Guess that new No. 1 ranking really bothered the Dillard girls' basketball team.

Not much.

Some teams have trouble when they jump to No. 1, but not Dillard.

If anything, Dillard took its new position at the top of the Class 5A poll and ran right over Blanche Ely.

That big showdown between Dillard and Ely, ranked No. 8 in the 6A poll, never showed up Saturday at the packed Dillard gym.

Dillard did, and the Panthers romped to a 66-40 victory over the Tigers.

It wasn't that close.

No one was watching the scoreboard, but everyone was watching Dawnn Maye's triple-double as the Dillard point guard poured in 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 10 assists, including a couple of highlight tape passes.

Lauren McGraw scored a dozen, but everyone was involved on a night Dillard's defense held Ely's Joanna Harden to just eight points. Amber Hann led the Tigers with 11.

Dillard jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the opening minutes and never looked back. With seven minutes left in the first half, Dillard was already up by 17 points.

It was quick and efficient -- just like the Panthers' offense, a blend of savvy and discipline that could carry this team to its fifth state title.

This game, like the team itself, had coach Marcia Pinder's fingerprints all over it. She's a legend in both Broward County and the state, where she won first state title in 1980, and her latest version has that same Pinder quality.

They're fast and disciplined and pass the ball -- especially their interior passing -- as good as any team anywhere.

And that newest ranking?

It didn't even faze this team.

''We try to ignore that,'' Pinder said. ``We don't even talk about.''

So what do they talk about?

''Turnovers,'' said Pinder, who even after blowing Ely off the court was still upset about the few mistakes Dillard made. Pinder was still talking about how Dillard turned the ball over on its first three possessions.

Still, the Panthers regrouped, found the passing lanes again and zipped off to their 20th victory. They're 20-1, but no one is talking about the ranking.

''I tell they haven't done anything yet,'' Pinder said. ``They have to make a name for themselves. They can't live on Dillard's past.''

The living looks pretty good for 2009.

Ely (15-5) might be good enough to make a run at the 6A title, but the Tigers were never good enough to make a run at Dillard, which had eight players score and combined for 20 assists.

Of course at the center of the storm was Maye, one of the most complete point guards in the state. Maye was everywhere, running the floor, running the Panthers.

''That's the way I want all my point guards to be, to get everyone involved,'' Pinder said.

Ely (15-5): Hanna 11, Harden 8, Davis 3, Penndergrass 3, Docutt 8, Carter 4. Dillard (20-1): Maye 20, McGraw 12, Hamm 8, Parson 6, Conner 6, Burger 5, Robinson 5, brown 4. Halftime:

Dillard 37, Ely 19. Technical: Hanna. Three pointers: Hanna 2, Davis 1, McGraw 1, Burger 1.

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