After a long absence due to an ankle injury, 5-star Sierra Canyon guard/wing Jerzy Robinson made her season debut last week. She led the Trailblazers to two blowout wins – and back to a top-10 ranking – despite playing limited minutes in her return.
Here are AllSportsPeople national high school girls basketball rankings for the week of Dec. 15.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: Preseason | Dec. 1 | Dec. 8
Top 25 High School Girls Basketball Rankings
1. Archbishop Mitty (CA) (6-0 – 1st last week)
It was business as usual as the Monarchs dispatched Oakland Tech 63-41 and Mission Hills 68-33, the latter of which they'd beaten 56-34 just a week before. The return of McKenna Woliczko might be near, although she's not expected to debut at the Nike TOC this week where Mitty seeks its third straight title. Call us crazy, but the Monarchs might have a serious chance to win the thing even without her – although fellow national contenders Long Island Lutheran, Mater Dei, and Bishop McNamara are among the heavyweights that might have something to say about that.
2. Ontario Christian (CA) (12-0 – 2nd)
The Knights' incredible regular season dominance continues without letup. Last week they beat Notre Dame (Sherman Oaks) 98-25, King/Drew 105-35, and Lynwood 89-44. The scores by which they're beating teams would lead one to think that they aren't playing quality competition, but they are.
3. Long Island Lutheran (NY) (4-0 – 3rd)
LuHi is halfway through a two-week make-or-break stretch for its national title candidacy. The first week was an emphatic make, as the Crusaders beat Bishop McNamara 63-56 and St. John's 69-44. This week won't be any easier as they head to the Nike TOC, where they open up as the overwhelming favorite against Southern California powerhouse Fairmont Prep.
4. Westtown (PA) (6-0 – 5th)
Still unbeaten, but Westtown looked mortal in a 59-54 win over an Archbishop Carroll team that is talented and battle-tested but currently 2-4. Tuesday brings a similar scenario as the Moose face Neumann-Goretti, which has blue chip talent as has played competitively against national competition but sits at 1-4.
5. DME Academy (FL) (10-0 – 6th)
The strong start continues as DME has won its first 10 games by 20 points or more. We expect them to keep rolling, but Thursday brings a dangerous game against unbeaten and highly underrated Virginia Academy.
6. Legion Prep (TX) (5-1 – 7th)
Currently in the middle of playing top Canada competition, the Bulldogs defeated Addison and Fort Erie International last week.
7. SPIRE Academy (OH) (3-0 – 9th)
Saniyah Hall and company really do appear to be a national contender from day one. The top-ranked senior in the country took over down the stretch as SPIRE came from behind to beat The St. James Performance Academy 73-69.
8. Sierra Canyon (CA) (7-1 – 16th)
Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn
Welcome back Jerzy Robinson! The 5-star slashing guard/wing dominated in limited minutes in her return from a lengthy ankle injury to beat Rancho Christian 89-62 and Bishop O'Dowd 86-52. Sierra Canyon was as high as fourth before the JSerra loss, which will eventually be expunged from the Trailblazers' ranking stock if they stay hot with Robinson back in the fold.
9. The St. James Performance Academy (VA) (5-3 – 11th)
With a handful of teams nearby in the rankings going down, St. James picks up its third loss and ends up rising even higher despite it. It fell 73-69 to SPIRE Academy last week sandwiched in between wins of 79-51 over Elizabeth Seton, 57-43 over Winston-Salem Christian National, and 55-48 over Canadian power Royal Crown. All three of its losses were against teams currently ranked in the top seven.
10. Princess Anne (VA) (5-0 – 12th)
When Princess Anne beat Green Run 65-23 last week, that was its least lopsided game so far this season, and that might not change any time soon.
11. Johnston (IA) (6-0 – 14th)
One of many ranked teams that dealt with upset bids last week, Johnson survived Northwest 47-41 last week after beating Ankeny 74-51. Northwest entered 2-2, but both losses did come against teams that are currently unbeaten.
12. Mater Dei (CA) (7-0 – 15th)
It was another week of just one game for the Monarchs, who'll get all the action they can handle this week at Nike TOC. They made quick work of a solid San Clemente foe 73-45.
13. Democracy Prep Agassi Campus (NV) (3-0 – Unranked)
What a start for a team that's known as one of Nevada's very best but not a national contender – until now, perhaps. DPAC opened by annihilating Shadow Ridge 79-21 and Lincoln (San Diego) 57-11, taking two weeks away from contests, and jumping back in to hand reigning national champion Etiwanda its first loss. Etiwanda is without star transfers Tess Oldenburg and Jaylee Moore until Dec. 26, but this is still a radical breakthrough win for the Blue Knights, who now have a chance to follow it up in the top division at Nike TOC. Elyah Ocampo led the way with 16 points and three assists on 5-9 shooting (5-8 3FG).
14. Etiwanda (CA) (5-1 – 8th)
If one thing has been learned from watching two-time defending national champion Etiwanda overcome "slow" starts to the last few seasons, it's that one shouldn't overreact to losses very early in the season if teams are without key personnel. The Eagles were upset 66-61 by Nevada powerhouse Democracy Prep Agassi Campus but are without two of their best and physically largest players – transfers Tess Oldenburg and Jaylee Moore – until the transfer sit-out period ends on Dec. 26. So, the main takeaway here is that DPAC is one heck of a basketball team and that it's slightly too early to get a read on Etiwanda.
15. Corona Centennial (CA) (0-0 – 13th)
Less than two weeks now until new-look Centennial debuts.
16. Tualatin (OR) (2-0 – 17th)
Love Lei Best and company debuted by beating West Salem 65-45 and Crater, Oregon's reigning 5A state champion, 55-41. Kendall Dawkins was the star against Crater with 23 points.
17. St. Frances Academy (MD) (6-0 – Unranked)
Just like that, the Baltimore/D.C. Metropolitan area runs through St. Frances Academy – at least for now. The Panthers made waves in the spring by upsetting Bullis to make the MPSSBT finals, where they were obliterated 86-32 by Bishop McNamara. Who did they upset this time? Bishop McNamara. Their staying power was tested just three days later as they survived McDonogh 40-38 to stay unbeaten.
18. Bishop McNamara (MD) (3-2 – 10th)
Coming off a disputed national title with high hopes, Bishop McNamara probably isn't satisfied with its 3-2 start. But it could be a lot worse from a rankings standpoint – as long as the two teams the Mustangs lost to stay unbeaten, at least. A 63-56 loss to No. 3 LuHi isn't bad at all, but the upset loss to St. Frances Academy, which they 50-pieced in the state finals in March, ties their stock to St. Frances Academy's for a while. All three teams they've beaten – Friends' Central, Bishop Gorman, and Albertus Magnus – are elite. Bring on the Nike TOC.
19. St. John's (DC) (5-2 – 18th)
It was a tough week for St. John's on the floor, and an odd week – but not a horrible one – for St. John's' stock. The Cadets fell to Montverde Academy, a very talented team with a brand-new roster and an upset loss to Faith Family Academy under its belt. And a 25-point loss to a can't-miss national title contender, Long Island Lutheran, isn't a big deal at this point in the rankings. Also, some of the teams St. John's has beaten, such as Bullis, are coming off stock-rising weeks.
20. Bullis (MD) (4-1 – 19th)
It was a weird week in the rankings, and Bullis somehow dropping a spot after a remarkable week epitomizes it. The Bulldogs cruised past Bishop Ireton 63-45 before defeating St. Francis (Alpharetta) 62-60 and IMG Academy, previously ranked No. 4, 43-37. The bad news for Bullis is that the only team it lost to, St. John's, dropped two games last week, including to lower-ranked Montverde Academy. Still, Bullis just positioned itself for a serious leap, especially when its schedule is one of the nation's toughest from start to finish.
21. Westlake (TX) (19-0 – 21st)
Now the top-ranked UIL team in Texas after outdueling Brennan 52-49.
22. IMG Academy (FL) (9-1 – 4th)
17 spots just for losing to a ranked Bullis team? Well, IMG's ranking stock wasn't anchored by any wins over ranked competition, and Bullis' loss to St. John's hurts more after St. John's two-loss week. But with the schedule the Ascenders play, they'll have ample opportunity to rise back up.
23. Montverde Academy (FL) (7-1 – 25th)
Why no major jump for the St. John's win? The Eagles' inclusion in the top 25 for the last two weeks was a vote of confidence after the loss to unranked Faith Family Academy loss, and the win over St. John's puts them basically halfway between those two teams. Montverde Academy's schedule now quiets down a bit, but the team will have plenty of opportunities to join the national title conversation down the stretch of the season.
24. Wagner (TX) (19-0 – 20th)
Wagner falls four spots for no fault of its own. In regard to strength of schedule, Wagner played the bulk of its regular season schedule in November, and it should mostly be able to cruise until the UIL playoffs. There, it'll have the opportunity to bolster its list of prominent wins threefold.
25. Arrowhead (WI) (6-0 – 23rd)
After a shaky start to the week, Arrowhead finished strong on offense. It nearly fell in what would've been a major upset to Mukwonago, winning 60-55, but it regathered itself to blow out Waukesha West 89-38 and handle formidable Whitefish Bay 91-79.
AllSportsPeople high school girls basketball top 25 bubble
Belleville (MI)
Bishop Gorman (NV)
Bradley Central (TN)
Clovis West (CA)
Dowling Catholic (IA)
Faith Family Academy (TX)
Friends' Central (PA)
Hopkins (MN)
Hoover (AL)
Incarnate Word Academy (MO)
Paul VI (NJ)
Providence Academy (MN)
Putnam City North (OK)
Red Bank Catholic (NJ)
Riverdale Ridge (CO)
San Ramon Valley (CA)
St. John Vianney (NJ)
St. Mary's-Stockton (CA)
Starkville (MS)
Virginia Academy (VA)