Week 12 National Prep Basketball Poll released

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- To the surprise of no one, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is No. 1 in the National Prep Poll weekly basketball rankings for the 11th consecutive week.

The Monarchs took another giant step toward securing their first Prep Poll basketball title over the weekend, defeating No. 9 St. Benedict's (Newark N.J.), 73-61, in a game televised nationally by ESPNU.

It was Mater Dei's second win this season over a Top 10 team; the other was in December against another New Jersey parochial power: No. 8 St. Patrick (Elizabeth).

Meanwhile, No. 2 Oak Hill breezed through its second consecutive week of lopsided victories against unranked teams. The schedule cranks up again in earnest this Saturday when the Warriors take on No. 8 St. Patrick at the Primetime Shootout in Trenton (N.J.).