STATE CHAMPS! Top 20 Girls Basketball Rankings: Week of January 22nd, 2023

STATE CHAMPS! Big Lexi’s Top 20 Team Rankings – Week of January 22nd, 2023

Lexi Ayala – Twitter @LexiReyne1523

#1 Grand Rapids West Catholic – Division 2

With a win over Rockford, West Catholic stays in the top spot. And over this last two week stretch Rockford has more quality wins. West Catholic dominated Coopersville 73-17, then did the same to Fruitport 65-25.  The Dykstra sisters are definitely leaders and consistent contributors every game. 

#2 Rockford – Division 1

Rockford is on a 6-game winning streak.  Last week Rockford beat Jenison 69-37 and beat Holland West Ottawa (#9 last week) 61-47.  Rockford was down at the half but came back to get the win despite a strong performance by West Ottawa’s Gabby Reynolds game high 28 points. Rockford was led to victory by the Wypych sisters.  Anna tallied 19 points and Alyssa chipped in 12 points. 

#3 Farmington Hills Mercy – Division 1

In the last two games, Mercy has taken victories in a 54-19 win against Regina and a 48-28 victory over Lakeland.  Aizlyn Albanese scored 21 points against Lakeland has stepped up this season becoming one of the state’s most efficient scoring threats.  Mercy is anchored by senior Mia White (Grand Valley State Commit).  She had multiple offers, including one from Detroit Mercy. The name of the school is exactly what their defense will do to their opposing offenses-mercy them. Mix that with efficiency on the offensive end makes for one dangerous team to face. 

 #4 Lake Fenton – Division 2

The Blue Devils were victorious in two games recently, of those was a give me game against an outmatched Kearsley team 79-17.  But the second game was one I was very excited, Lake Fenton against 11-0 Goodrich.  It lived up to expectations seeing Lake Fenton edge out a 6-point win 50-44.  Kendyl Smith led the way for L.F. with 13 points hitting 3-5 from the 3-point line and was 4-4 from the charity stripe.  Cisk, and Fellenbaum each had 10 points and seven of the ten roster players scored for Lake Fenton, showing how deep and balanced the team is.  Every player has their niche role on this team, and they stick to their role.  There are no egos on this team and that allows them to gel and play as one. They show no weakness in their team game. 

 #5 Renaissance – Division 1

Renaissance added two more to the win column over Mumford 68-23 and a 29-point win over Muskegon 74-45.  Christian Sanders, and Anaya Hardy both lead Renaissance with 11 PPG. Sanders is well rounded as she is third on the team in assists averaging three per game and second in steals with three per game. 

 #6 West Bloomfield – Division 1

West Bloomfield walked over Cass Tech 71-41 and did the same to Rochester 53-33.  Sydney Hendrix (West Bloomfield) scored 16 and Indya Davis (Michigan State commit) chipped in 15 vs Cass Tech.  It was both Davis’s that took charge vs Rochester scoring 14 points each.  Now that West Bloomfield is clearly hitting their stride, they are working their way back up to the top of the rankings. 

 #7 Chelsea – Division 2

Chelsea put up 76 points vs Waverly and only allowed 44 points.  Megan McCalla scored 26 points vs Waverly, Leila Wells had 15, and Avery Lay put up 13.  Chelsea’s Head Coach Tony Scheffler says his point guard Leila Wells is the best point guard in the state and he said he’ll scream that one from the rooftops.  In the big, rivalry win over Dexter, Wells dropped a game-high 24 points and has multiple Division 1 offers. 

#8 East Grand Rapids – Division 1

East Grand Rapids had one heck of a game vs Lowell.  Lowell had a nice lead over East G.R. but Macy Brown took over, scoring 32 points and adding 13 boards and just like snatching those rebounds, she almost single-handily snatched the win from Lowell.  I mean, 32 out of 49 points in a 49-40 victory. I’d say the East Grand Rapids fans wanted an encore from Brown and she delivered against Forest Hills Northern scoring 30 points in a 53-42 win. Brown (Michigan Commit) is solidified as a Miss Basketball contender with her outstanding resume 26 points per game, 8 boards per game and 3 assists per game. 

 #9 Flint Carman-Ainsworth – Division 1

#10 Detroit Edison – Division 2

Everyone’s kind of been counting out Detroit Edison after they started the season off with 2 losses, and I get it because there’s still a whole bunch of undefeated teams out there that haven’t even made the rankings, but I want to remind everyone that DEPSA ain’t new to this… they true to this but forreal, DEPSA’s only 2 losses this year are both to out of state teams, Bolingbrook and Whitney Young of Illinois- 2 really tough teams. DEPSA is 5 time back-to-back-to-back-to-back state champs and has had the last 4 Miss. Basketball’s of Michigan come from this school. I’m not counting them out.

#11 Haslett – Division 1

Earning a hard fought victory over Top 25 in the state DeWitt (11-1) 55-52, and a 60-14 victory vs. Lansing Eastern.  Against DeWitt Emily Homan was clutch for Haslett in the final four minutes Homan scored 6 of the final 8 points.  Her game winning trip to the line sealed the game with 43 seconds left to edge out the victory over a Division 1 elite team.

#12 Frankenmuth – Division 2

Frankenmuth faced off against Alma and winning 64-35 and beat Hemlock 55-35.  Mia McClaughlin dropped 21 points on 8-12 from the floor vs Alma then scored 15 vs Hemlock sinking five 3-pointers, grabbing 4 rebounds and 5 assists.  Frankenmuth is on a 10-game winning streak since losing to Lake Fenton in Game 1.

#13 Escanaba – Division 2

Tallied two more wins and remain unbeaten.  A 62-46 win over Menominee, Keira Maki scored 15 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks.  Morgan Maki contributed 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks.  65-36 win over Bark-River-Harris Keira Maki took over once again scoring 24 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and a block 

#14 Temperance Bedford – Division 1

Took down Adrian Lenawee Christian 39-16, and Monroe 50-20.  Against Lenawee Christian, Victoria Gray had a double-double 13 points and 13 rebounds.  Gray was one rebound short of back to back double-doubles she posted 12 points, 9 boards vs Monroe.  

#15 North Farmington – Division 1 

12-0 put losses on Rochester Adams and Oxfords records.  54-28 over Adams behind a stellar performances by Penelope Creary 14 points, 6 steals and Sela Lefler 11 points, 4 steals. 40-21 over Oxford that had a North Farmington player scoring the same amount of points totaled by Oxford on her own.  Sela Lefler had 21 points . 

Remaining Top 20

16: DeWitt – Division 1

17: Lowell – Division 1

18: Holland West Ottawa – Division 1

19: Byron Center – Division 1

20: Goodrich – Division 2