The St. James Lady Tigers are back where they probably belonged all along...in the Missouri Class 4 state poll.
The St. James High School girls’ basketball team made its first appearance in the state poll this week, being selected No. 6 in the Class 4 state poll, which is compiled by the Missouri Sportswriters/Sportscasters Association.
St. James dropped two games with all-state junior guard Rachel Connell sidelined after toe surgery. However, Connell returned to the St. James lineup last week and the Lady Tigers are again clicking. St. James knocked off state-ranked Four Rivers Conference foe St. Clair last week and currently has a 14-2 record.
Exactly half of the Four Rivers Conference girls’ basketball teams are state-ranked this week. Hermann, which entered this week with a 13-2 record, is ranked No. 4 in Class 3 while Pacific (15-1) is ranked No. 3, St. James No. 6 and St. Clair (15-2) No. 7 in Class 4.
Last season St. James was ranked as high as No. 2 in the regular-season state poll while advancing to the state tournament quarterfinals and ending with a 27-2 mark.
It will be a battle of Class 4 state-ranked teams on Saturday when St. James travels to Washington to take on St. Francis Borgia. The junior varsity game is to begin at 5 p.m. with the varsity contest to follow. Borgia is ranked No. 5 in the girls' Class 4 state poll.