The ecstasy and agony postseason high school girls basketball played out in full force this weekend in New Jersey.
In Texas,
Clark (San Antonio) enters the MaxPreps Top 25 at No. 25 after ending DeSoto's two-year reign as 6A champions. The Cougars are one of three teams to enter the rankings along with No. 20
Centennial (Las Vegas), which won the Nevada 5A title, and No. 24
Princeton (Cincinnati), which heads into the Ohio Division I final four starting Friday.
On Tuesday,
Juju Watkins leads No. 1
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.) against
Kennedy Smith and No. 6
Etiwanda (Calif.) for a trip to Sacramento in the CIF Open Division finals on Saturday. The Trailblazers handled Etiwanda 70-57 back on Feb. 25 in the Southern Section Open Division finals. Last season, the Eagles beat Sierra Canyon in the Southern Section final before the Trailblazers flipped the script in the state playoffs.
Can Etiwanda return the favor a year later and win a trip to the state final? Stay tuned.
Danielle Matus and No. 5 Morris Catholic won the New Jersey Non-Public B title over the weekend. (Photo: Jerrell Jordan)
1. Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
Record: 31-0 |
Last week: 1
Two wins from notching back-to-back CIF Open Division titles.
2. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 2
Expected to participate in GEICO Nationals .
3. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)
Record: 19-2 |
Last week: 3
Awaiting NYS Federation tournament play.
4. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Record: 27-0 |
Last week: 4
Red Knights continue to roll and now face St. Joseph's Academy on Tuesday in the District 3 final. Up next would be the Class 6 state tournament.
5. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record: 27-3 |
Last week: 8
Mia Pauldo led the Crusaders with 18 of her game-high 26 in the second half of the Crusaders' 71-63 Non-Public B state final win over Rutgers Prep. Twin sister
Mya Pauldo added 17, including eight in the fourth quarter.
6. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record: 30-3 |
Last week: 10
Dictated tempo and pace in a grind-it-out 47-42 win over previous No. 5 La Jolla Country Day to advance to CIF Southern California Open Division regional final.
7. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 28-3 |
Last week: 6
Bounced back from a loss to Georgetown Visitation Prep earlier in the week to beat Maret and St. John's to capture the DCSAA title.
8. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 27-2 |
Last week: 15
Adding
Morgan Cheli back into the lineup after missing most of the season with injury makes the Monarchs dangerous coupled with emergence of freshman
Mckenna Woliczko. Mitty battles Salesian College Preparatory (Richmond) in Northern California Open Division regional final.
9. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 7
Zoe Brooks was limited in Non-Public A final loss to Immaculate Heart Academy as the Lancers dropped their first contest to an in-state foe in 92 games.
10. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 35-1 |
Last week: 13
Reniya Kelly led the Bucs with 25 points in a 55-44 win over Sparkman in the 7A finals. It was the third straight title for Hoover and the fourth in five years.
11. The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.)
Record: 32-4 |
Last week: 11
LSU commit
Aalyah Del Rosario had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Feet cruised to a TSSAA Division II Class A title 73-43 over Middle Tennessee Christian (Murfreesboro). Ole Miss signee
Rhema Collins added 13 and Ukrainian sophomore
Daria Biriyk chipped in 11.
12. La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
Record: 29-4 |
Last week: 4
The Torreys were frustrated by Etiwanda's zone in the 47-42 loss as they committed 16 turnovers and shot 14 of 44 from the field.
13. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record: 36-1 |
Last week: 14
Leah Brooks scored 20 and added 14 boards as the Trojans captured their record sixth straight state title. No Alabama school, boys or girls, has ever accomplished that feat.
14. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)
Record: 21-3 |
Last week: 9
The Eagles lost a hard-fought battle to No. 9 St. John-Vianney in the South Jersey Non-Public A final.
15. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 23-3 |
Last week: 16
In the Kentucky Sweet 16 with a Wednesday matchup against 30-5 Lawrence County in the state's one classification, winner-take-all tournament.
16. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
Record: 23-3 |
Last week: 17
Faced with its first test against in-state competition, the Knights used a 27-6 run to end the game and beat Skyridge 64-49 in the 6A final. BYU commit
Kailey Woolston finished with 18 and 10 as Lone Peak repeated as champions.
17. Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)
Record: 30-1 |
Last week: 18
Season complete. Class 7A state champions.
18. Desert Vista (Phoenix)
Record: 28-3 |
Last week: 22
Won the inaugural Open Division title 63-37 over Millennium (Goodyear) behind 21 points from freshman
Jerzy Robinson, 16 from sophomore
Dylan Swindle and 10 from sophomore
Michaela Fairwell.
19. Conway (Ark.)
Record: 26-5 |
Last week: 19
North Little Rock stands in the way of the Wampus Cats taking home the 6A title after getting past Central (Little Rock) in the semis.
20. Centennial (Las Vegas)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: NR
After dropping their first game of the season against No. 16 Lone Peak, the Bulldogs ran the table on their way to a 5A title behind MaxPreps Nevada Player of the Year
Kaniya Boyd.
21. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)
Record: 30-2 |
Last week: 12
Ran into a buzzsaw in No. 8 Mitty in the NorCal Open Division regional semis. Season included 11th straight Central Section title.
22. Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.)
Record: 25-0 |
Last week: 23
The Huskies are three wins away from Oklahoma 6A title. The first step comes Thursday against 19-8 Bixby.
23. Lake Norman (Mooresville, N.C.)
Record: 31-0 |
Last week: 25
A 4A championship awaits should the Wildcats get past Panther Creek (Cary) on Saturday.
24. Princeton (Cincinnati)
Record: 26-2 |
Last week: NR
Sole Williams leads the Vikings into Friday's Division I semifinals vs. 23-4 Midview (Grafton).
25. Clark (San Antonio)
Record: 34-3 |
Last week: NR
Upended previously-ranked DeSoto 42-37 to win the Class 6A title. The Cougars ended the season on a 26-game win streak as 6-foot-4
Arianna Roberson led the way with 25 points.
On the bubble: Pleasant Valley (Iowa), 27-0;
Bedford North Lawrence (Bedford, Ind.), 27-3;
Hebron Christian Academy (Dacula, Ga.), 31-0;
Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wis.), 27-1;
Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.), 35-1
