Panas and Harrison flip girls basketball ranking positions, Ossining joins the top 10
It was a historic week in Section 1 girls basketball last week as Gina Maher notched her 800th career varsity win at Irvington.
Her Bulldogs defeated Eastchester to secure the milestone. Later, they fell to AAA Ossining in a close game that nudged them back onto the bubble, a hair away from top-10 status.
An upset also saw Harrison and Panas flip positions from last week's rankings.
Below find the new top 10 and bubble teams.
Note: Records are through Feb. 4.
10. Ossining (10-7) — Multiple teams can mount strong arguments for claiming this spot. And no one would confuse this Ossining squad with the several that dominated Section 1 a decade or so ago. But this team has vastly improved since its 1-4 start. Tuesday's game against 12-win Hen Hud should be a good one. Hen Hud edged the Pride by three points more than two months ago and is on the edge of the top 10. Previously: Not ranked
9. Ardsley (15-2) —The Panthers should close out their very impressive regular season with three more wins this week. Ardsley will enter the Section 1 playoffs as one of the top teams in Class A. Previously: 9
8. Tappan Zee (8-9) — TZ's tougher schedule and 12-point win late last month over Ardsley keep TZ a notch ahead of Ardsley despite the huge difference in wins and losses. Tappan Zee went only 1-2 last week but its victory came against 10-win Nyack and its losses were to two ranked teams in Pearl River and Harrison. The score difference in both games were single digits with the Harrison game being a 49-46 nailbiter. Previously: 8
7. White Plains (14-5) —The Tigers have won nine straight games and will likely finish the regular season with a very solid 15 wins. They won't be favored in the new AAA class for Section 1 playoffs after falling by 30 points to Ketcham early in the season. But this team shouldn't be written off. Previously: 7
6. Pearl River (14-3) — The Pirates haven't lost to a Section 1 team, although Tappan Zee twice gave them good games, including last week. Pearl River has three games this week and then the anticipation will rise regarding playoffs with Pearl River and defending state Class A champion Panas expected to be favorites for the Section 1 Class A crown. Previously: 6
5. Panas (15-3) — Panas went 1-1 last week. Its loss came with an asterisk, however. After beating Hen Hud 64-54 the previous week, it scored only 31 points while again yielding 54 to the Sailors. But one of Panas' top two players lasted only five minutes and the other left the game in the second quarter, both with injuries. If healthier this week, the Panthers should win their final two regular-season games. Previously: 4
4. Harrison (13-5) — After a 15-point loss to Albertus Magnus early in the week, the Huskies won three straight, including edging ranked Tappan Zee. Harrison will finish the week with two games, including what promises to be a very tough one against Ursuline, which earlier beat it by 24 points. Previously: 5
3. Ursuline (15-2) — The Koalas have won six straight games and will wrap up the regular season facing two teams they've previously beaten. This is a very good team with multiple contributors. Still, to get to 17 wins pre-playoffs, it will have to beat a ranked Harrison squad and 11-win Scarsdale. Previously: 3
2. Ketcham (16-1) — Ketcham is on a 10-game winning streak that will likely become 11 before Friday's showdown vs. top-ranked Albertus Magnus at Magnus. This game should be close but Magnus will be favored. Previously: 2
1 . Albertus Magnus (13-3) — The Falcons have dropped three of their last six games. But none of those losses has been to a local opponent. As its 15-point win over ranked Harrison illustrates, this remains a team that has played on a highe rlevel than all other local teams. That said, in all likelihood, Friday's game vs. Ketcham won't be easy. Previously: 1
History made: Irvington turns out to celebrate as Gina Maher gets NY record 800th girls basketball win
On the bubble: Hen Hud (12-5), Irvington (15-3), John Jay-East Fishkill (10-6), Lakeland (10-7), Mahopac (12-6), Pelham (12-4)
Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, ice hockey, basketball, girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at @HaggertyNancy.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Girls basketball rankings: Panas, Harrison swap spots, Ossining No. 10
