Category: Top 20 Girls Basketball

Panthers go wire-to-wire atop VSN Girls' Basketball Top 20; Long Reach finishes No. 5

After a three-peat as IAAM A Conference champions, St. Frances Academy is No. 1 in the final VSN Girls' Basketball Top 20 poll of the season.

The east Baltimore school (24-4 overall), ranked No. 18 nationally by MaxPreps, went the distance in the top spot. The Panthers, whose three losses came against teams nationally-ranked, will take a 38-game IAAM A winning streak (including playoffs) into next season.

McDonogh School, Roland Park Country School, Catonsville and Long Reach make up the remainder of the Top 5. Catonsville's bid for a second straight Class 4A state title was thwarted by Prince George's County's Eleanor Roosevelt in the final at Towson University Saturday. Long Reach lost to Frederick in the 3A final, ending the Howard County squad's finest campaign.

The bottom half of the Top 10 includes Howard County co-champ Howard, Baltimore City Division I champ and 3A state semifinalist Poly, John Carroll School, Western and Institute of Notre Dame, which won the IAAM B title.

Coppin Academy, which reached its first state semifinals (Class 1A) finish 15th after not being ranked in VSN's preseason Top 20. C. Milton Wright (3A state semifinalist), 2A state semifinalist Oakland Mills and IAAM B semifinalist Annapolis Area Christian School also made the final cut after starting the season unranked.

Here is the final VSN Girls' Basketball Top 20 for the 2017-18 season.

VSN GIRLS BASKETBALL TOP 20 - FINAL POLL

1. SAINT FRANCES ACADEMY (24-4)

2. MCDONOGH SCHOOL (23-7)

Last week's rank: #2

Preseason rank: #2

IAAM A CONFERENCE FINALIST

3. ROLAND PARK COUNTRY SCHOOL (21-7)

Last week's rank: #3

Preseason rank: #3

IAAM A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

4. CATONSVILLE (22-4)

Last week's rank: #4

Preseason rank: #4

Last week: The Comets lost to Eleanor Roosevelt, 60-56,in the Class 4A state final at Towson University after defeating Bethesda-Chevy Chase, 63-51, in the semifinals.

CLASS 4A STATE FINALIST & BALTIMORE COUNTY CHAMPIONS

5. LONG REACH (21-3)

Last week's rank: #6

Preseason rank: #9

Last week: The Lightning lost to Frederick, 62-50, in the Class 3A state championship game at Towson University, after a 66-61 victory over No. 7 Poly in the semifinals.

CLASS 3A STATE FINALIST & HOWARD COUNTY CO-CHAMPION

6. HOWARD (22-2)

Last week's rank: #5

Preseason rank: #5

CLASS 4A NORTH REGION SEMIFINALIST

7. POLY (20-5)

Last week's rank: #7

Preseason rank: #12

Last week: The Engineers lost to then-No. 6 Long Reach, 66-61, in the Class 3A state semifinals at Towson University.

CLASS 3A STATE SEMIFINALIST & BALTIMORE CITY DIVISION I CHAMPION

8. JOHN CARROLL SCHOOL (15-8)

Last week's rank: #8

Preseason rank: #8

IAAM A CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

9. WESTERN (18-5)

Last week's rank: #9

Preseason rank: #6

CLASS 4A NORTH SEMIFINALIST & BALTIMORE CITY DIVISION I FINALIST

10. INSTITUTE OF NOTRE DAME (22-9)

Last week's rank: #10

Preseason rank: #11

IAAM B CONFERENCE CHAMPION

11. OLD MILL (21-4)

Last week's rank: #11

Preseason rank: #7

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY CHAMPION & CLASS 4A EAST REGION SEMIFINALIST

12. SOUTH RIVER (21-4)

Last week's rank: #12

Preseason rank: #14

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY FINALIST & CLASS 4A EAST REGION SEMIFINALIST

13. MOUNT DE SALES ACADEMY (19-8)

Last week's rank: #13

Preseason rank: #13

IAAM B CONFERENCE FINALIST

14. PIKESVILLE (22-3)

Last week's rank: #15

Preseason rank: #20

Last week: The Panthers lost to Southern of Garrett County, 49-37, in the Class 1A state semifinals at Towson University.

CLASS 1A STATE SEMIFINALIST & BALTIMORE COUNTY FINALIST

15. COPPIN ACADEMY (21-4)

Last week's rank: #14

Preseason rank: Not ranked

Last week: The Eagles lost to Largo, 66-39, in the Class 1A state semifinals at Towson University.

CLASS 1A STATE SEMIFINALIST 

16. SAINT JOHN'S CATHOLIC PREP (18-7)

Last week's rank: #16

Preseason rank: #10

SEASON COMPLETE - IAAM B CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

17. MANCHESTER VALLEY (22-4)

Last week's rank: #18

Preseason rank: #15

CLASS 3A WEST REGION FINALIST

18. OAKLAND MILLS (17-9)

Last week's rank: #17

Preseason rank: Not ranked

Last week: The Scorpions lost to Queen Anne's, 57-47, in the Class 2A state semifinals at Towson University.

19. ANNAPOLIS AREA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (19-6)

Last week's rank: #20

Preseason rank: Not ranked

IAAM B CONFERENCE SEMIFINALIST

20. C. MILTON WRIGHT (24-3)

Last week's rank: #20

Preseason rank: Not ranked

Last week: The Mustangs lost to Frederick, 54-37, in the Class 3A state semifinals at Towson University.

CLASS 3A STATE SEMIFINALIST & UCBAC CHESAPEAKE CHAMPION