As we head into the holidays, there are tons of tournaments in the state with many teams in the Top 25 taking part in them. The Visitation Academy Tournament started before Christmas and will pick up after the holiday. Meanwhile, the 16-team Pink & White Classic in Springfield will feature plenty of top teams in the state.
The second Top 25 Missouri Girls High School Rankings saw a lot of shakeup as the initial poll debuted after the first week of the season. Now, almost a month into games we have a clearer picture and teams are starting to pull away from one another.
Incarnate Word keeps on doing what they do and the St. Louis powerhouse are nearing 140 wins in a row. There are five new teams in the poll this week
Previous ranking: 1
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After a nine-day layoff, the Red Knights are still winning. In the 86-37 win over Nerinx Hall on Dec. 21, four players scored in double figures, led by Nevaeh Lucious scoring 18.
Previous ranking: 5
Jordan Spiesier (26 points) and Kennedy Stowers (14) paced the Cougars in a close 60-58 win over Hickman on Dec. 17. The only loss has been to Incarnate Word.
Previous rankings: 20
The Lady Panthers are idle until Jan. 4, when they play Blue Valley (Kansas) in the 810 Varsity Showcase. In a win against state-ranked St. Joseph Benton, Addison Bjorn had 26 in the 78-66 win.
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Previous ranking: 3
The Lady Bruins rolled in their Central Missouri Activities Conference opener against Sedalia Smith-Cotton, winning 77-23. Rock Bridge led 37-9 after the first quarter in the Dec. 16 game. Rock Bridge plays in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational Dec. 27-30.
Previous ranking: 16
The Lady Lions opened the Visitation Christmas Tournament with a win over Cape Girardeau Notre Dame on Dec. 21. When the tournament resumes on Dec. 26, the St. Louis school will play Hickman. Nyla Scales had 16 points in the win against Notre Dame.
Previous ranking: 10
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The Trojans won the 37th Annual Troy Buchanan Pepsi-Cola Invitationalin early December and are back in the Visitation Academy Tournament this week. The tournament started on Dec. 21 with a 63-42 win over Father Tolton Regional Catholic.
Previous ranking: 21
For the second straight year, the Lady Vikings are off to a torrid start. After starting last year 11-0, Francis Howell is at 7-0 heading into a game on Dec. 27 against Farmington. Six players average at least 6 ppg so far.
Previous ranking: 8
The Lady Falcons won the Liberty North Tournament and won six in a row before losing to Farmington, Ark., on Dec. 21.
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Previous ranking: NR
The Longhorns are off to their best start since 2007-08. Parkway West beat Highland in the first round of the Visitation Academy Tournament on Dec. 21 behind 25 points from Jordan Bircher. A big test looms in the semifinals against Lift For Life.
Previous ranking: 7
The Chargers opened the year with 7 wins in a row before losing to Edwardsville, Ill., on Dec. 21 in the Visitation Academy Tournament. Lauren Ortwerth is averaging 18.1 points per game.
Previous ranking: 9
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The Jaguars showed balance in a 68-31 win against Clayton on Dec. 20 with four players scoring in double figures. Heidi Pickett had a season-high 25 in the win.
Previous ranking: 4
The Lady Hawks are 5-0 vs. Missouri teams. In the last game before the break, Lift for Life won 100-20 against Visitation in the Visitation Tournament on Dec. 21. Zha Harris scored 22, one of three with 20 points.
Previous ranking: 2
The Lady Chiefs have gone 2-1 in two tournaments and will play its third when they compete in the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
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Previous ranking: 11
The Rebels host the 69th Annual Bob Sechrest, Jr. Central Christmas Tournament and is the No. 1 seed in the field. Central has won 5 in a row since losing the opener to St. Vincent.
Previous ranking: 15
A winning streak to start the season ended with a loss to Link Academy on Dec. 20 in Springfield. Dasia Scott (18.3 ppg) and Loganne Love (12.6) are pacing the offense.
Previous ranking: NR
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The first part of the season is over for the Titans and they are perfect so far but will get test playing Staley on Jan. 2. After a slow start, Dareion Hunt has posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games.
Previous ranking: 6
The Class 5 state champions lost to Civic Memorial (Ill.) on Dec. 7 but bounced back with a win against Parkway South. The Bombers will be in the Midwest Invitational from Dec. 28-30.
Previous ranking: NR
The Lady Hornets open the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 facing Sarcoxie, a 6-1 squad. According to MSHSAA records dating back to the 2008-09 season, this is the best start in that span.
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Previous ranking: 22
The Class 3 state champions have lost twice but they were against Class 6 Rock Bridge and Park Hill South. Fair Grove opens play in the Pink & White Classic on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
Previous ranking: 18
The Tigers are seeded third in the Pink bracket at the Pink & White Classic in Springfield. Skyline has given up more than 24 points in a game this year.
Previous ranking: 13
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Nixa went to Florida before Christmas and went 2-1 in the KSA Tournament. Next up is the Pink & White Classic starting on Dec. 27 in Springfield.
Previous ranking: 14
Like about every other team in Southwest Missouri, the Lady Blue Jays will be in the Pink & White Classic this week. Marshfield enters on a 5-game winning streak. Quinn Aldridge was the MVP in a win over Parkway South in the Bill Rowe Queen City Shootout on Dec. 21.
Previous ranking: 24
The Angels closed out the first part of the season with a win over the top-ranked team in Class 4 — Ursuline Academy. Piper Mooney led the way with 16 points in the win. St. Joseph’s plays Parkway South on Dec. 28 in the SJA/Principia Tournament.
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Previous ranking: NR
In five of six games, the Lady Eagles have scored 60 or more points. Grain Valley draws Hazelwood East on Dec. 26 in the Rolla Holiday Tournament.
Previous ranking: NR
A perfect start to the season ended with a loss to St. Vincent in the First State Community Bank Holiday Classic on Dec. 20. However. the Lady Indians defense has allowed 30 or fewer points in four games this year.
Dropped out: Eureka, Smithville, Helias Catholic, El Dorado Springs, Chillicothe
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Also considered: Ursuline Academy, St. Teresa’s Academy, Parkway North, Hannibal, Hillsboro, Branson, Rolla, Dophian, St. Joseph Bent
A University of Missouri School of Medicine professor and researcher has received a $2.8 million grant to study infant kidney injury.
Adebowale Adebiyi received the grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a previously unrecognized contributor to acute kidney injury: voltage-gated sodium channels.
These proteins help move sodium molecules through cells, but Adebiyi’s research identified another function.
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“We found that during infant kidney injury, when blood flow is restricted, these sodium channels are overactivated in blood vessels,” Adebiyi said. “This triggers a cascade of events that causes the kidney’s small blood vessels to constrict, depriving the kidney of oxygenated blood when it’s most needed, and can lead to organ dysfunction or failure.”
This project will focus specifically on restoring healthy blood flow to infant kidneys, studying how nitric oxide works with specific sodium channels in blood vessels.
The number of customers without power in Cooper County is back down to about 100 after climbing to over 400 Friday night, according to outage tracking service Poweroutage.us.
About 100 Ameren Missouri customers were without power in Boonville around 8 p.m., according to Ameren Missouri’s outage map.
The number of customers without power in Boonville jumped to over 200 around 10 p.m., and the number of customers without power in Cooper County jumped again to around 470 at 10:30 p.m., according to Poweroutage.us.
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The number of customers without power was back down to around 330 by 11 p.m. and down to around 100 by 11:40 p.m., according to Poweroutage.us.
Crews assessed that the outage was due to a wire problem and a crew has been assigned to the issue.
Callaway County outage
About 200 Callaway Electric Cooperative customers were without power around 11:15 p.m. Friday, according to the cooperative’s outage map.
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The number was around 60 by 11:45 p.m., according to the outage map.
Boone County outage restored
At approximately 9:30 p.m. Friday, power was restored to over 200 customers who were without power across Boone County,
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About 280 Boone Electric Cooperative customers were without power in northern Boone County at 9 p.m. Friday, according to the power outage map on Boone Electric’s website.
Boone Electric made a post on Facebook at 8:40 p.m. saying crews were on the way to an outage in Hallsville.
A lightning strike and lines down caused the outage, according to the Boone Electric Facebook page.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (Edited News Release/KY3) – Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency in Missouri ahead of potentially dangerous severe weather forecast across the state.
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The order activates the Missouri State Emergency Operations Plan, enabling state agencies to coordinate directly with local jurisdictions to expedite assistance. The state’s emergency operations center is activating to support coordination efforts.
“The National Weather Service has cautioned that the threat of severe storms throughout the state tonight may produce damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes,” Kehoe said. “I urge all Missourians to pay attention to their local weather forecasts, follow official warnings, and have multiple ways to receive alerts – especially overnight.”
Severe weather threats
Widespread thunderstorms are forecast, with the highest threat for severe thunderstorms across western into north central Missouri, mainly in the evening. Storms are expected to weaken as they move east through the night, though the pace of weakening remains uncertain.
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Potential threats include winds of 70 mph or higher, hail over two inches in diameter, and strong tornadoes. Localized flash flooding may also occur overnight due to significant rainfall over the past 24 hours.
“This Executive Order is a proactive step to ensure our emergency management teams are fully prepared should these storms warrant immediate action to protect Missourians,” Kehoe said.
Safety guidance
State officials are urging Missourians to postpone outdoor activities and avoid driving when storms arrive. Nighttime severe weather is particularly dangerous due to reduced visibility and the risk of people being asleep when storms strike.
Residents should identify a safe shelter location in advance. The safest place during a tornado is an interior room with no windows on the lowest floor of a sturdy structure, preferably a basement. Residents in mobile homes should seek shelter with a friend, family member, or at a local storm shelter before storms arrive. Drivers should never attempt to drive through floodwaters, regardless of water depth.
Executive Order 26-08 expires April 5, 2026.
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