You can call this past week a calm before the storm of sorts as their promises to be changes coming with a handful of important games coming up over the next seven days for teams in the NYCHoops.net Girls Top Ten Rankings.
There was a good amount of status quo this week with no new entrants into this week's Top Ten and just a couple of movements shaking things up, though as we wind down the regular season there are still a few matchups to watch ahead as we unveil our updated rankings and look at what's to come for the best of the best in girl’s basketball.
1) Christ the King (14-4)- It was more of the same this week for the Royals who are continuing to make easy work of CHSAA competition as they got another couple of strong outings from Kaelynn Satterfield '19 as they got easy road wins over both Xaverian and Nazareth this week, before another impressive performance in a home non-league 71-48 win on Saturday over Stuart Country Day from New Jersey. On Wednesday the Royals will take on Xaverian for the second time in ten days, this time in Middle Village, and then it's two weekend road games as its Archbishop Molloy on Saturday, and then a big showdown against St. Francis Prep on Sunday afternoon.
2) Long Island Lutheran (10-6)- When you play the schedule that the Crusaders play sometimes you won't come out on top. A national schedule against some of the best of the best from around the country have made LuHi a team that should be peaked as we ended with the regular season as this weekend, they got wins over Immaculate Conception of New Jersey and National Christian Academy of Maryland, with Celeste Taylor '19 scoring 28 in Sunday's 58-52 over NCA. Coming together as a unit with a lot of young talent, LuHi will keep things going this week when they host Nazareth on Tuesday, and then get St. John Vianney of New Jersey coming to them for a big showdown on Sunday.
3) Bishop Kearney (12-1)- We are getting into a territory now with the Kings where we are getting concerned that the rust, they are most certainly piling up will come back to bite them. Because of bad weather in the Rochester region, Bishop Kearney didn't take the floor this past week meaning it will be over two weeks in between games for the Kings who are in contention for a NYSPHSAA Class AA title. Saniaa Wilson '21 and Marianna Freeman '21 will lead Kearney back into action this week with a very busy slate as on Tuesday they will travel for a massive ranked team showdown with Penfield, then on Wednesday will go on the road for a makeup game with Mercy, Thursday will see the Kings host Amherst from the Buffalo area, Saturday will be a trip to Buffalo to play Sacred Heart Academy, and then Sunday it's a home date against Jamesville-DeWitt in what is a five game slate over the next seven days.
4) South Shore (22-2)- Coasting to 30+ point league victories over both Boys & Girls and Midwood on Monday and Wednesday respectively this past week, the Vikings got a test over the weekend against Staten Island power Susan Wagner at the PSAL Girls Showcase on Saturday. It was a tie game going into halftime with South Shore at home leading by just 3 going into the fourth quarter. Rori Cox '20 was able to score a game high 16 points though and help the Vikings late to pull away for a hard fought 47-40 win in a game that might show that it won't be a cakewalk for South Shore come PSAL playoff time. Just two games are remaining this week and, in the Vikings, regular season as on Monday they will host Robeson before closing things out on Wednesday with another home game, this time against Murry Bergtraum.
5) Penfield (15-0)- In the Patriots lone game of the week they played host to Rush-Henrietta on Saturday afternoon. For many years a game against R-H would cause anyone in the Rochester region issues but times have changed as Penfield ran away with this one early behind the 21 points from Baylee Teal '20 as the Patriots would win easily 72-35. The week ahead should prove to be much more challenging for Penfield as they will look to keep their undefeated mark intact when on Tuesday, they play host to Bishop Kearney in one of the games of the year. A road trip to Hilton will come after that on Friday in what is an important two game slate for the Patriots.
6) St. Francis Prep (15-3)- As the team many consider to be the main threat to the reign of Christ the King in the CHSAA this season the Terriers will have their chance to show this week why they can hang and compete with the best of the best New York City has to offer. This past week St. Francis Prep was able to go on the road and defeat a strong Staten Island Academy team 55-49, and then defeat Bishop Loughlin 45-34 as JeAnna Cunningham '20 continues to show her dominance around the rim. This week will see the Terriers taking on St. Mary's in a non-league game on Tuesday, then it will be Archbishop Molloy on Thursday before the big showdown against Christ the King at home on Sunday in another game of the year like matchup.
7) Shenendehowa (16-2)- Looking at the Plainsmen this season what really makes them unique as a team is their balance. Much like how South Shore plays, Shenendehowa have many different players who can lift the team up and carry them to a victory, not dependent on any one specific player. That was shown last week when on Wednesday they were able to down Saratoga Springs in a marquee Section 2 showdown 58-56 with Meghan Huerter '21 hitting the game winner while Kaitlyn Watrobski '20 led the scoring with 13 points. Shen would easily defeat Ballston Spa in their other game of the week 77-39 as the Plainsmen look to sew up the top seed in the Class AA Section 2 playoffs. This week will be a one game week as Shenendehowa will host Niskayuna on Tuesday as they inch closer to the end of the regular season.
8) Ossining (11-5)- Healthy now and clicking on all cylinders the Pride are once again looking to be among the best of the best in New York State. Earlier this season without Aubrey Griffin '19 in the lineup because of injury Ossining fell by 17 to Our Lady of Lourdes, but with Griffin back and scoring 27 points it was the Pride making quick work of Lourdes in a 78-49 win, the first of two easy wins over quality foes this week as on Saturday as a part of the Pauline Ricci Memorial Classic, Ossining would down Section 9 power Monroe-Woodbury 77-45. Hitting their stride at the perfect time, Ossining will look to keep things going over the next seven days when they host Scarsdale on Tuesday, before then against playing host to Albertus Magnus to end the week out on Friday.
9) Msgr. Scanlan (15-5)- It was a 1-1 week for the Crusaders who on Saturday were able to make easy work of their main rivals in Cardinal Spellman as Msgr. Scanlan went on the road and took a 68-43 victory as Kateri Poole '20 had 23 points and 7 assists in a fantastic effort from the lead guard spot for the Crusaders. Playing in the Tri-State vs. DMV Challenge on Sunday though saw Scanlan get off to a slow start and never recover against one of Maryland's best in Riverdale Baptist as the Crusaders would fall 80-58 even though Poole again had a game high 21 points in the defeat. On Wednesday the Crusaders will get back to league play when they go to Kennedy Catholic, and then to close out the week it will be a home contest on Thursday against Preston in what is Scanlan's final regular season home contest.
10) Pittsford Mendon (16-1)- Tuesday saw one of the Vikings main matchups of the season as they took on their main rivals from Pittsford Sutherland. It's usually a tight contest between the two but this time around it was all Mendon as they dominated defensively, along with getting 21 points from Alana Fursman '19 as she herself nearly outscored Sutherland in a 73-21 victory. Brighton on Friday was slightly more of a challenge but again it was Fursman pacing the way for the Vikings in a comfortable 67-38 win as Mendon continues to dominate Section 5 competition. Upcoming this week will be just one game on the docket as it will be a Friday road game at Greece Athena that should prove to be more easy work for a very talented Mendon squad.
