Video: Burke (SC) knocks in half-court shot to advance to state finals
See an amazing buzzer-beater to advance to a state final.Aside from a surprising upset in Philadelphia, it was a quiet week in the Xcellent 25 -- but as the state playoffs start to kick into high gear, expect some bloodletting in the coming week.
One thing that's hard to grasp from the outside is that the pressure mounts with each game, especially for the favorite, and the reasonably talented underdog with nothing to lose can suddenly get hot and pull off what seems like a stunning win. But players and coaches who have been through the grinder of a long postseason -- in California, it takes eight more wins to claim a title -- know just how difficult it can be.
Note: The rankings are more accurate when all the results are on MaxPreps, so we encourage everyone to make sure their schedules and scores are up to date. If you have any issues, contact MaxPreps Coach Support at coachsupport@maxpreps.com, and you'll be taken care of.
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 National Girls Basketball Rankings presented by the Army National Guard
Bailey Thomas and Centennial are one step closer to a Nevada state title.
Photo by Louis Lopez
St. Mary's moves on to the second round of the postseason and hosts Modesto Christian, which won a state title two years ago. Modesto Christian is still pretty good, but not at the level it was in 2014.
2. (2) Duncanville (Texas) 35-0
Lauren Cox showed why she is one of the top seniors in the country with 26 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for Flower Mound -- but Duncanville had too many soldiers, and built an 18-point lead before stumbling in the fourth quarter.
3. (3) National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, Md.) 25-0
National Christian is off to the NACA Nationals, where No. 4 Riverdale Baptist awaits, seeking revenge. But National Christian only beat Wednesday's opponent, TPLS Christian Academy, by 12 the first time around, so looking ahead could be a mistake.
4. (5) Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Md.) 30-3
Riverdale Baptist did not get an easy draw at the NACA Nationals, with Hamilton Heights first up. Hamilton Heights has quality wins over Morgan Park of Illinois and Life Center of New Jersey, and has played a high-level schedule.
5. (6) Centennial (Las Vegas) 29-1
In what was probably the state championship game, Centennial used pressure to offset Las Vegas rival Bishop Gorman's inside game and moved to the Nevada semifinals with a 71-56 win. Reno, and 6-foot-4 post Mallory McGwire (Mark's niece), await there.
6. (13) Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.) 30-1
Paul VI jumps back into the top 10 after knocking off St. John's College, 70-61, in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference -- PVI's third straight title. Now it's on to the much less challenging Virginia playoffs.
7. (7) Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.) 26-0
Miramonte is in the Division III North Coast Section playoffs, where it will most likely meet perennial power Bishop O'Dowd in the finals. But both may wind up in the NorCal Open Division, where No. 1 St. Mary's and No. 12 Archbishop Mitty will also likely land.
8. (8) Forestville (Md.) 19-2
Wise is 17-3 and hasn't lost in 2016. But Wise hasn't played the No. 8 team in the country, either. Still, it's a road game for Forestville, and funny things can happen.
9. (9) North Shore (Houston) 34-1
North Shore got past Manvel, 56-45 Tuesday, but 29-win Tompkins is next on Friday. The matchup with No. 2 Duncanville, if it happens, would most likely be March 5.
10. (10) St. Francis (Alpharetta, Ga.) 28-1
Lakeview Academy is 23-6, but it's unlikely St. Francis will stumble in the A Private before the finals March 5. And even in that one, St. Francis will be the heavy favorite.
11. (11) Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.) 22-0
Cicero-North Syracuse moves on to the Section III Class AA final against 14-8 West Genesee on Sunday -- and since Cicero-North Syracuse has won both matchups by a combined total of 59 points, an upset seems improbable.
12. (12) Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) 20-3
Archbishop Mitty moves into the Central Coast Section Open playoffs, the "Open" being an innovative maneuver that allows the section to pick the best eight teams, regardless of enrollment, and put them in one bracket. Mitty's still the best in the group, though winning is not a foregone conclusion.
13. (14) Bellevue (Wash.) 25-0
Bellevue handled Bishop Blanchet 67-53 and plays Wilson Friday in the regional finals. Next up is the eight-team state tournament, starting March 3.
14. (15) Highlands Ranch (Colo.) 22-1
Highlands Ranch has begun the long march through the Colorado 5A playoffs, with a potential matchup against 20-2 George Washington next Tuesday being the next roadblock.
15. (16) Lynnwood (Bothell, Wash.) 23-0
Lynnwood and Bellevue seem destined to meet, but it's tough to pick a favorite. But since Bellevue beat West Seattle 58-50 and Lynnwood plays West Seattle next, a common opponent comparison will be available.
16. (17) Villa Maria Academy (Erie, Pa.) 23-0
Villa Maria is sailing along, with Girard tonight, but the PIAA AA finals aren't until March 18, so there's still a long way to go.
17. (18) Blackman (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 26-3
Blackman has made it clear it's the best in its area, knocking off Stewarts Creek 55-43 and handling crosstown rival Oakland, 57-44. But the convoluted Tennessee playoffs may result in yet another familiar opponent down the road.
18. (19) St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.) 24-1
St. John-Vianney got past tough St. Rose, 59-54, but Manasquan is next -- and even though Vianney has beaten Manasquan twice, the average margin of victory has been five points.
19. (20) Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas) 33-0
Mansfield Timberview plays a level below No. 2 Duncanville but Texas is full of good teams in pretty much every bracket. One of them is Liberty of Frisco and they're next up for Timberview.
20. (21) Grandview (Aurora, Colo.) 23-0
Grandview, like No. 14 Highlands Ranch, should sail smoothly for a while, but ThunderRidge is in Grandview's half of the draw, and looks like an eventual opponent.
21. (22) Seton Catholic (Chandler, Ariz.) 30-1
Seton Catholic should have little trouble with Mesa -- which Seton has beaten twice by 20-plus points -- in the Division II state semifinals. But the championship game Monday will prove a sterner test.
22. (4) Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia) 23-1
Archbishop Wood, which Neumann-Goretti had beaten earlier in the season, upset the previous No. 4 40-36 in the Philadelphia Catholic League championship. Now Neumann-Goretti must regroup for 25-2 Imhotep Charter in the state playoffs.
23. (23) South (Wichita, Kan.) 19-0
Wichita South should easily move on to the Kansas 6A sub-state playoffs, which begin next Wednesday. The state title game isn't until March 12.
24. (24) Konawaena (Kealakekua, Hawaii) 27-1 *Season complete
Season complete.
25. (25) LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) 33-0
LeFlore avenged last year's postseason loss to Blount, 68-54, and now is two games away from an undefeated season and the 6A championship.
Dropped out: None
