CLEVELAND, Ohio — For the third time in four rankings there is a new top-ranked team in the cleveland.com girls basketball Top 25.
Medina, 13-0 and sitting alone atop the standings in the Greater Cleveland Conference, is ranked No. 1. The Bees are riding high thanks to a smothering defense that allows just over 34 points per game and an opportunistic offense. They are deep, tall, and are having fun.
“This feels awesome,” junior center Lindsey Linard said of the team’s unbeaten record. “We have worked really hard and we don’t take any of these games for granted. It’s just a really awesome feeling knowing that our hard work is paying off.”
Medina's signature win thus far is a 47-39 victory at Solon, which has owned the GCC in its current setup. The Bees took a trip to Orlando during the holidays and won their bracket in a prestigious KSA Tournament. One of the teams they defeated was Ringgold, the 8th-ranked team in Georgia.
Right behind Medina is another unbeaten squad, Hoban, at 12-0. The Knights had their biggest win of the season this past Saturday over Cornerstone Christian, 42-34. It was the first loss of the season for Cornerstone, which is ranked No. 5.
The Top 25 has taken on an entirely different look since the holidays, as each of the top four teams were defeated. The top three all lost on the same day, Dec. 19: No. 1 Wadsworth fell to Division II powerhouse New Philadelphia, 46-44, No. 2 Elyria Catholic was edged by Cornerstone, 53-51, and No. 3 Stow was upset at home by Aurora, 44-40.
The big mover this time is Aurora, which could make a pretty good argument to be No. 1. The Greenmen, who jumped from eighth to third, are the only team in the area to have three victories over teams ranked in the top 10 -- Olmsted Falls, Stow and Wadsworth. And all were on the road.
What is keeping Aurora from being No. 1 is a 57-56 loss to Nordonia. The Knights are a quality opponent, but they started the season with five losses while trying to deal with the season-ending knee injury of one of their best players, Lizzie Imrie. Recently things have gotten better, as Nordonia stands at 5-7, but that is not the kind of loss a team can withstand and then be ranked No.1.
It’s that kind of inconsistency that confused Aurora coach Erika Greenberg. Against Nordonia the Greenmen were down by 10 points, 16-6, after one period and couldn’t overcome the slow start.
“Every game I go into the locker room and say we have yet to play well,” Greenberg said after edging Wadsworth, 38-36. “We have yet to really put everything together. One game we rebound well, one game we play offense well, one game we play well on defense. It’s a work in progress. We’ve never been here before. Aurora basketball has not been key, so we’re all learning. Every day it’s, what can I do to get better?”
If the Greenmen ever do put it all together it could be really interesting.
Here is how this week’s area Top 25 stacks up. This includes results from the past two weeks instead of the usual one week.
1. Medina (13-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 5, beat Highland, 51-39; beat then-No. 4 Solon, 47-39; beat Ringgold (GA), 47-44; beat Corona Del Mar (CA), 45-30; beat Washington Court House, 48-25; beat then-No. 22 Brunswick, 48-25.
This week: Wednesday at Strongsville; Saturday vs. Shaker Heights.
2. Archbishop Hoban (12-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 6, beat Lake Catholic, 68-11; beat Tusky Valley, 46-23; beat Beloit West Branch, 35-21; beat Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 77-21; beat then-No. 7 Cornerstone, 42-34.
This week: Saturday at Walsh Jesuit.
3. Aurora (10-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 8, beat then-No. 3 Stow, 44-40; lost to Nordonia, 57-56; beat Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, 56-42; beat then-No. 24 Buchtel, 62-49; beat then-No. 1 Wadsworth, 38-36.
This week: Wednesday vs. Copley; Saturday vs. Tallmadge.
4. Wadsworth (10-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 1, lost to New Philadelphia, 46-44; beat then-No. 14 Norton, 59-31; beat Magnificat, 45-41; beat Strongsville, 59-22; lost to then-No. 8 Aurora, 38-36; beat Hudson, 58-34.
This week: Wednesday vs. Brecksville; Saturday vs. Nordonia.
5. Cornerstone Christian (12-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 7, beat then-No. 2 Elyria Catholic, 53-51; beat Brush, 63-42; beat then-No. 9 Laurel, 71-61; lost to then-No. 6 Hoban, 42-34, beat Mentor, 77-53.
This week: Saturday at Hathaway Brown.
6. Stow (7-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 3, lost to then-No. 8. Aurora, 44-40; beat Canfield, 59-56; beat then-No. 20 Berea-Midpark, 65-33; beat Brecksville, 71-21.
This week: Wednesday at Cuyahoga Falls; Saturday at North Royalton.
7. Elyria Catholic (7-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 2, lost to then-No. 7 Cornerstone, 53-51; lost to Canton GlenOak, 85-44; lost to Curtis (Tacoma, WA), 65-57; beat Hanover (Mechanicsville, VA), 65-37; beat Maryvale (Phoenix, AZ), 81-9; beat Bay, 55-38.
This week: Wednesday at Holy Name; Saturday at Rocky River.
8. Solon (8-4)
Last week: Ranked No. 4, lost to then-No. 5 Medina, 47-39; lost to Lincoln Prep (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada), 56-50; beat Canal Winchester, 56-48; lost to Canton GlenOak, 80-45; beat Mentor 77-39.
This week: Wednesday at Shaker Heights; Saturday vs. Strongsville.
9. Olmsted Falls (10-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 10, beat North Ridgeville, 57-43; lost to Prairie (Vancouver, WA), 62-53; beat Villa Maria (Erie, PA), 57-51, OT; beat Riverside Secondary (Vancouver, Canada), 52-48; beat then-No. 18 Amherst, 67-56.
This week: Wednesday vs. No. 16 Berea-Midpark; Saturday vs. Midview.
10. Eastlake North (11-0)
Last week: Ranked No. 12, beat Chardon, 49-37; beat Shaker Heights, 76-46; beat then-No. 15 Kenston, 62-51.
This week: Wednesday vs. Willoughby South; Monday vs. No. 17 Cleveland Heights.
11. Laurel (10-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 9, beat Shaw, 67-43; beat Canfield, 57-54; beat Glenville, 74-20; lost to Massillon Jackson, 48-37; lost to then-No. 7 Cornerstone, 71-61; beat Hathaway Brown, 56-45; beat Gilmour, 67-63.
This week: Wednesday at Magnificat; Monday at Walsh Jesuit.
12. St. Vincent-St. Mary (7-5)
Last week: Ranked No. 13, beat Hathaway Brown, 75-28; beat Magnificat, 73-45; beat Twinsburg, 64-43; beat No. 24 Buchtel, 62-59, beat then No. 15 Kenston, 47-41.
This week: Wednesday at Gilmour; Saturday vs. John Hay.
13. Norton (8-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 14, beat Streetsboro, 63-44; lost to then-No. 1 Wadsworth, 59-31; beat then-No. 15 Kenston, 47-41; beat Walsh Jesuit, 44-39; beat Barberton, 44-26.
This week: Wednesday at Woodridge; Saturday vs. Coventy; Monday vs. No. 20 Green.
14. Westlake (9-1)
Last week: Ranked No. 17, beat North Olmsted, 49-23; beat Bay 59-51, OT; beat Elyria, 66-37; beat Avon, 58-46.
This week: Wednesday at Midview; Saturday at Lakewood.
15. Avon Lake (10-2)
Last week: Ranked No. 19, beat Lakewood, 50-30; beat Lorain, 52-23; beat then-No. 22 Brunswick, 48-40; beat North Ridgeville, 46-29.
This week: Wednesday vs. No. 21 Amherst; Saturday at No. 16 Berea-Midpark.
16. Berea-Midpark (9-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 20, beat then-No. 18 Amherst, 58-48; beat North Royalton, 61-25; beat then-No. 22 Brunswick, 50-36; lost to then-No. 3 Stow, 65-33; beat Midview 52-35.
This week: Wednesday at No. 9 Olmsted Falls; Saturday vs. No. 15 Avon Lake.
17. Cleveland Heights (9-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 11, beat Bedford, 60-43; beat Willoughby South, 58-37; lost to Orange, 53-45; lost to Canton McKinley, 67-42; lost to Gilmour, 57-54; beat Hathaway Brown, 81-36.
This week: Wednesday at Shaw; Saturday at Warrensville; Monday at No. 10 Eastlake North.
18. St. Joseph Academy (7-3)
Last week: Ranked No. 21, beat Villa Angela-St. Joseph, 73-49; beat Lakewood, 50-36; beat Padua, 40-35.
Next week: Wednesday at Hathaway Brown; Saturday at Gilmour.
19. Kenston (8-5)
Last week: Ranked No. 15, beat Willoughby South, 56-40; lost to then-No. 14 Norton, 47-41; lost to Cuyahoga Falls, 53-52; lost to then-No. 12 Eastlake North, 62-51, lost to then-No. 13 St. Vincent-St. Mary, 47-41.
This week: Wednesday at Brush.
20. Green (6-5)
Last week: Ranked No. 23, lost to Canton GlenOak, 64-36; beat Barberton, 34-25; beat Tallmadge, 46-28; lost to Massillon Jackson, 34-32.
Next week: Wednesday at Louisville; Saturday at North Canton Hoover; Monday at No. 13 Norton.
21. Amherst (7-5)
Last week: Ranked No. 18, lost to then-No. 20 Berea-Midpark, 58-48; beat North Royalton, 73-26; lost to Doylestown Chippewa, 57-42; lost to then-No. 10 Olmsted Falls, 67-56.
This week: Wednesday at No. 15 Avon Lake; Saturday vs. North Olmsted.
22. Orange (7-3)
Last week: Unranked, beat West Geauga, 62-52; beat then-No. 11 Cleveland Heights, 53-45; lost to Columbus Bishop Watterson, 63-42; beat Painesville Harvey.
This week: Wednesday at No. 23 Perry; Saturday vs. Beachwood.
23. Perry (9-1)
Last week: Unranked, beat Madison, 63-40; beat Willoughby South, 50-46; beat Chagrin Falls, 43-34.
This week: Wednesday vs. No. 22 Orange; Saturday vs. Geneva.
24. Buchtel (9-4)
Last week: Ranked No. 24, beat Nordonia, 49-46; beat Mentor, 70-51; lost to then-No. 8 Aurora, 62-49; lost to then-No. 13 St. Vincent-St. Mary, 62-59.
This week: Thursday vs. Ellet; Saturday at Copley; Monday vs. Akron East.
25. Brunswick (7-6)
Last week: Ranked No. 22, beat Mentor, 64-47; beat Valley Forge, 71-28; lost to then-No. 20 Berea-Midpark, 50-36; lost to then-No. 19 Avon Lake, 48-40; lost to then-No. 5 Medina, 48-25.
Next week: Wednesday vs. Elyria; Saturday at Euclid.
Dropped out: Euclid (No. 16); Independence (No. 25).
Teams to watch (listed alphabetically): Bay (7-3); Bedford (9-3); Chagrin Falls (9-3); Chardon (5-4); Euclid (9-4); Gilmour (6-6); Highland (8-4); Independence (8-2); Revere (8-3); Walsh Jesuit (6-6).
Closing thoughts: Happy holidays? For some teams they definitely were not.
Both Cleveland Heights and Kenston really struggled. The Tigers, ranked No. 11 in the previous polls, split six games to fall to No. 17. Previously unranked Orange ended an undefeated season for Cleveland Heights in a shocker, followed by losses to powerhouse Canton McKinley and Gilmour, which appears to be rounding back into form. Those losses were sandwiched between victories over Bedford, Willoughby South and Hathaway Brown.
“We just went through a rough couple of games,” coach Karen Battle said. “Winter breaks are always hard with no regular schedule and breaks in your routine. We’re a shooting team and the shots haven’t been falling. In addition, our defense is our best offense and we’ve been having a few defensive struggles.”
After losing its opener to Wadsworth, Kenston was cruising along with eight consecutive victories and had worked its way up to No. 15 in the rankings. But the Bombers have now lost their last four games, to No. 13 Norton, to unranked Cuyahoga Falls, to No. 10 Eastlake North and to No. 12 St. Vincent-St. Mary, which has now won five in a row and appears to be back on track. The losses dropped Kenston back to No. 19.
The 53-52 loss to Cuyahoga Falls was particularly heartbreaking, as Chelsea Huffman hit two 3-pointers in the final 9 seconds to lead the Black Tigers to a shocking victory. Huffman banked in a shot with 9 seconds to play, and, after Abby Englehart came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass, hit the game-winner with 2.5 seconds to play.
Congratulations: Stow senior Lexi Petit recently announced her decision to continue her career at Point Park University, an NAIA institution in Pittsburgh.
Go west, young ladies: Olmsted Falls had a very successful trip out west, competing in the Surf 'N Slam Tournament in San Diego. Playing in the most competitive bracket, the Bulldogs won two of three games, with their lone loss coming at the hands of Prairie High School of Vancouver, Washington, the top-ranked team in the state. In that 62-53 loss, the Bulldogs led at halftime but couldn't hold on.
Olmsted Falls then beat a strong team from Villa Maria of Erie (PA) and Canadian power Riverside Secondary from Vancouver. Clare Kelly, who is headed to Kent State, averaged 25.7 points per game and earned one of five all-star spots from the eight-team bracket.
Ad Choices