Unbeaten Ohio school rolls into Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings

FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. – The Philadelphia Catholic League is making news on and off the court.

First, the good on the hardwood. Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia), No. 1 in the Blue Star Media Elite 25 girls’ basketball rankings, is playing like the nation’s best. Last Friday, the Saints manhandled Conwell-Egan Catholic (Fairless Hills) here to close out the a perfect regular season run in the league, with the playoffs tipping off later this week. Only couple hundred fans filed into the suburban school’s gymnasium but it was good to see Ohio State head coach Kevin McGuff on hand to scout potential recruits.

The main attraction seems to be 6-9 junior Felicia Aiyeotan, a major project for any program. Aiyeotan is only scratching the surface and still lacks the skill set to be an impact immediately. The Nigerian’s footwork is awkward and shot appears flat, but makes up for it with heights … lots of it. That 7-foot-plus wingspan is intimidating and redirects shots. She doesn’t need to leave her feet to reject the foolhardy rim-attackers or clear a rebound. When the Saints run, they rely on Ciani Cryor to push the pace. The Georgia Tech recruit orchestrates the offense and will play a huge role when the Saints embark on their mission to capture the Class AA state title after being denied in last year’s final. First-year coach Andrea Peterson, a former standout at Drexel, is doing an admirable job pulling together Division I-fueled squad.

Now the ugly.

There’s been a firestorm surrounding the south Philadelphia program, which has become a national power in a short period, with a series of transfers. All are legitimate but that didn’t stop one rival coach, John Gallagher formerly of Archbishop Wood (Warminster), from going beyond normal means to beat an opponent. Gallagher, who stepped down from his post Monday afternoon, had guided the Vikings to a 19-3 record and state ranking in Class AAA. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia confirmed this and the junior varsity coach, Mike McDonald takes over.

Last week, the PhillyVoice.com reported that an email address to send negative information via e-mail about NG players was traced back to Gallagher’s home account. The players he attempted to smear included Aiyeotan and Christina Aborowa (a Texas commit), saying the Nigerians were older than claimed and they were in the United States illegally. According to reports, both cleared background checks.

There’s more, though.

Letty Santarelli, the former NG coach who resigned last fall amid the false allegations, filed a slander lawsuit.

We’ll keep you posted.

Editor’s note: The original story from the PhillyVoice.com can be accessed here http://www.phillyvoice.com/smear-campaign-girls-basketball-neumann-goretti/

As for the Elite 25 rankings, just one addition with No. 21 Archbishop Alter (Kettering, Ohio) debuting. The Knights are 21-0 with one game left before the postseason and currently Ohio’s No. 1-ranked team in Division II.

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. Follow me on Twitter: @clawlor.

The Elite 25 girls’ rankings will next appear on Feb. 18. Hope to see you at a game soon; please support your local high school teams. – Christopher Lawlor

Blue Star Media Elite 25 Girls’ Basketball rankings, Feb. 11, 2015

1. Neumann-Goretti, Philadelphia (21-0)

Previous rank: 1.

Low down: The Saints jumped to a 32-4 lead after one period en route to a 76-29 wipeout of Conwell-Egan (Fairless Hills, Pa.). Sianni Martin scored 12 points and need only 3 to reach 1,000 career points. Junior C Felicia Aiyeotan had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks. Up next are the Philadelphia Catholic League quarterfinals this week.

2. Mater Dei, Santa Ana, Calif. (24-1)

Previous: 2.

Low down: The Monarchs knocked off Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), 60-49, at the Nike Extravaganza. Katie Lou Samuelson had 32 points. They close out the regular season at Rosary (Fullerton) Wednesday with a chance to end another perfect season in the Trinity League.

3. Blackman, Murfreesboro, Tenn. (22-2)

Previous: 3.

Low down: The Blaze close out the regular season Monday with LaVergne.

4. St. Mary’s, Stockton, Calif. (21-1)

Previous: 4.

Low down: The Rams crushed Tokay (Lodi),96-8, and Tracy, 108-28. Saturday’s game with Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland) is a good gauge for the postseason.

5. Bedford North Lawrence, Ind. (22-0)

Previous: 5.

Low down: The Stars complete a perfect regular season and now embark on a title quest. The journey begins Tuesday with New Albany in the Class 4A Jeffersonville Sectional. The winner plays Seymour in the semifinals on Friday. The final is Saturday.

6. Whitney Young, Chicago (25-1)

Previous: 6.

Low down: Won seventh straight Chicago Public League Windy City championship, beating Morgan Park (Chicago), 70-54. It was the Dolphins’ 10th city title in 11 years and 25^th consecutive victory. Junior Kiara Lewis bucketed a game-high 30 points.

7. Myers Park, Charlotte, N.C. (21-1)

Previous: 8.

Low down: Defeated Porter Ridge (Indian Trail), 78-22, and Independence (Charlotte), 79-9. Senior Night is Tuesday when Garringer (Charlotte) visits. The regular season wraps on Friday.

8. Ridgeway, Memphis (20-0)

Previous: 9.

Low down: Won the SCIAA Class AAA championship, defeating Overton (Memphis), 68-48.

9. Dillard, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (26-1)

Previous: 10.

Low down: The Panthers bounced Palm Bay (Melbourne), 52-32, in the Class 5A, Region 4 quarterfinals. Up next is American Heritage (Plantation) in the semifinals, with winner facing Rockledge or Eustis for the right to play in the state tournament.

10. Marian, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (13-1)

Previous: 12.

Low down: The Mustangs pummeled Mercy (Farmington Hills), 65-28, securing first place in the Catholic League Central Division.

11. Cypress Woods, Cypress, Texas (26-1)

Previous: 13.

Low down: Hammered Langham Creek (Houston), 67-44, and Cypress Lakes, 71-21. Erica Ogwumike totaled 33 points in the two wins. The regular season draws to a conclusion Tuesday with Cypress Ridge.

12. Elizabethtown, Ky. (24-2)

Previous: 14.

Low down: The Lady Panthers took out Fort Knox, 70-18. Three games to go in the regular season.

13. Poly, Long Beach, Calif. (21-2)

Previous: 15.

Low down: The Jackrabbits won Moore League contests by 81 and 53 points.

14. Olive Branch, Miss. (25-1)

Previous: 16.

Low down: The Conquistadors beat Horn Lake, 49-34, for the second time this season.

15. Paul VI, Fairfax, Va. (24-2)

Previous: 17.

Low down: The Panthers have a trap game Tuesday against Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.). In the meantime, they took care of business last week with two more wins in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference improving to 12-0. C Jonquanae Cole, a North Carolina State commit, tallied 22 points in a 65-58 victory over Bishop O’Connell (Arlington, Va.).

16. Miami (Fla.) Country Day (26-2)

Previous: 18.

Low down: Defeated Marathon, 83-17, in Class 3A, Region 4 quarterfinals. Up next is Trinity Palmer (Palmetto Bay) in the semifinals, with the winner playing Melbourne Central Catholic or Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach) in the regional final.

17. Chaminade, West Hills, Calif. (19-3)

Previous: 7.

Low down: Upset by with Alemany (Mission Hills), 59-54. Two games remain in the regular season.

18. Desert Vista, Phoenix (24-3)

Previous: 19.

Low down: Even without McDonald’s All-American C Kristine Anigwe (tender ankle), the Thunders closed the regular season on a 15-game game win streak, defeating Basha (Chandler), 63-42. Toni Davis scored 18 points and Sabrina Haines added 17. The Thunder opens the Division I super sectionals on Tuesday with Westview (Avondale)

19. Braintree, Mass. (16-0)

Previous: 20.

Low down: The Wamps blasted three Bay State Conference foes, including Brookline, 69-29.

20. Cumberland Valley, Mechanicsburg, Pa. (21-1)

Previous: 22.

Low down: Closed out the regular season, beating Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh), 67-47. Kelly Jekot dropped in a career-high 32 points. Up next is West Perry (Elliotsburg) in the Mid-Penn Conference semifinals on Tuesday. The final is Thursday in Harrisburg.

21. Capital Prep, Hartford, Conn. (16-1)

Previous: 23.

Low down: The Trailblazers had an easy week, beating Prince Tech (Hartford), 86-40, Vinal Tech (Middletown), 80-30, and Goodwin Tech (New Britain), 84-34. Maryland-bound Kiah Gillespie is leading the state in scoring at 30.4 ppg and rebounding at 16.4. The last real test of the season is Nazareth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) on Feb. 18.

22. Princess Anne, Virginia Beach, Va. (19-1)

Previous: 11.

Low down: Upset by Maury (Norfolk), 53-44. The loss snapped a 33-game win streak. G Gadiva Hubbard tossed in a game-high 21 points and cleared 6 rebounds.

23. Archbishop Alter, Kettering, Ohio (21-0)

Previous: Not ranked.

Low down: The Knights are Ohio’s top-ranked Division II squad, heading into Wednesday’s season finale against rivals Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton). They are 9-0 in the Great Catholic League North Division and open the sectional playoffs vs. Stivers on Feb. 18.

24. Maize, Kan. (15-0)

Previous: 24.

Low down: Taylor Holmes totaled 25 points in wins over Hutchinson, 48-33, and Newton, 56-38. The Eagles have two games this week, capped by Friday’s with Campus (Wichita).

25. Lawrence North, Indianapolis (21-1)

Previous: 25.

Low down: The Wildcats host the Class 4A Lawrenceville North Sectional, opening with Lawrenceville Central (Indianapolis), with the winner playing Warren Central (Indianapolis) in the semifinals on Friday.

Dropped: No. 21 South Forsyth, Cumming, Ga.

High-Fives by Region

East

1. Ursuline Academy, Wilmington, Del. (16-1)

2. Manasquan, N.J. (17-1)

3. Central Dauphin East, Harrisburg, Pa. (20-1)

4. Long Island Lutheran, Brookhaven, N.Y. (13-4)

5. Stonewall Jackson, Manassas, Va. (22-1)

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

Midlands

1. Hopkins, Minnetonka, Minn. (19-1)

2. Martin Luther King, Detroit (14-0)

3. Pius XI, Milwaukee (19-0)

4. Benson, Omaha, Neb. (19-0)

5. Marian Catholic, Chicago Heights, Ill. (23-2)

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

South

1. Ribault, Jacksonville, Fla. (26-2)

2. Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Atlanta (25-0)

3. Northside, Fort Smith, Ark. (21-1)

4. Warren Easton, New Orleans (30-1)

5. Dyer County, Newbern, Tenn. (26-0)

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

Far West

1. Gonzaga Prep, Spokane, Wash. (20-0)

2. Konawaena, Kealakekua, Hawaii (28-1)

3. Miramonte, Orinda, Calif. (21-2)

4. ThunderRidge, Highlands, Colo. (17-2)

5. St. Ignatius, San Francisco (18-3)

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.