Power rankings: Boys basketball Jan. 26

Daily Staff - sports-@nvdaily.com

The Northern Virginia Daily sports staff collaborated to create a top 10 girls basketball list. Each staffer voted, with 10 points being awarded to the top-ranked team, nine to the No. 2 team and so on.

1. Skyline (2) 12-3, 2-1 Northwestern -- The Hawks return to the top after beating James Wood 81-74 last week and downed Fauquier 67-49 on Wednesday night. Skyline faces another district battle against Handley. In the first matchup this season, the Hawks pulled out a 59-56 win.

2. Millbrook (4) 11-4, 3-2 Northwestern -- The Pioneers appear to be pulling it all together after downing Washington (W.Va.) last week and avenging an earlier loss against Handley by beating the Judges 74-66 on Tuesday. Millbrook will be looking to even the score again on Friday at Sherando.

3. Handley (1) 10-4, 2-2 Northwestern -- The Judges scored an impressive 77-53 home victory over Sherando last week, but stumbled to a 74-66 setback against Millbrook on Tuesday. They'll look to change their fortunes and tighten up the district race again with a road game Thursday at James Wood and a home matchup against Skyline on Friday.

4. Sherando (3) 8-9, 3-2 Northwestern -- A short-handed Warriors squad was no match for Handley or Martinsburg (W.Va.) last week, but Sherando bounced back nicely for an 88-73 road win against James Wood. Aaron Miller, who missed the two previous games with an injury, had 18 points against the Colonels. The Warriors will look for the regular-season sweep against visiting Millbrook on Friday.

5. Clarke County (5) 12-6, 7-3 Bull Run --The Eagles have been busy over the past week. Starting with a road win at Central (75-70), a home setback to George Mason (51-38) and back-to-back road victories over Warren County (71-58) and Rappahannock County (76-33), Clarke County has largely kept pace in the district race. The Eagles host Bull Run rival William Monroe on Friday.

6. Strasburg (7) 9-7, 5-4 Bull Run -- The Rams took down then Bull Run co-leader William Monroe for a 51-50 overtime victory before beating Manassas Park 55-40 Wednesday. George Mason is up next for Strasburg.

7. James Wood (6) 7-9, 0-4 Northwestern -- The Colonels continue to compete, as evidenced by an 81-74 setback to Skyline last week, but James Wood is still searching for its first district victory in two years. The Colonels' next shot comes tonight against Handley.

8. Central (8) 4-13, 2-7 Bull Run -- The Falcons have had issues closing out close games, the latest example being a 75-70 loss to Clarke County last week. Against George Mason on Wednesday, Central lost, 69-51. The Falcons hit the road for Manassas Park on Friday.

9. Warren County (9) 4-11, 1-3 Evergreen -- The Wildcats snapped a 10-game losing streak with an 80-60 win over Brentsville last week, but couldn't sustain that momentum in a 71-58 loss to Clarke County on Tuesday. Warren County gets back into district play with a home game against Kettle Run on Friday.

10. Stonewall Jackson (10) 0-16, 0-10 Shenandoah -- The Generals bounced back from a lopsided loss to Buffalo Gap last week, but still didn't have enough to get past Riverheads in a 52-39 defeat Tuesday. Stonewall Jackson goes out of district play to face county rival Massanutten Military Academy tonight.