VHSL sstate basketball semifinals

Tuesday

GROUP AA DIVISION 4 BOYS

Salem (17-10) vs. Potomac Falls (26-4), 9 p.m.

SALEM

Location: Salem

Nickname: Spartans

Coach: Kevin Garst

Probable starters: F Troy Mann (6-4, jr., 17.5), F Matt Hill (6-5, sr., 9.5), C Alex Light (6-6, sr., 9.9), G John Repass (5-11, sr., 5.2), G Will Pratt (5-7, jr., 9.6).

POTOMAC FALLS

Location: Potomac Falls

Nickname: Panthers

Coach: Jeff Hawes

Probable starters: F Wanya Allen (6-4, soph., 16.9), F Brandon Orbe (6-0, sr., 4.7), C Steven Tondi (6-6, sr., 6.2), G Dshawn Shorts (5-8, sr., 9.6), G Michael Janowski (6-1, fr., 13.0).

Tipoff: Potomac Falls is making its fourth straight appearance in the Division 4 semifinals. The Panthers won back-to-back state titles in 2010-11, defeating Broadway 69-64 in double overtime and Hidden Valley 58-55. Potomac Falls lost to Christiansburg in last year's semis. Allen a starter last year, went 2 for 13 and scored just four points in the Christiansburg loss. Janowski is a highly rated player nationally in the class of 2016. Salem is in Richmond for the third time in 10 years. The Spartans lost to Courtland 93-69 in the 2009 Division 4 final and were beaten at the buzzer by Robert E. Lee in the 2004 Group AA semis. Salem owns five state titles including one in 1994 when Garst was one of the players.

GROUP AA DIVISION 4 GIRLS

Bassett (18-4) vs. Courtland (26-3), 7 p.m.

BASSETT

Location: Bassett

Nickname: Bengals

Coach: Melissa Blair

Probable starters: F Kaliya Barbour (5-7, fr., 10.2), F Kim Martin (6-0, jr., 3.0), G Andrea Venable (5-5, sr., 11.1), G Simone Venable (5-7, sr., 6.0), G Alvalous Barbour (5-7, sr., 4.0).

COURTLAND

Location: Spotsylvania

Nickname: Cougars

Coach: J.T. Nino

Probable starters: F Jessica Hairston (5-10, sr., 17.0), F Imani Fennell (5-9, sr., 8.0), G Arianna Bradley (5-6, sr., 6.0), G Kayla Demps (5-5, fr., 6.0), G Janae McNeal (5-9, sr., 23.0).

Tipoff: Courtland returns to Richmond after losing to Millbrook 63-38 in last year's Division 4 final. Nino was the Cougars' coach last winter, and he also led the Courtland boys to the Division 4 crown in 2009, McNeal will play next year at Army. Hairston is the younger sister of Duke men's player Josh Hairston. Their parents, Keith and Natalie Hairston, are Henry County natives. Courtland lost regular-season games to Eastern View and Group AAA Maury, then fell in the Region I final to Grafton. Bassett is in its first state semifinal since the 2000 team led by star Shirley McCall won the Group AA title. The Bengals split four Piedmont District games with rival Patrick County and also dropped a regular-season game to William Fleming.

Weather Journal

9 hours ago