High school girls basketball rankings: No. 13 Incarnate Word Academy, No. 15 Purcell Marian latest MaxPreps Top 25 teams to grab state titles

By Aaron Williams Mar 19, 2024, 11:30am

Incarnate Word Academy wins seventh straight Missouri Class 6 championship while Purcell Marian three-peats in Ohio Division II.

Two teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 high school girls basketball rankings brought home state titles over the weekend. No. 13 Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis) won its seventh straight Class 6 title in Missouri while No. 15 Purcell Marian (Cincinnati) went back-to-back-back in Ohio's Division II.

The title for Incarnate Word Academy was bittersweet as the Red Knights took the court Saturday against Kickapoo (Springfield) without head coach Dan Rolfes, who had a heart attack after Friday's semifinal victory and remained hospitalized. 

The school and Rolfes' family said the 52-year-old coach would have wanted his team to play. The Red Knights went out and brought home the title with a 53-43 win. It was Incarnate Word Academy's 131st straight victory, putting the Red Knights eight wins away from breaking the national record of 138 in a row by Central Plains (Claflin, Kan.) from 2015-2020.

Purcell Marian completed the Division II three-peat with a 79-52 win over Laurel (Shaker Heights). Ohio Ms. Basketball Dee Alexander set the state tournament scoring record with 136 points over six games. Alexander and Ky Miller each finished with 18 points in the championship while Samaya Wilkens added 17.



Five teams in the MaxPreps Top 25 are in the field for Chipotle Nationals (formerly GEICO Nationals), which will be held April 4-6 in Brownsburg, Ind.

No. 1 Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.) grabbed the tournament's top spot and first-round bye while No. 4 Grayson (Loganville), fresh off its Georgia AAAAAAA title, is the No. 2 seed and also has a bye.

The top seed play the winner of fourth seed Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and five-seed Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.). Grayson awaits the winner of national No. 5 IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) and Grace Christian (Sanford, N.C.). The games will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.
Ky Miller and Purcell Marian brought home their third straight Ohio Division II title over the weekend. The three-peat cements top 15 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25 for the Cavaliers. (Photo: Scott Iles)
Ky Miller and Purcell Marian brought home their third straight Ohio Division II title over the weekend. The three-peat cements top 15 finish in the MaxPreps Top 25 for the Cavaliers. (Photo: Scott Iles)
MaxPreps Top 25 girls basketball rankings

Record: 21-1| Last week: 1
Grabbed the top seed for Chipotle Nationals in April.

2. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record:
32-3 | Last week: 2
Season complete. Open Division state champions.

3. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record:
30-1 | Last week: 3
Season complete. Open Division state runner-up.

4. Grayson (Loganville, Ga.)
Record:
32-0 | Last week: 4
No. 2 seed in Chipotle Nationals in April.



5. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Record:
23-3 | Last week: 5
Ascenders draw top-ranked Class of 2024 prospect Sarah Strong and Grace Christian in the opening round of the Chipotle Nationals.

6. Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.)
Record:
28-5 | Last week: 6
Season complete. Private school state champions.

7. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record:
29-1 | Last week: 7
Season complete. Non-Public B state champions.

8. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record:
31-3 | Last week: 8
Season complete.

9. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record:
21-4 | Last week: 9
Looking for third straight title at Chipotle Nationals.

10. Hebron Christian (Dacula, Ga.)
Record:
30-2 | Last week: 10
Scheduled to compete in The Throne.

11. Duncanville (Texas)
Record:
35-4 | Last week: 11
Season complete. Class 6A state champions.



12. Johnston (Iowa)
Record:
29-0 | Last week: 12
Season complete. Class 5A state champions.

13. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis, Mo.)
Record:
31-0 | Last week: 13
Season complete. Class 6 state champions.

14. Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.)
Record:
25-5 | Last week: 25-5
Season complete. Class 3A state champions.

15. Purcell Marian (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Record:
28-1 | Last week: 15
Season complete. Division II state champions.

16. St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
Record:
26-5 | Last week: 16
Season complete. Class AA champions.

17. Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Record:
30-1 | Last week: 17
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.



18. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record:
25-6 | Last week: 18
Quakers look to avenge an 81-72 loss in February to Montverde Academy at Chipotle Nationals.

19. Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.)
Record:
38-0 | Last week: 19
Season complete. Class 4A state champions.

20. Bradley Central (Cleveland, Tenn.)
Record:
34-1 | Last week: 20
Season complete. Division I Class AA state champions.

21. Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas)
Record:
40-2 | Last week: 21
Season complete. Class 5A state runner-up.

22. Burroughs (St. Louis, Mo.)
Record:
27-3 | Last week: 23
Season complete. Class 5 state champions.

23. DeSoto (Texas)
Record:
26-3 | Last week: 22
Season complete.

24. Putnam City West (Oklahoma City, Okla.)
Record:
27-1 | Last week: 24
Season complete. Class 6A champion.



25. Manchester (Midlothian, Va.)
Record:
27-2 | Last week: 25
Season complete. Class 6 state champions.