Stockton-area girls basketball top 10 power rankings at Week 9

As the regular season of 209 girls' high school hoops winds down, teams are even hungrier for dubs.

San Joaquin County teams only have a handful of games left to prove they deserve a spot in the playoffs. Two teams, St. Mary’s and Lincoln, are among the Top 10 teams in the entire section so far this season. The Rams sit at No. 2 while the Trojans are ranked No. 7.

The Rams, Trojans and these eight other SJ County teams are making a strong case for their postseason fate earning them a spot on the Record’s Week 9 girls' basketball power rankings.

1. St. Mary’s (16-5) 20 points

Next game: at Salesian College Preparatory on Jan. 27

The Rams are currently on a five-game winning streak pushing their overall record to 16-5. One of their five latest victories was against crosstown foe Lincoln on Jan. 18. They held the Trojans to a season-low 35 points and they would go on to win 59-35.

Leading the way as usual is senior Jordan Lee, who is averaging close to 26 points per game on 51% field goal range. She and the Rams have some key upcoming matchups against Manteca, Oakland Tech and a rematch against Lincoln.

2. Lincoln (16-5) 18 points

Next game: vs. Lodi on Jan. 25

Despite its loss against St. Mary’s, Lincoln has dominated its Tri-City Athletic League opponents. The Trojans hold a 3-1 league record with wins over West, Tokay and Lodi. They will need to beat the Flames in their upcoming game to secure the top spot in the TCAL.

Outside of league play, Lincoln has picked up wins over Clovis, West Campus and Heritage so far this month. Seniors Brelynn Brice and Amya Vangkham-Griffin led the Trojans to those victories offensively. Brice is averaging 10.3 points and close to 11 rebounds per game while Vangkham-Griffin is averaging 10.1 points per game.

3. East Union (20-3) 15 points

Next game: vs. Manteca on Jan. 25

The Lancers are currently ranked No. 14 in the SJS as they bulldoze their way through the Valley Oak League. They are in first place in the VOL with a 5-0 record and are looking to build off that with upcoming games against crosstown rivals Sierra and Manteca.

East Union solidified its top spot in league after its game against Kimball on Jan. 16. Sophomore Nylah Dyson scored 14 points leading her team offensively to a 55-40 victory over the Jaguars. She continues to be the Lancers' go-to bucket-getter in and out of league play.

4. Manteca (18-4) 13 points

Next game: at East Union on Jan. 25

Revenge is all the Buffaloes could think about with its rematch against East Union on the horizon. After losing 55-44 to the Lancers earlier this season, Manteca will have a chance to pull off an upset and force a two-way tie for first place in the VOL.

To do so, seniors Jada Ikharo and Izabella Sanchez will need to shine for the Buffaloes. The senior duo have been stellar in Manteca's most recent victories over Kimball and Sierra. Ikharo scored 46 points over the two games while Sanchez scored 17. Sanchez recently earned her first college offer from Cal State Maritime.

More: Check out the Top 10 SJ County girls basketball teams at Week 8

5. Escalon (20-1) 13 points

Next game: vs. Riverbank on Jan. 25

The Cougars lost its first game of the season on Jan. 18 when Trans Valley foe Hughson came to town. The 61-53 loss broke their 19-game winning streak but Escalon still has the cleanest record of any other SJ County girls' basketball team so far this season.

Thanks to sophomore Madison Babasa, Escalon was able to bounce back from its first loss. Babasa scored a team-high 13 points to lead her team to a 54-30 win over Hilmar on Jan. 19. She will need to shine again in the Cougars' upcoming matchup against Riverbank who is tied for first place in the TVL with them.

6. Lodi (13-9) 9 points

Next game: at Lincoln on Jan. 25

Lodi’s biggest test of the season will be its upcoming Jan. 25 matchup against Lincoln. The Flames hold a 4-1 TCAL record with wins over Tokay, Tracy and West twice. Pulling off an upset against the Trojans could possibly push for a two-way tie for first place in league play.

The last time Lodi played Lincoln, the Trojans held them in check for a 63-34 victory. The Flames will need their key players such as senior guard Norah Mayer to shine in order to keep the game close.

7. Kimball (12-7) 9 points

Next game: vs. Central Catholic on Jan. 25

VOL play hasn’t been the kindest to Kimball so far this season. The Jaguars have lost their last three games to league foes East Union and Manteca as well as non-league foe Heritage. Despite the losses, Kimball is still in third place in the VOL and has a chance to work its way up to at least second place.

Sophomore Emma Coronado is the Jagaurs' key to work their way up in league standings. The guard is averaging close to 16 points per game while shooting 40% from the field. If she can get hot during their Jan. 30th game against Manteca, they can tie with the Buffaloes for second place.

8. Stagg (13-9) 6 points

Next game: vs. Weston Ranch on Jan. 25

The Delta Queens are riding senior Jameelah Pharms to another SJAA championship. They are currently 8-0 in SJAA play with wins against every one of their league foes. Pharms has been the end all be all for them as she is averaging close to 27 points per game.

Along with her offensive contribution, Pharms is a keen defender for Stagg as well. She has snagged 109 steals this season and is leading her team in blocks. With Pharms and a host of other supporting cast, Stagg will look to cruise to a league championship.

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9. Mountain House (13-8) 3 points

Next game: vs. Beyer on Jan. 25

Similar to Stagg, Mountain House is cruising through league play. The Mustangs hold an 8-0 record in Western Athletic Conference play with wins over each of their league opponents. If they can keep this up they are shoo-ins for the WAC championship.

Juniors Jariah Indalecio and Niaja Harris are the key players leading the Mustangs offensively. Inadelcio is averaging a team-high 15 points and 7.4 rebounds while Harris follows with 9.3 points per game. In Mountain House’s most recent win over Lathrop, Harris scored 14 points to help her team win 46-27.

10. Lathrop (15-8) 3 points

Next game: vs. Grace Davis

WAC play has been an up-and-down rollercoaster for the Spartans. They hold a 5-3 league record and are ranked fourth so far this season. Lathrop will need to pull out big victories over the next couple of games if it wants to make another appearance in the SJS Division 3 playoffs.Three upcoming matches the Spartans will have circled on their calendar are against Johansen, Los Banos and Mountain House. Their lead scorer, senior Tatiana Lowery, will have to carry her team in those clutch matchups to help climb the WAC standings.

On the bubble: McNair, Sierra, Ripon Christian

Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton-area girls basketball top 10 power rankings at Week 9