Ohio girls high school basketball Top 25 rankings (01/16/2024)

Pickerington Central remains at the top, Portsmouth makes massive leap into the rankings

The top three teams in the SBLive Ohio girls basketball Power 25 - Pickerington Central, Purcell Marian and Princeton- remained the same, but there were plenty of changes in this week's rankings.

There were plenty of results from the three  events over the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday - the Classic in the Country at Berlin Hiland, the Classic in the City at Pickerington Central and the MLK Showdown at Grove City Central Crossing - that made changes to this week's rankings necessary.

The team who had the best week was undoubtedly Portsmouth. The Trojans went from unranked to No. 15 after beating Fairland and rock Hill in conference play and then going 1-1 at the Classic in the Country with a win over Laurel and a loss to No. 7 Mason. 

Anthony Wayne jumped 11 spots from No, 20 to No.9 after an impressive performance at the Classic in the Country. Mason also used a great weekend at the Classic in the Country to move up seven spots to No. 7.

Along with Portsmouth, four other teams are new this week - Avon Lake (No. 22), Stow (No. 23), Sheridan (No. 24) and Medina (No. 25).

SBLive Ohio girls basketball Power 25

1. Pickerington Central (13-2)

Previous: beat Reynoldsburg, 61-54; beat Cincinnati Purcell Marian, 53-52; beat Liberty Township Lakota East, 51-46; beat Newark, 69-33; beat Rocky River Magnificat, 57-54; beat Gahanna Lincoln, 72-35; beat Grove City Central Crossing, 66-11; beat Chapel Hill (NC), 40-27; lost to Denville (NJ) Morris Catholic, 55-45; beat Charlotte (NC) Catholic, 56-43; beat Groveport-Madison, 78-41.

Last week: ranked No. 1, beat Lancaster, 73-33; beat New Albany, 62-32; lost to Crestwood Prep (CAN), 58-45; beat Dublin Coffman, 59-36.

This week: Jan. 18 at Reynoldsburg; Jan. 20 at Winchester (KY) George Rogers Clark.

2. Purcell Marian (16-1)

Previous: beat Rocky River Magnificat, 72-59; beat Springboro, 56-54; lost to Pickerington Central, 53-52; beat Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, 62-50; beat Cincinnati Summit Country Day, 74-26; beat Columbus Africentric 64-54; beat Union (KY) Cooper, 56-51; beat St. Bernard Roger Bacon, 71-34; beat Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 92-36; beat Norwood, 81-39; beat Beavercreek, 71-29; beat Miami (FL) Norland, 78-41; beat Doral (FL) Academy, 83-64; beat Midlothian (VA) James River, 76-66.

Last week: ranked No. 2, beat Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, 80-25; beat Frankfort (IL) Example Academy, 74-24; beat Fort Erie International (CAN), 68-41.

This week: Jan. 18 vs. Cincinnati Country Day; Jan. 20 vs. Summit Country Day.

3. Princeton (11-1)

Previous: beat Cincinnati Winton Woods, 69-58; beat Cincinnati Sycamore, 64-24; beat Middletown, 66-29; lost to Clarksville (TN) Christian, 56-50; beat Dyersburg (TN), 62-45; beat Fairfield, 59-51; beat Mason, 72-69; beat Cincinnati Colerain, 88-22; beat Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, 64-55; beat Hamilton, 70-19.

Last week: ranked No. 3, beat Niagara Prep (CAN), 61-60; beat then-No. 4 Magnificat, 53-42.

This week: Jan. 17 at Cincinnati Colerain; Jan. 19 vs. No. 17 Liberty Township Lakota East.

4. Olentangy (14-0)

Previous: beat Columbus DeSales, 54-34; beat New Albany, 48-23; beat Marysville, 59-49; beat Western Reserve Academy, 63-52; beat Delaware Olentangy Berlin, 65-25; beat Westerville Central, 58-45; beat Olentangy Orange, 59-33; beat Grove City, 60-38; beat Worthington, 71-22; beat Wapakoneta, 75-32; beat Hilliard Darby, 45-34.

Last week: ranked No. 5, beat Dublin Jerome, 57-36; beat Bellbrook, 65-63; beat Chillicothe Unioto, 65-63.

This week: Jan. 19 at No. 5 Marysville; Jan. 20 vs. Powell Olentangy Liberty.

5. Marysville (12-2)

Previous: beat Hilliard Bradley, 50-18; lost to Lewis Center Olentangy, 59-49; beat Sunbury Big Walnut, 51-32; beat Hilliard Darby, 52-19; beat Hilliard Davidson, 54-33; beat Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, 52-48; beat Columbus Watterson, 51-47; beat Dublin Jerome, 56-38; beat Solon, 86-51; beat Thomas Worthington, 45-10.

Last week: ranked No. 6, beat Olentangy Berlin, 62-33; beat Grove City Central Crossing, 57-20; beat Louisville (KY) Butler Traditional, 62-37; lost to Crestwood Prep (CAN), 80-60.

This week: Jan. 19 vs. No. 4 Lewis Center Olentangy.

6. Mount Notre Dame (13-2)

Previous: beat Liberty Township Lakota East, 55-45; beat Cincinnati Seton, 54-34; beat Dublin Coffman, 43-37; beat Cincinnati Mercy McAuley, 66-22; beat Cincinnati Ursuline Academy, 61-17; beat Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy, 64-19; beat Union (KY) Ryle, 55-45; beat Bellbrook, 51-22; beat Beavercreek, 46-27; beat Lexington (KY) Dunbar, 64-32; lost to Cincinnati Princeton, 64-55; lost to Union (KY) Cooper, 70-55; beat Cincinnati Winton Woods, 57-50.

Last week: ranked No. 7, beat Fairfield, 60-46; beat Cincinnati Seton, 49-35.

This week: Jan. 16 at Cincinnati St. Ursula Academy; Jan. 20 at No. 7 Mason.

7. Mason (12-2)

Previous: lost to Beavercreek, 52-51; beat Lebanon, 59-51; beat Cincinnati Colerain, 86-34; beat Fairfield, 69-48; beat West Chester Lakota West, 55-35; beat Cincinnati Oak Hills, 48-18; lost to Cincinnati Princeton, 72-69 OT; beat Middletown, 63-36; beat Bellbrook, 60-52; beat Liberty Township Lakota East, 55-47; beat Cincinnati Sycamore, 58-28.

Last week: ranked No. 14, beat Hamilton, 65-14; beat then-unranked Portsmouth, 46-28; beat Belleville (MI), 49-28.

This week: Jan. 17 vs. Middletown; Jan. 20 vs. No. 6 Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame.

8. Africentric (11-2)

Previous: beat Shaker Heights Laurel, 49-45; beat Columbus Briggs, 79-1; beat Columbus Eastmoor Academy, 72-2; lost to Cincinnati Purcell Marian, 64-54; beat Columbus Walnut Ridge, 59-13; beat Columbus South, 73-23; beat Reynoldsburg, 79-35; beat Columbus Independence, 95-8; lost to Detroit (MI) Edison Academy, 53-47; beat Columbus West 80-3.

Last week: ranked No. 10, beat Columbus Marion-Franklin, 85-2; beat Columbus Briggs, 74-3; beat Clarksville (TN) Christian, 60-34.

This week: Jan. 16 vs. Columbus Eastmoor Academy; Jan. 19 vs. Columbus Walnut Ridge.

9. Anthony Wayne (12-2) 

Previous: beat Sylvania Southview, 61-21; beat Fremont Ross, 75-33; lost to Cincinnati Purcell Marian, 62-50; beat Findlay, 64-41; beat Bowling Green, 62-33; beat Toledo Whitmer, 54-32; lost to Marysville, 52-48; beat Dublin Coffman, 79-49; beat Liberty Center, 64-36; beat Perrysburg, 69-45.

Last week: ranked No. 20, beat Napoleon, 76-21; beat Sylvania Northview, 73-28; beat Shaker Heights Laurel, 71-70; beat then-No. 4 Magnificat, 63-59.

This week: Jan. 18 at Findlay.

10. Magnificat (9-5)

Previous: beat Canton McKinley, 72-41; lost to Cincinnati Purcell Marian, 72-59; beat Medina, 62-39; beat Cleveland St. Joseph Academy, 61-23; lost to Pickerington Central, 57-54; beat Westlake, 62-28; beat Copley, 58-42; beat Hammond (IN) Morton, 82-41; lost to Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central, 50-43; beat Fort Wayne (IN) Homestead, 67-52; beat Toledo Notre Dame, 48-33.

Last week: ranked No. 4, beat Rocky River, 65-36; lost to No. 3 Cincinnati Princeton, 53-42; lost to then-No. 20 Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, 63-59.

This week: Jan. 17 at Parma Padua Franciscan; Jan. 20 vs. Uniontown Green.

11. St. Vincent-St. Mary (11-2)

Previous: beat Dublin Coffman, 62-30; beat Youngstown Ursuline, 67-21; beat Elyria Catholic, 56-43; beat Anaheim (CA) Fairmont Preparatory Academy, 53-34; beat Doylestown Chippewa, 70-29; beat Cleveland Heights Lutheran East, 62-24; beat Shaker Heights, 49-11; beat Toledo Start, 53-23; beat Avon Lake, 39-33; beat Columbus Bishop Hartley, 66-27.

Last week: ranked No. 8, beat then-No. 19 Gilmour Academy, 37-30; lost to Fort Erie International (CAN), 46-45; lost to Royal Crown Academy (CAN), 50-41.

This week: Jan. 20 vs. Streetsboro.

12. Brush (15-2)

Previous: beat Cleveland Heights, 62-29; beat Amherst Steele, 64-27; beat Painesville Riverside, 65-42; beat Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 57-46; beat Toledo Rogers, 51-36; beat Akron Garfield, 78-24; beat East Cleveland Shaw, 71-4; beat Gilmour Academy, 51-40; beat Alter, 52-49; beat Perrysburg, 52-38; beat Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 65-23; beat Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, 72-26; lost to Toledo Whitmer, 57-54.

Last week: ranked No. 11, beat Alliance, 59-28; beat Warrensville Heights, 72-41; lost to Chicago (IL) Butler College Prep, 55-45; beat Kettering Fairmont, 50-36.

This week: Jan. 20 vs. Richmond Heights.

This week: Jan. 20 vs. Streetsboro.

13. Copley (13-2)

Previous: beat Medina Highland, 75-30; beat Aurora, 51-43; beat Olmsted Falls, 49-40; beat Kent Roosevelt, 70-31; beat Cuyahoga Falls, 67-17; beat Barberton, 73-20; beat Richfield Revere, 56-37; beat Solon, 52-48; lost to Magnificat, 58-42; beat Streetsboro, 81-50; lost to Stow-Munroe Falls, 51-31; beat Tallmadge, 67-46; beat Medina Highland, 65-43.

Last week: ranked No. 13, beat Aurora, 65-30; beat Canton McKinley, 56-28.

This week: Jan. 17 at Kent Roosevelt; Jan. 20 vs. Cuyahoga Falls.

14. Springboro (11-5)

Previous: beat Liberty Center Lakota East, 38-37; lost to Cincinnati Purcell Marian, 56-54; beat Beavercreek, 69-58; beat Kettering Fairmont, 48-43; beat Huber Heights Wayne, 51-17; beat Springfield, 61-34; beat Clayton Northmont, 73-30; beat Centerville, 53-34; beat Miamisburg, 54-49; lost to Chicago (IL) Whitney Young, 57-44; lost to Royersford (PA) Spring-Ford, 64-54; beat Hoschton (GA) Mill Creek, 42-40; lost to Beavercreek, 56-54; lost to Lebanon, 53-44.

Last week: ranked No. 18, beat Kettering Fairmont, 49-40; beat Niagara Prep (CAN), 40-35.

This week: Jan. 17 at Huber Heights Wayne.

15. Portsmouth (12-2)

Previous: beat Boyd County (KY), 65-39; beat Ironton Rock Hill, 59-27; lost to Pikeville (KY), 68-52; beat Beverly Fort Frye, 32-28; beat Coal Grove Dawson-Bryant, 61-29; beat Chesapeake, 65-25; beat Maysville (KY) Mason County, 62-26; beat Ironton, 65-21; beat Gallipolis Gallia Academy, 72-49; beat South Point, 73-40.

Last week: beat then-No. 9 Proctorville Fairland, 55-51; beat Ironton Rock Hill, 76-38; lost to Mason, 46-28; beat Shaker Heights Laurel, 46-38.

This week: Jan. 18 vs. Gallipolis Gallia Academy.

16. Fairland (13-1)

Previous: beat Dayton Carroll, 66-59; beat Gallipolis Gallia Academy, 82-16; beat Ironton Rock Hill, 73-25; beat Reynoldsburg, 87-59; beat Ironton, 76-23; beat South Point, 71-23; beat Chesapeake, 44-9; beat Parkersburg (WV), 60-45; beat Marietta, 76-32; beat Coal Grove Dawson Bryant, 80-30; beat Minford, 68-23.

Last week: ranked No. 9, lost to then-unranked Portsmouth, 55-51; beat Gallipolis Gallia Academy, 85-21; beat then-No. 19 Gilmour Academy, 58-45.

This week: Jan. 18 vs. Ironton Rock Hill; Jan. 20 vs. Goshen.

17. Lakota East (8-5)

Previous: lost to Springboro, 38-37; beat Hamilton Badin, 58-40; lost to Kettering Alter, 46-39; lost to Cincinnati Mount Notre Dame, 55-45; beat Fairfield, 64-40; lost to Pickerington Central, 51-46; beat West Chester Lakota West, 46-39; beat Hamilton, 63-29; beat Cincinnati Sycamore, 64-15; beat Middletown, 67-41; beat Cincinnati Oak Hills, 69-21; lost to Mason, 55-47.

Last week: ranked No. 16, beat Middletown, 51-25.

This week: Jan. 17 at Cincinnati Oak Hills; Jan. 19 at No. 3 Cincinnati Princeton.

18. Solon (10-3)

Previous: beat Macedonia Nordonia, 77-44; beat Toledo Start, 56-29; beat North Royalton, 81-35; beat Twinsburg, 69-34; beat Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 54-37; beat Wadsworth, 60-43; lost to Copley, 52-48; lost to Marysville, 86-51; beat Hudson, 71-30; beat Macedonia Nordonia, 74-38.

Last week: ranked No. 17, beat Uniontown Green, 78-45; lost to then-unranked Stow-Munroe Falls, 69-27; beat then-No. 12 Kettering Alter, 43-42.

This week: Jan. 17 vs. North Royalton; Jan. 20 at Twinsburg.

19. Archbishop Alter (13-2)

Previous: beat Dayton Ponitz 68-4; beat Liberty Township Lakota East, 46-39; beat Cincinnati McNicholas, 57-41; beat Dayton Chaminade Julienne, 59-41; beat Middletown Fenwick, 64-16; beat Trotwood-Madison, 75-18; beat Gahanna Lincoln, 71-35; beat Cincinnati Seton, 64-32; beat Cincinnati Mercy McAuley, 65-44; lost to Lyndhurst Brush, 52-49; beat Painesville Riverside, 48-26; beat Dayton Carroll, 60-54; beat Hamilton Badin, 63-48.

Last week: ranked No. 12, beat Cincinnati McNicholas, 53-35; lost to then-No. 17 Solon, 43-42.

This week: Jan. 20 at Versailles.

20. Archbishop Hoban (11-2)

Previous: beat Youngstown Ursuline, 55-26; beat Cleveland John Marshall, 64-10; beat Apple Creek Waynedale, 51-45; beat Warren Howland, 66-52; beat Gates Mills Gilmour Academy, 51-44; beat Toledo Central Catholic, 57-49; beat Akron Ellet, 49-45; beat Austintown-Fitch, 63-36; lost to Louisville, 45-43; beat Hathaway Brown, 54-25; beat Cleveland Heights Lutheran East, 71-45.

Last week: ranked No. 15, lost to Shaker Heights Laurel, 42-40; beat Teays Valley, 45-38.

This week: Jan. 17 at Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit; Jan. 20 vs. Toledo Rogers.

21. Gilmour Academy (7-4)

Previous: beat Shaker Heights Laurel, 58-50; beat Stow-Munroe Falls, 39-36; beat Warrensville Heights, 55-52; lost to Akron Hoban, 51-44; lost to Brush, 51-40; beat Reynoldsburg, 52-38; beat Toledo Central Catholic, 55-43; beat Toledo Notre Dame, 44-27.

Last week: ranked No. 19, lost to then-No. 8 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 37-30; beat Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown, 63-22; lost to then-No. 9 Proctorville Fairland, 58-45.

This week: Jan. 16 vs. Cleveland Heights Lutheran East; Jan. 20 vs. Toledo Start.

22. Avon Lake (12-2)

Previous: beat Lorain, 59-21; beat Brunswick, 70-30; beat Cleveland St. Joseph Academy, 53-37; lost to North Ridgeville, 32-23; beat Bellevue, 50-42; beat Avon 51-37; beat Berea-Midpark, 60-25; beat Grafton Midview, 54-28; beat Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 52-19; beat Warren Harding, 59-20; lost to St. Vincent-St. Mary, 39-33; beat Amherst Steele, 38-26.

Last week: Unranked, beat Elyria, 55-24, beat then-No. 21 Olmsted Falls, 39-35.

This week: Jan. 17 at North Ridgeville; Jan. 20 vs. Avon.

23. Stow-Munroe Falls (11-3)

Previous: beat Massillon Perry, 54-28; beat Hudson, 63-37; lost to Gilmour Academy, 39-36; beat Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 44-33; beat North Royalton, 59-18; lost to Wexford (PA) North Allegheny, 68-34; beat Wadsworth, 59-43; beat Macedonia Nordonia, 64-28; lost to Medina, 49-37; beat Canfield, 34-26; beat Copley, 51-31; beat Twinsburg, 48-26; beat Hudson, 52-22.

Last week: Unranked, beat then-No. 17 Solon, 69-27.

This week: Jan. 17 vs. Brecksville-Broadview Heights; Jan. 19 at North Royalton.

24. Thornville Sheridan (13-0)

Previous: beat Columbus Bishop Watterson, 41-35; beat New Concord John Glenn, 45-30; beat New Lexington, 41-23; beat Dresden Tri-Valley, 51-28; beat Maysville, 64-22; beat Upper Arlington, 59-57; beat Warsaw River View, 79-35; beat Duncan Falls Philo, 49-25; beat Lancaster Fairfield Union, 54-34; beat Zanesville West Muskingum, 53-40.

Last week: Unranked, beat Crooksville 62-15; beat then-No. 23 Fort Loramie, 54-42; beat New Albany, 51-27.

This week: Jan. 17 vs. Logan; Jan. 20 vs. Byesville Meadowbrook.

Medina (12-3)

25. Previous: beat Lakewood, 59-21; beat Wooster, 76-45; beat North Ridgeville, 75-44; lost to Brunswick, 54-51 OT; lost to Magnificat, 62-39; beat Shaker Heights, 60-25; beat Cleveland Heights, 72-36; beat Euclid, 54-22; beat Mentor, 61-44; Beat Stow-Munroe Falls, 49-37; lost to Glen Rose (TX), 64-37; beat Sequoyah (GA), 61-38; beat Wasilla (AK), 48-38.

Last week: Unranked, beat Strongsville, 58-50; beat Brunswick, 58-42.

This week: Jan. 20 vs. Shaker Heights.

Teams to watch (listed alphabetically): Beavercreek, Berlin Hiland, Fort Loramie, Laurel, Margaretta, Miami East, Olmsted Falls, Ottawa-Glandorf, Unioto, Waynedale, Waynesville.