.

12. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (8-1)

Previous: 7.

Low down: After recording a key 54-32 blowout win over archrivals Mercy (Farmington Hills) as Samantha Thomas had 15 points and six rebounds, the Mustangs dropped a 52-48 decision to then-No. 8 Whitney Young (Chicago).

13. Cypress Woods, Cypress, Texas (21-1)

Previous: 16.

Low down: Pepperdine-bound G Erica Ogwumike averaged 19 points in a pair of lopsided District 17-6A victories.

14. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (16-0)

Previous: 18.

Low down: During the Wildcats’ current 16-game win steak, the average margin of victory is 25 points per game while scoring 69 points an outing.

15. Elizabethtown, Ky. (17-2)

Previous: 19.

Low down: Coach Tim Mudd’s team has two district games this week before taking on Tennessee powerhouse Riverdale (Murfreesboro) at the Raatz Fence Classic Saturday in Louisville, Ky.

16. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (14-2)

Previous: 20.

Low down: The Jackrabbits are 5-0 in the Moore League.

17. Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (19-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Panthers knocked off then-No. 15 Miami Country Day, 66-62, at the Martin Luther King Super Showcase in Hollywood Hills. Junior G Jacaira Allen scored 20 points, cleared 12 rebounds and made five steals. Courtney Parson’s 3-pointer with 56.1 seconds left gave the lead to the Panthers for good.

18. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (17-2)

Previous: 13.

Low down: Upset by Cosby (Midlothian), 62-57, in overtime. Kendall Hunter scored 16 points in the rare setback.

19. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (20-2)

Previous: 15.

Low down: Split two key games, but fell to Dillard (Fort Lauderdale), 66-62.

20. Desert Vista, Phoenix (16-3)

Previous: 21.

Low down: Kristine Anigwe (California) and Sabrina Haines (Arizona State) each tossed in 15 points in a 60-42 victory over Hamilton (Chandler). The Thunder roared to a 20-8 lead after one period.

21. Braintree, Mass. (9-0)

Previous: 23.

Low down: The Wamps allowed 56 points in two games.

22. Fremd, Palatine, Ill. (17-3)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Defeated Hoffman Estates, 88-24, as Duke-bound Haley Gorecki netted 18 points. Played Monday against Benet Academy (Lisle).

23. South Forsyth, Cumming, Ga. (16-2)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The War Eagles are the latest No. 1 team in Georgia’s largest classification (AAAAAA) and unbeaten in the Peach State. Junior Sarah Myers, a Maryland commit, hopes to point them back to the state semifinals for a second consecutive tournament this March.

24. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (13-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Eagles won their eighth straight, beating Riverdale Baptist School (Upper Marlboro, Md.), 51-48. Junior wing Kelly Jekot, a Villanova recruit, netted a game-high 22 points for Pennsylvania’s top-ranked Class AAAA squad. CV’s lone loss is to Central Dauphin East (Harrisburg), but they won three tournament games at the Diamond State Classic’s Saint Francis Healthcare Cup in Wilmington, Del.

25. Leavenworth, Kan. (8-1)

Previous: 25.

Low down: The Pioneers rebounded from a rare loss to post to easy two wins while allowing only 40 points.

Dropped: No. 14 Long Island Lutheran, Brookhaven, N.Y.; No. 17 Osborne, Marietta, Ga.; and No. 22 McEachern, Powder Springs, Ga.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Stonewall Jackson, Manassas, Va. (16-0)

2. Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, Del. (11-1)

3. Capital Prep, Hartford, Conn. (10-1)

4. Roland Park Country Day, Baltimore (16-2)

5. Long Island Lutheran, Brookhaven, N.Y. (10-3)

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

Midlands

1. Archbishop Alter, Kettering, Ohio (15-0)

2. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (14-1)

3. Martin Luther King, Detroit (11-0)

4. Benet Academy, Lisle, Ill. (20-1)

5. Pius XI, Milwaukee (13-0)

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

South

1. Olive Branch, Miss. (20-1)

2. Salmen, Slidell, La. (16-3)

3. Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (23-2)

4. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (19-0)

5. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (16-1)

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

Far West

1. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (14-0)

2. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (22-1)

3. Lynwood, Bothell, Wash. (12-0)

4. St. Ignatius, San Francisco (13-2)

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (12-3)

Geography: 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 Christopher Lawlor, who consults with a national network of coaches, talent evaluators and prep sports writers. The final rankings will be released April 4. Follow him on Twitter: @clawlor.