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HS basketball: Washington girls narrowly hold on to No. 1 rankings spot

scott davidson, south bend tribune
·5 min read

There's no denying that the Northridge girls basketball team is the hottest squad in the area right now.

Coach Doug Springer's Raiders, thanks in part to an 11-game winning streak, are closing ground on Washington in our area prep hoops rankings.

That being said, the Panthers despite a loss on Saturday, still hold on to the No. 1 spot this week.

Related: Saint Joseph’s Byrne and Schrock too much for Riley girls in 48-26 NIC loss

But, just barely.

Washington is 11-3 overall after a 71-61 loss to a strong Western Reserve (Ohio) team this weekend in the Best of Michigan Holiday Classic sponsored by Lady Ballers Insider at Belleville High School in Belleville Michigan. The Panthers, who were No. 13 in the ICGSA Class 4A poll last week, still own a 28 ppg. winning margin. Washington leads the Northern Indiana Conference at 8-0.

Washington's two in state losses are to Class 4A powers Fort Wayne Snider (12-1) and Jennings County (11-1). The Panthers went 23-0 during the regular season last year.

The junior trio of Kira Reynolds, Monique Mitchell and Ryiah Wilson continue to pace the Panthers. Reynolds is a Purdue commit, while both Mitchell and Wilson are Division 1 prospects as well.

Northridge, which plays at Penn Tuesday night, sits at 12-1 overall and 3-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference. The Raiders lone loss was 52-44 decision at Class 4A power Homestead in their second game of the season. Northridge has defeated Penn three straight times, including in sectional play last season as the Raiders went on to win the Concord Sectional crown.

Washington, heading into play this past weekend, was No. 9 among Class 4A teams statewide in the Sagarin Ratings. Northridge checked in at No. 14 among Class 4A teams among the ratings index.

There are no more area unbeatens after Bethany Christian lost to Wawasee 48-32 last Tuesday. Wawasee is 10-3. The Class 1A No. 3 Bruins are 10-1 after beating Lakeland Christian Academy Saturday. The win was the 200th for BC coach Krysten Parson, who guided her team to a state runner-up finish last season. Parson, the longest tenured prep basketball coach in Elkhart County, is now 200-200 in her 18th season at Bethany Christian.

Bethany faces Argos in a key Hoosier Plains Conference game Thursday at Argos. The Dragons are just 5-7 overall, but boast prolific scorer Samantha Redinger. The senior guard averages a state best 31.4 ppg.

There are a pair of newcomers to the top 10 this week as Adams and Elkhart slip into the final two spots. The Eagles have won three in a row and five of their last six contests under first-year coach Maurice Scott.

Elkhart, despite playing without star Samiyah Stout all season due to a knee injury, are 6-6 overall and 4-2 in the NIC under first-year coach Ken Hunt.

John Glenn and Mishawaka dropped out of the Top 10 this week. The Falcons lost to Plymouth 35-22 and Washington 66-14 in the past week, while Mishawaka dropped an NLC contest to Concord 40-32 Saturday after edging past Clay 42-41. Mishawaka has lost five of its last seven games after starting the season 6-0.

NorthWood continues to roll as the Panthers went 3-0 this past week to stretch their winning streak to six straight.

Washington's Kira Reynolds (11) dribbles in the third quarter against Penn Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at Washington High School. Washington won 43-33.
Washington's Kira Reynolds (11) dribbles in the third quarter against Penn Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, at Washington High School. Washington won 43-33.

Area Top 10

  1. Washington (11-3, 8-0 NIC): The Panthers continued their conference winning streak with league victories over Elkhart and Glenn before their loss on Saturday. Junior MK McNeal had a career high 14 points in the win over Glenn, which was the 37th in a row in NIC play for Washington.

  2. Northridge (12-1, 3-0 NLC): The Raiders topped Goshen 60-20 as Ella Mohamed led the way with 20 points. Senior Morgan Cross and junior Rielyn Goodwin continue to be the top two scorers for the Raiders.

  3. Penn (10-4, 5-1 NIC): Penn went 3-0 with wins over Concord, Bremen and Goshen. Anna McCullough had 12 points and Lauren Walsh eight in the 38-26 win over Goshen Saturday.

  4. New Prairie (11-1, 7-1 NIC): The Cougars downed NIC foe Jimtown 57-38. The veteran New Prairie squad continues to be led by seniors Jayden Flagg and Jolie Johns.

  5. Bethany Christian (10-1, 2-0 HPC): The Bruins bounced back from a loss to Wawasee with a 50-15 win over LCA Saturday. Senior star Zoe Willems scored 25 points in the victory. Willems now has 1,371 career points, the 20th best total male or female in Elkhart county high school hoops history.

  6. Fairfield (11-1, 5-0 NECC): The Class 3A No. 14 Falcons beat Fremont 48-35 and Elkhart Christian Academy 51-18. Eva Herbert continues to lead Fairfield.

  7. Michigan City Marquette Catholic (11-1): The Class 1A No. 5 Blazers beat Victory Christian 54-14. Sophomore Laniah Davis (18.7 ppg.) and freshman Marissa Pleasant (12.7) continue to pace Marquette.

  8. NorthWood (10-2, 3-1 NLC): The Panthers went 3-0 on the week, including a 58-44 win over NLC foe Plymouth Saturday. Senior Joselyn Edwards and junior Claire Payne continue to lead the way for the Black Swish.

  9. Adams (7-6, 4-5 NIC): The Eagles made it three straight wins by topping LaPorte 63-43 Saturday.

  10. Elkhart (6-6, 4-2 NIC): The Lions lost to Washington in their lone game this past week.

Bethany Christian junior Zoe Willems (30) assesses her options while being defended by Tri junior Rylee Boyd in the second quarter of Saturday's Class 1A North Semi-state championship game at Frankfort High School.
Bethany Christian junior Zoe Willems (30) assesses her options while being defended by Tri junior Rylee Boyd in the second quarter of Saturday's Class 1A North Semi-state championship game at Frankfort High School.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend Washington is still the area girls basketball leader