The playoffs are here in high school girls basketball as nearly every state has started the process of crowning champions. Hawaii already finished its postseason and over the next month others will follow.
Arizona has added an Open Division this season and is down to its final eight, including
Desert Vista (Phoenix) – the lone newcomer to this week's MaxPreps Top 25. The state took the top 32 programs from 4A to 6A and seeded them. Teams losing in the first and second rounds drop back to their respective conference playoffs while the remaining eight battle for an Open Division crown.
Desert Vista opened with a 52-point win over Flowing Wells (Tucson) before a 13-point victory over Valley Vista (Surprise). The Thunder draw Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) in the Open Division quarterfinals. A win earns a semifinal meeting with the winner of 21-seed McClintock (Tempe) and 4-seed Xavier College Prep (Phoenix). Perry (Gilbert), Pinnacle (Phoenix), Seton Catholic (Chandler) and Millennium (Goodyear) sit on the opposite of the bracket.
In California, No. 1
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth) held serve with a Southern Section Open Division pool play win over Bishop Montgomery (Torrance) while No. 10
Etiwanda did the same in its pool, beating Santiago (Corona) by 39. The two SoCal powers are headed for a Feb. 25 showdown before both enter the CIF Open Division postseason with No. 5
La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla), the likely San Diego Section Open Division winner.
Duncanville (Texas),
which had been banned from postseason play and its coach suspended, found itself in more hot water late last week as the Pantherettes' final game was forfeited. The Duncanville ISD suspended the current coaching staff and reported already-suspended coach LeJeanna Howard may had violated her suspension. Duncanville was 12-0 in district play before the forfeit but its rankings upward mobility was always limited by the postseason ban despite a strong national schedule. The Pantherettes drop to No. 25.
Jerzy Robinson of No. 24 Desert Vista has the Thunder looking for a state title in Arizona's inaugural Open Division bracket. (Photo: Mark Jones)
Record: 27-0 |
Last week: 1
Began their quest for a CIF Open Division title with a 39-point pool play win over Bishop Montgomery. Ontario Christian is up next on Wednesday and Sage Hill on Saturday before a potential meeting with No. 10 Etiwanda in the Southern Section finals on Feb. 25.
2. Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.)
Record: 21-2 |
Last week: 2
Picked up a pair of wins last week and have three league games remaining, including 17-4 Georgetown Visitation Prep on Feb. 21.
3. Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.)
Record: 24-1 |
Last week: 3
Capped the regular season with a 67-56 win over IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.).
4. Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.)
Record: 16-2 |
Last week: 4
Bowled over Brooklyn Law & Tech (Brooklyn) as
Olivia Jones had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds while
Kate Koval dropped a triple-double with 10 points, 14 boards and 11 blocks.
5. La Jolla Country Day (La Jolla, Calif.)
Record: 25-3 |
Last week: 5
The Torreys open San Diego Section Open Division play Saturday against Scripps Ranch.
6. Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
Record: 23-0 |
Last week: 6
Upped their win streak to 91 games with a 68-45 victory over perennial Kansas power Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission, Kan.).
Natalie Potts led the way with 22 points.
7. St. John-Vianney (Holmdel, N.J.)
Record: 26-0 |
Last week: 7
Coach Dawn Karpel recently won her 500th game. The Lancers and No. 13 Paul VI (Haddonfield) are on a collision course in the South Jersey Non-Public A postseason bracket.
8. Morris Catholic (Denville, N.J.)
Record: 22-3 |
Last week: 8
Mia Pauldo scored 24 and
Daniella Matus added 22 in a blowout win over Morristown-Beard in the Morris County Tournament semis. Next is Montville in Friday's final and then Wardlaw Hartridge (Edison) in opening round of the North Jersey Non-Public B playoffs.
9. South Bend Washington (South Bend, Ind.)
Record: 27-0 |
Last week: 9
The Panthers face a potential doubleheader Saturday in Indiana's unique semi-state setup. First up is a noon game against 22-5 Lake Central (St. John). If they advance, an 8 p.m. showdown with the Fort Wayne Snider-Fishers winner will send one team to the Class 4A state championship game.
10. Etiwanda (Calif.)
Record: 27-2 |
Last week: 10
Took care of business in the first Southern Section Open Division pool play game, beating Santiago (Corona) 82-43. Up next is Windward (Los Angeles) on Wednesday and Mater Dei (Santa Ana) on Saturday.
11. The Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tenn.)
Record: 25-4 |
Last week: 11
LSU-bound
Angelica Velez is among the Miss Basketball candidates as the Feet ran through Columbia Academy (Columbia) and Middle Tennessee Christian (Murfreesboro) for the District 3 title. They have Goodpasture up next in the DII-A Middle Regional tournament.
12. Clovis West (Fresno, Calif.)
Record: 27-1 |
Last week: 13
Avenged their lone loss, beating rival Clovis 53-39 in the regular-season finale. They have a first-round bye in the Central Section postseason, playing the Caruthers-Arroyo Grande winner on Thursday.
13. Paul VI (Haddonfield, N.J.)
Record: 18-2 |
Last week: 15
Gutted out a 72-67 win over Rutgers Prep as
Hannah Hidalgo had 28 points and sealed the victory late.
14. Hoover (Ala.)
Record: 31-1 |
Last week: 16
Alanah Pooler had 21, including five 3-pointers, and
Reniya Kelly dropped 17 as the Bucs won the 7A Area 5 tournament title. Up next is James Clemes (Madison) in the 7A regional semifinals on Thursday.
15. Hazel Green (Ala.)
Record: 32-1 |
Last week: 17
Continued their quest for a sixth straight Class 6A title with 66-10 win over Athens. The Trojans face Mortimer Jordan (Kimberly) on Friday in the Northwest Regional.
16. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.)
Record: 22-2 |
Last week: 18
The Monarchs await their Central Coast Section Open Division pool play bracket on Wednesday with games Friday, Monday and Feb. 22 with the final on Feb. 24. Mitty represented Northern California last year in the CIF Open Division finals, losing to Sierra Canyon.
17. Sacred Heart (Louisville, Ky.)
Record: 26-3 |
Last week: 19
Reagan Bender had 22,
ZaKiyah Johnson added 19 and
Angelina Pelayo pitched in 17 in an 85-41 win Sunday over Mercy (Louisville).
18. Lone Peak (Highland, Utah)
Record: 17-3 |
Last week: 20
The Knights have won 10 straight and haven't been tested by in-state opponents.
Kailey Woolston poured in 22 in a runaway victory over American Fork.
19. Dr. Phillips (Orlando, Fla.)
Record: 26-1 |
Last week: 21
Hammered Harmony 70-9 in the Class 7A regional quarterfinals. Next up is Vero Beach (13-12) on Tuesday.
20. Conway (Ark.)
Record: 22-5 |
Last week: 22
Central (Little Rock) handed Conway its lone in-state loss in January, right before the Wampus Cats traveled to Washington D.C. to play in the GIECO Girls Basketball Invitational. It's a safe bet head coach Ashley Hutchcraft's team won't be looking past Central this time.
21. Mason (Ohio)
Record: 22-1 |
Last week: 23
Freshman
Anna Habra had a game-high 19 and sophomore
Madison Parrish added 17 in a 33-point win over Anderson (Cincinnati) in sectional play.
22. Piedmont (Calif.)
Record: 24-0 |
Last week: 24
Enter the North Coast Section Division 4 bracket as the top seed and await the winner of Healdburg-Lick-Wilmerding on Saturday.
23. Monterey (Lubbock, Texas)
Record: 29-3 |
Last week: 25
Opened Class 5A postseason play with a 104-64 win over Plainview. The next step in the lengthy UIL playoff road is against 26-3 Burges.
24. Desert Vista (Phoenix)
Record: 25-3 |
Last week: NR
Enter the Open Division portion of the playoffs as the No. 1 seed. The Thunder tangle with 22-6 Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) on Friday.
25. Duncanville (Texas)
Record: 26-5 |
Last week: 12
On the court, Duncanville competed against a tough national schedule but the postseason ban obscured its proper place in the national rankings.
On the bubble: Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.), 20-2;
Edmond North (Edmond, Okla.), 22-0;
Hebron Christian Academy (Dacula, Ga.), 25-0;
McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.), 21-2;
Bishop McNamara (Forestville, Md.), 18-5
