Last season was a dream season for Ben Davis of Indianapolis.
The MaxPreps Xcellent national championships capped Indiana’s first perfect 30-win season with a dramatic and remarkable 71-69 victory over national Player of the Year Skylar Diggans and Washington (South Bend) before about 13,300 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Bria Goss, Ben Davis
Photo courtesy of Ben Davis HS/Diane Davidson
Bria Goss banked home a 15-foot leaner with 1.4 seconds remaining to win it. Goss, now a 5-foot-10 junior, is back from a team ravaged by graduation. But some say the Giants are even better this year.
Last week, they extended their win streak to 48 games, including 18 straight this season with a 68-46 win over Center Grove on Saturday.
Utilizing a remarkably deep bench, the Giants overcame an ankle injury to co-captain and Purdue-bound Dee Dee Williams, who is second on the team in scoring at 9.9 per game while averaging a team-best 4.2 assists per game. She sat out the game but is expected to return next week.
The Giants got a big lift from 5-11 Illinois State-bound senior Vivian Holcomb, who scored 13 points and added five rebounds and three assists. To show how much depth Davis has, Holcomb, a starter last year, now comes off the bench.
Jordan Huber, a 5-7 senior co-captain headed for Ball State, added 13 points on four 3-pointers and a free throw, while the ever-reliable Goss led the charge once again with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 on free throws. She added six rebounds and four assists.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Davis’ win streak currently is tied for the fifth-longest in state history. There’s no sign or upcoming foe that indicate anyone is going to end the Giants’ win streak any time soon. They close out the regular season against three opponents with a combined 25-26 record, though Carmel is 13-5. Davis visits Carmel on Saturday. {VIDEO_162dfb99-8d82-4f28-8d00-adca7f5cd182,floatRightWithBar}
Two new undefeated teams moved into the Xcellent 25, No. 24 North Little Rock, Ark. (19-0) and Auburn-Riverside out of Washington (16-0). Not only are the teams debuting in the rankings, but so are each team’s respective states. Shabazz (N.J.) dropped out of the rankings based on a loss to previous No. 18 Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.), which dropped out because of a loss to a very good Start (Toledo, Ohio). All three teams remain right on the bubble.
Xcellent 25 National High School Girls Basketball Rankings
1. (1) St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.), 21-1
Received scare from Berkeley and first-quarter ankle injury to Duke-bound Chelsea Gray. See story.
2. (2) Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.), 18-2
After big win over Mater Dei, showed little let-up in 90-9 win over Tustin before Etiwanda gave Wildcats real tussle in 61-47 victory.
3. (3) Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.), 18-1
Rebounded from loss to Brea-Olinda with 66-34 win over St. Anthony (Long Beach). Looking forward to Nike Extravaganza-Day home game with No. 7 Whitney Young (Chicago) on Feb. 5.
4. (4) Long Beach Poly (Calif.), 15-2
Another close game, a 62-57 win over Bellarmine-Jefferson before 71-27 blowout over Cabrillo. Sheila Boykin, a 6-foot junior, leads the Jackrabbits in scoring, assists, blocks, rebounds and steals.
5. (5) Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.), 18-0
The Giants also showed great depth in a 67-28 win over Avon as Demetria Nunley-Lash had 12, Shawnece Teague added 11 and Goss 10. Ten different Giants scored in that one.
6. (6) Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas), 23-1
Cassie Peoples led four Bobcats in double figures with 18 points in a 74-43 win over Cypress Woods. It’s pretty clear sailing for Cy-Fair until postseason play.
7. (7) Whitney Young (Chicago), 17-0
It’s that time of year when the ridiculous scores come in, this one 82-9 over Mather, as Laquita Garner (13 points) and Candence Cannady (10 points, 10 rebounds) led the way for the Dolphins.
8. (8) Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook, Ill.), 15-1
One of the country’s top sophomores, Morgan Tuck, continues to recover nicely from an ACL tear with 21 points and 12 rebounds in a 54-26 win over Lincoln-Way East.
9. (9) Murry Bergtraum (New York), 16-0
Depaul-bound forward Shukura Washington had 11 points and 15 rebounds, and CeCe Dixon added 11 points, leading the Blazers to a big 53-35 win over New Jersey power University in the John F. Kennedy Challenge on Sunday.
10. (10) MacArthur (Irving, Texas), 29-1
The one-two punch of Odyssey Sims (22.3 points per game) and Alexis Jones (17.2 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists) is lethal.
11. (12) Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh), 14-2
Had little trouble with Upper St. Clair (72-42) and Baldwin (59-37). Plays Trinity on Thursday.
12. (13) Redan (Stone Mountain, Ga.), 16-0
Had a good test in 61-55 win over Douglass.
13. (14) Hoover (Birmingham, Ala.), 23-1
The Buccaneers continue to pound opponents with wins of 49 and 60 points and have now outscored opponents by an average score of 64-31.
14. (15) Timberview (Mansfield, Texas), 25-2
Maegan Conwright, a 5-9 senior guard, combined for 40 points in wins over Everman (64-32) and Mansfield Legacy (79-27).
15. (16) South Broward (Hollywood, Fla.), 17-0
After back-to-back wins by 63-11 and 79-9 counts, the Bulldogs got somewhat of a game while beating Palm Beach Gardens 64-44.
16. (17) Oregon City (Ore.), 16-0
17. (19) Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), 10-0
18. (20) Midwest City (Okla.), 14-2
19. (21) Norcross (Ga.), 16-2
20. (22) Neptune (N.J.), 11-1
21. (23) Incarnate Word (St. Louis, Mo.), 16-1
22. (24) Cedar Hill (Texas), 20-3
23. (25) Duncanville (Texas), 27-2
24. (NR) North Little Rock (Ark.), 19-0
25. (NR) Auburn-Riverside (Auburn, Wash.), 16-0
Dropped out: No. 11 Shabazz (N.J.), No. 18 Potter’s House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.)
