THE MOUNT: Mississippi school joins Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings; No. 10 Dillard (FL) rolling

BENSALEM, Pa. – Ah, the calm. That’s what describes a week where some movement jiggled the Blue Star Media Elite 25 high school girls’ basketball rankings but not enough for a seismic shift. The top-five teams remained the same and only one enters the latest rankings.

Finally, the Conquistadors of Olive Branch (Miss.) check in at No. 17 after peeling off 22 victories in their first 23 games. This is a young squad poised to capture Mississippi’s Class 6A state championship.

No. 19 Miami (Fla.) Country Day closed the regular season with a bang, defeated ranked Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) by a point. The loss is the third for No. 20 Potter’s House, which tumbled 14 spots but still has plenty of basketball remaining. The Lady Lions play two games this weekend at The Mecca Challenge in at the famous Gauchos Gym in Bronx, N.Y. The most intriguing one is Saturday against regionally ranked Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.).

Back in Florida, district tournaments in eight classifications get underway this week. The state tournament is only three weeks away.

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.

For those of you in the Northeast, stay warm and safe as blizzard-like conditions sock the region. The next Elite 25 girls’ rankings will appear Feb. 4. 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, Jan. 28, 2015

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (16-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low down: The Saints left little doubt in subduing Catholic League main threat Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa.), 52-43. Ciani Cryor, a Georgia Tech recruit, dropped in a game-high 14 points. Up next is St. Hubert (Philadelphia) and Bishop McDevitt (Wyncote).

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (18-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: Defeated Fairmont Prep (Anaheim), 61-47, as Connecticut-bound Katie Lou Samuelson poured in a game-high 31 points, ringing up four 3-pointers. Samuelson will be named to the McDonald’s All-American Game with the national announcement coming on Wednesday.

3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (19-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: The Blaze recorded a 47-39 victory over Rogers (Toledo, Ohio) at the Raatz Fence Classic in Louisville, Ky. Now it’s back to District 7-AAA play with four more games to close out the regular season with Friday’s crosstown matchup with Riverdale the most significant one.

4. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (19-1)

Previous: 4.

Low down: The Rams averaged 86 points per game in four victories and will have little resistance until the postseason.

5. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (19-0)

Previous: 5.

Low down: Defeated Roncalli (Indianapolis), 61-44, extending the win streak to 33 games. Another light week see the Stars play Bloomington North on Thursday. They conclude with Bloomington South (on Feb. 3) and Seymour (Feb. 5).

6. Whitney Young, Chicago (19-1)

Previous: 7.

Low down: Tanita Allen had 24 points and cleared 10 rebounds and Katrina Beck scored 11 points and Kiara Lewis added 10 as the Dolphins edged Joliet Catholic, 64-61, in overtime. Earlier in the week, Danyelle Williams dropped in 31 points during a 75-8 dismantling of Austin (Chicago) to remain spotless in the Public League Red-West Division. That changes Saturday when 19-2 Trinity (River Forest, Ill.) visits.

7. Chaminade, West Hills, Calif. (17-2)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Defeated Marlborough (Los Angeles), 81-46. Leaonna Odom (16.1 ppg) and Valerie Higgins (14.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 5.6 apg), a pair of juniors, are the team’s top two scorers.

8. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (16-1)

Previous: 9.

Low down: A stingy defense allowed an average of 40 points in two games.

9. Ridgeway, Memphis (17-0)

Previous: 10.

Low down: The Roadrunners remain perfect with not much competition until the Class AAA postseason.

10. Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (23-1)

Previous: 17.

Low down: Won the Broward County Athletic Association Big 8 championship, defeating Flanagan (Pembroke Pines), 47-34. Junior G Jacaira Allen produced a rare triple-double, with 21 points, 18 boards and 10 steals. Up next is the district tournament, with the winner advancing to the Class 5A, Region 4 tournament.

11. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (17-0)

Previous: 11.

Low down: The Cavaliers defeated Norview (Norfolk), 83-30, improving to 7-0 in Atlantic Conference play.

12. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (10-1)

Previous: 12.

Low down: Following a rare loss, the Mustangs refocused to record victories over Ladywood (Livonia), 61-27, and Divine Child (Dearborn), 58-34. Marian cannot overlook Powers Catholic (Flint) on Tuesday and Regina (Warren) before a rematch at archrivals Mercy (Farmington Hills) on Feb. 6.

13. Cypress Woods, Cypress, Texas (22-1)

Previous: 13.

Low down: Catherine Reese’s 18 points fueled a 59-34 triumph over Cypress Falls in District 17-6A play.

14. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (18-0)

Previous: 14.

Low down: The Wildcats have their final busy week of the regular season, playing three times against Fishers on Tuesday followed Center Grove and Heritage Christian (Indianapolis) over the weekend.

15. Elizabethtown, Ky. (20-2)

Previous: 15.

Low down: A three-win week was capped by clipping Tennessee powerhouse Riverdale (Murfreesboro), 77-64, at the Raatz Fence Classic Saturday in Louisville, Ky. Up next is the Louisville Invitational Tournament starting on Friday.

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

Previous: 16.

Low down: Coach Carl Buggs’ team captured two more games, but eked one out over Windward (Los Angeles), 46-40.

17. Olive Branch, Miss. (22-1)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Conquistadors have been dominant, thrashing all in-state opponents with only one loss to No. xx Ridgeway (Memphis, Tenn.) by 21 points. Last week, Mississippi’s top-ranked Class 6A team rolled over two local rivals Hernando, 63-42, and Southaven, 74-35. Coach Blake Jones’s team is headed to a state title with a young team.

18. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (19-2)

Previous: 18.

Low down: The Panthers rebounded from a loss, taking out Washington Catholic Athletic Conference rivals St. John’s (Washington), 74-45, and Good Counsel (Olney, Md.), 62-34. C Jonquanae Cole, a North Carolina State signee, had 16 against St. John’s as the PVI is 11-0 in the WCAC. Junior G Jasmine Whitney tops the team at 12 ppg.

19. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (23-2)

Previous: 19.

Low down: The Spartans closed out the regular season in style, rallying from down 10 points in the final two minutes to beat then-No. 6 Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.), 57-56. Channise Lewis (18 points) made a steal and layup with 13 seconds left completing the late comeback. The defending Class 3A title holders open the District 15-3A Wednesday against Archbishop Curley (Miami) or Hialeah Educational in the

20. Potter’s House Christian, Jacksonville, Fla. (25-3)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Sophomore Rella Boothe flipped in a game-high 21 points but it wasn’t enough for the Lions in a narrow 57-56 loss to then-No. 19 Miami Country Day. The Lions blew a 10-point late after rallying from 11 down in the third period. The Lady Lions remain busy before playing in three postseason tournaments, including the Sunshine Interscholastic Athletic Association championships.

21. Desert Vista, Phoenix (18-3)

Previous: 20.

Low down: Defeated Mesquite (Gilbert), 74-52, and Mountain pointe (Phoenix), 64-27. Just six games until the conclusion of the regular season.

22. Braintree, Mass. (11-0)

Previous: 21.

Low down: The Wamps are on cruise control with games this week against Walpole and Newton North (Newton)—weather pending with a huge Nor’ Easter ready to sock Eastern Massachusetts this week.

23. South Forsyth, Cumming, Ga. (19-2)

Previous: 23.

Low down: The War Eagles maintained their top status in Georgia’s Class AAAAAA rankings with three wins.

24. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (15-1)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Junior G Kelly Jekot, a Villanova recruit, totaled 44 points in two wins. Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division supremacy was on the line Monday against undefeated Central Dauphin East (Harrisburg).

25. Leavenworth, Kan. (9-1)

Previous: 25.

Low down: The Pioneers buried Shawnee Heights (Tecumseh), 57-22. Up next is a three-day run starting Thursday in the Emporia Tournament.

Dropped: No. 22 Fremd, Palatine, Ill.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Stonewall Jackson, Manassas, Va. (18-0)

2. Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, Del. (13-1)

3. Capital Prep, Hartford, Conn. (11-1)

4. Roland Park Country Day, Baltimore (17-2)

5. St. John Vianney, Holmdel, N.J. (13-1)

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 (16-0)

2. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (16-1)

3. Martin Luther King, Detroit (13-0)

4. Pius XI, Milwaukee (15-0)

5. Benson, Omaha, Neb. (15-0)

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

South

1. Salmen, Slidell, La. (18-3)

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

3. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (21-0)

4. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (18-1)

5. North Little Rock, Ark. (17-1)

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

Far West

1. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (16-0)

2. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (24-1)

3. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (17-2)

4. ThunderRidge, Highlands, Colo. (13-2)

5. Sierra Canyon School, Chatsworth, Calif. (15-4)

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

Records through Sunday

 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.