By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
For the first time in four weeks, the top-ranked team in the MaxPreps Girls Basketball Xcellent 25 survived.
No. 1 Murry Bergtraum (New York, N.Y.) avoided the jinx at the top going 2-0 last week including an impressive 67-53 win over H.D. Woodson (Washington D.C.) to extend its win streak to 72 games.
The combined record of the top 25 was 44-1 with the lone loss coming to previous No. 9 Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.), who lost to Southern California rival and then-No. 10 Brea-Olinda 58-47.
Cajon simply moved down six spots and everyone else moved up. No new teams entered the top 25.
The news of the week was the inordinate amount of lopsided wins, the most one-sided being 87 points by Nimitz (Houston, Texas). On the heels of a 100-0 victory by a Dallas (Texas) team that led to a coach’s firing and many other 60-point victories, this seems disconcerting.
About the Rankings: MaxPreps already provides the most comprehensive high school sports ratings with the MaxPreps National Rankings presented by the National Guard, a computer model developed by Ned Freeman. Now, it’s time to get the human element involved.
Each Monday, Mitch Stephens will run down the top 25 girls basketball teams in the country – weighing record, quality wins and losses and other factors to determine the best of the best
MaxPreps Xcellent 25
1. Murry Bergtraum (New York, N.Y.) 19-0 overall (2-0 last week) – Won 72nd straight game with 14-point win over H.D. Woodson at the Kennedy Challenge as Shanee Williams scored 25 of her game-high 27 in the second half.
2. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) 21-0 (2-0) – Had little trouble with undefeated Orange Lutheran 68-35 before tough 49-41 tussle with perennial San Diego small-school power La Jolla Country Day. No. 15 Cajon awaits Feb. 6.
3. Washington (South Bend, Ind.) 20-0 (2-0) – Two more high-scoring blowout wins (85-45 and 83-63) for nation’s highest-scoring team.
4. Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.) 20-0 (2-0) – Nice to have three college-bound players like DeAirra Goss (Michigan), Alex Bentley (Penn State) and Dee Dee Williams (Purdue).
5. Heritage Christian (Indianapolis, Ind.) 17-0 (1-0) – As usual, the Eagles had plenty of balance with Emily Anderson leading four players in double figures with 15 points in 75-51 win over Indianapolis Cathedral.
6. Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) 16-1 (2-0) – Model of consistency, scoring between 61 and 68 in six of last eight games.
7. Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.) 22-1 (1-0) – Ended regular season with 84-33 blowout of Sullivan after another big game from sophomore point guard Chanise Jenkins.
8. Mount Notre Dame (Cincinnati, Ohio) 14-1 (1-0) – Four more girls in double figures led by Ashley Fowler (14 points) in a 61-39 victory over St. Ursula Academy.
9. Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.) 18-2 (3-0) – Four days after 78-7 win over Tustin, had too much depth in huge 58-47 victory over previous No. 9 Cajon. Kelsey Harris (16 points) and Kendall Rodriguez (15) lead four players in double figures.
10. Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) 14-0 (1-0) – Rolled to 61-45 win over two-time defending 3A state champion Auburn Riverside.
11. St. Michael Academy (New York, N.Y.) 17-2 (3-0) – According to fiveborosports.com, St. Michael prevailed 64-54 over tough South Shore despite four key injuries.
12. Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 15-2 (2-0) – Jazzmine Johnson had 21 and Tierre Hawkins 20 as Riverside Baptist defeated National Christian Academy 67-52.
13. Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) 17-2 (2-0) – After 66-point win over Compton, Poly pulled out 62-59 win over a 12-8 Chatsworth team which got 30 points from blue chip recruit Gennifer Brandon (20.4 points per game, 17.4 rebounds per game).
14. Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) 15-1 (2-0) – Pulled out tough 47-37 win over two-time defending state champion Archbishop Mitty.
15. Cajon (San Bernardino, Calif.) 18-1 (2-1) – Drops first game of the year but nothing to panic over – 58-47 at No. 10 Brea Olinda. Layshia Clarendon had 25 and Darshae Burnside added 15.
16. Horizon (Thornton, Colo.) 16-0 (2-0) – Hawks tied season high with 90-31 win over Northglen as Meagan and Brenna Malcolm-Peck combined for 44 before “easing” up with 78-22 win over Thornton.
17. St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) 16-3 (2-0) – Following 98-10 win – this has got to stop – Rams earn a tough 73-54 win over strong St. Francis (Sacramento) squad.
18. Bolingbrook (Ill.) 12-4 (1-0) – Another 60-point win for the week, 83-23 over Lincoln Way-Way North.
19. Westbury Christian (Houston) 34-1 (1-0) – Chalk up another 67-point win, this one over Awtry International 73-6.
20. Dulles (Sugar Land, Texas) 26-2 (1-0) – First time under 70 this month following 69-44 win over Austin (Sugar Land).
21. Fayetteville (Ark) 19-0 (2-0) – Had little trouble with previously unbeaten Rogers 65-51 as Callie Berna had 20 points and Fayetteville made 14 3-pointers.
22. Nimitz (Houston, Texas) 26-1 (1-0) – The carnage continues in Texas. Nimitz gets 108-21 win over Aldine as Baylor-bound Brittney Griner made 18 of 19 shots and scored 36 points.
23. University (Newark, N.J.) 9-3 (2-0) – Blowout city moves to New Jersey as the Phoenix record wins of 75-14 and 70-27.
24. Detroit Country Day (Mich.) 11-0 (2-0) – At last, some marginally competitive games. DCD beats Southfield-Lathrup 38-27 and Northern 65-48, only the third time its allowed 40 points or more in a game.
25. Fargo South (Fargo, N.D.) 11-0 (2-0): Meghan Roehrich had 25 points and Katie Lee 19 in a 85-38 win over Devil’s Lake.
Bubble Watch (alphabetical): Archbishop Carroll (Radnor, Pa) 14-1; Cedar Hill (Texas) 21-4, Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.) 13-4: Detroit Community (Detroit, Mich.) 9-0; Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.) 17-1; Germantown Academy (Pa.) 18-0, MacArthur (Irving, Texas) 29-2; Lakota West (West Chester).12-2; Lewis & Clark (Spokane, Wash.) 14-0; Oak Ridge (Tenn.) 18-2; St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) 14-1
Past weeks: Jan. 5, Jan. 12, Jan. 20
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