Figuring the top 25 in girls’ basketball has all the appeal of algebra

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If Team A defeated Team B but lost to Team C, and Team B beat Team C, which team is No. 17? The dirtiness and complexity of choosing and ranking the Top 25 gets worse, like an algebraic nightmare. After beating Ayala, and looking good doing it, I’m sure the folks in Santa Monica are wondering why they’re still on the outside looking in.

One word: ‘Inglewood.’

Who’s new: Nobody.

Who’s out: Nobody.

So what happened?

Millikan (17-2): Let’s see, the Rams beat No. 1 Long Beach Poly on Jan. 7, and then beat No. 1 A.B. Miller on Saturday. Knocking off two No. 1s in a span of 12 days is a pretty good case for being No. 1. And they are. And they’ll have a chance to prove it when they play host to Poly at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Long Beach Poly (13-2): The Jackrabbits’ only Southland loss is to Millikan. Their only other loss is to San Francisco Sacred Heart Cathedral, the two-time defending State Division III champion. Poly has a victory over the team that succeeded them as the No. 1 team in the nation. Let’s make the Jackrabbits No. 2, just to make the Moore League game Friday even more enticing.

Mira Costa (16-3): Have we reached that point where what happened the first few weeks of the season is no longer as relevant as has happened recently? That might be the case with Mira Costa, which is undefeated since the arrival of 6-3 Whitney Daniels from Santa Monica over the Christmas break. Last week, the Mustangs beat Redondo and Lynwood. Heck, that’s a pretty good year, much less a good week. Mira Costa is No. 8 -- up from No. 20 -- and it has a chance to rise even higher.

Santa Monica (16-4): I watched some of the first quarter against then-No. 9 Ayala at the end of a long day. Didn’t stick around for the end, but Santa Monica looked as if it had plenty for the Bulldogs. Did it ever, winning, 77-55. But where do you put the Vikings? Who do they knock out? They just beat Ayala, and No. 25 JSerra has beaten No. 11 Magnolia. Yes, JSerra lost to Ayala, but Santa Monica lost to Inglewood. If the team that showed up Saturday against Ayala showed up every night, the Vikings might never lose. That would get them into the top 25.

-- Martin Henderson

-- Image from www.online.tvguide.com