SBLive's Northern Section basketball rankings: Final regular season before NS playoffs begin on Valentine's Day

Pleasant Valley loves their basketball with No. 1 teams in both the boys and girls

Northern Section basketball playoffs begin Tuesday, and the Pleasant Valley-Chico girls and boys have held their place at No. 1 all season for a second consecutive season.

The PV boys, the defending D3 state champions, finished undefeated in league play for a second straight season. Two of the Vikings’ four losses have come to D1 opponents (Berkeley and Lincoln-Stockton). One loss came to D2 Del Oro and the other to D3 Vanden).

Foothill-Palo Cedro snapped its three game losing streak (and four losses in its last five) with a win against Red Bluff, but the Cougars fell to fourth place in the EAL below Enterprise-Redding. Despite finishing below the Hornets in the EAL, the Cougars are seeded one slot higher than the Hornets in the NSCIF playoffs.

In D5 Quincy beat Portola in a battle of the top two teams in the D5 Five Star League, giving the Tigers their first league loss of the season. With brackets released the Trojans and Tigers could face off once more in the NSCIF championship if Portola can get through Weed.

The PV girls have won 12 straight and 17 of their last 18. The Vikings’ only losses this season have come to Vanden-Fairfield, Folsom and Heritage-Brentwood. AJ Gambol (15.4 PPG) and Maddux Wilson (14.6 PPG) lead the Vikings in scoring for a second straight season, but Nyah Fortune (8.3 PPG), Caitlyn Vickery (6.7 PPG) and Ava Dunn (6 PPG) have opened up the PV offense. The Vikings’ team is built for the future, with Vickery being the lone senior.

In D4 Lassen-Susanville is the team at the No. 1 seed entering the section playoffs, with defending champion University Prep-Redding at No. 2. The Panthers and Grizzlies faced off twice in the regular season and each won once.

Perennial powerhouse Fall River-McArthur looks to defend its 2022 Northern Section crown this season once again entering as the No. 1 seed. Sydney Cassity (15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.1 steals per game), Giselle Rodriguez (15.5 PPG, 10.7 RPG) and Ellie Jacobson (10.9 PPG, 6.9 RPG) lead the Bulldogs’ attack. The Bulldogs have won 14 straight, having not lost since Dec. 30.

Links to brackets for boys and girls basketball Northern Section playoffs can be found on news.scorebooklive.com.

SBLIVE NORTHERN SECTION TOP 5 BOYS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

1. Pleasant Valley-Chico (24-4)

Last week: 1

Last week results (2-0): Beat Shasta (Redding) 64-50, Chico 53-36

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Friday vs. Corning (7-17)

2. Chico (19-7)

Last week: 2

Last week results (1-1): Beat Foothill (Palo Cedro) 61-57, Lost to Pleasant Valley (Chico) 53-36

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Thursday vs. Red Bluff (6-20)

3. Enterprise-Redding (14-11)

Last week: NR

Last week results (2-0): Beat Red Bluff 64-34, Shasta (Redding) 56-43

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Friday vs. Las Plumas-Oroville (16-11)

4. Foothill-Palo Cedro (17-10)

Last week: 3

Last week results (1-1): Lost to Chico 61-57, Beat Red Bluff 58-44

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Friday vs. Shasta-Redding (12-15)

5. Quincy (21-4)

Last week: 5

Last week results (2-0): Beat Chester 56-41, Portola 79-72

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Friday vs. winner of Durham (17-11)/Los Molinos (6-21)

On the bubble: Weed (20-5), West Valley (19-8)

SBLIVE NORTHERN SECTION TOP 5 GIRLS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

1. Pleasant Valley-Chico (25-3)

Last week: 1

Last week results (2-0): Beat Shasta (Redding) 63-38, Chico 57-42

Next game: NSCIF semifinals, Feb. 21 vs. winner of Shasta-Redding (13-11)/Red Bluff (8-16)

2. Chico (21-6)

Last week: 2

Last week results (1-1): Beat Foothill (Palo Cedro) 48-47, Lost to Pleasant Valley (Chico) 57-42

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Thursday vs. Enterprise-Redding (3-22)

3. Foothill-Palo Cedro (20-7)

Last week: 3

Last week results (1-1): Lost to Chico 48-47, Beat Red Bluff 60-18

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Thursday vs. Las Plumas-Oroville (10-14)

4. Lassen-Susanville (21-6)

Last week: NR

Last week results (2-0): Beat University Prep (Redding) 62-55, West Valley (Cottonwood) 58-48

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Thursday vs. winner of Yreka (14-12)/Colusa (15-13)

5. Fall River-McArthur (21-2)

Last week: 4

Last week results (2-0): Beat Etna 58-37, Modoc (Alturas) 65-31

Next game: NSCIF quarterfinals, Thursday vs. winner of Los Molinos (10-14)/Modoc-Alturas (9-15)

On the bubble: University Prep-Redding (19-8), Pierce-Arbuckle (23-2)