That is not usually the norm for teams playing in the PIAA semifinals, but the Marauders and Lady Pirates are hoping to use their prior experiences to their advantage.

The BG boys will face District 3 champion Trinity at 6 p.m. at Chambersburg Area High School in a Class 3A game, while the Williamsburg girls play Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Class 1A at 7:30 p.m. at the Altoona Area High School Fieldhouse with berths in the state finals on the line.

“We’ve played (Trinity) three times already in the last three years,” BG boys coach Ryan Lestochi said. “We’re pretty familiar with what they like to do. They’re a very athletic team and really don’t have any weaknesses. They’re well-coached — Larry (Kostelac) has been there forever.”

BG lost to Trinity earlier this season on Jan. 10 in Camp Hill, 68-60. The Marauders won last year’s meeting at Penn State Altoona, 66-63, and lost at Trinity in 2023-24, 59-56.

Photo for the Mirror by Chuck Meyers LeeAnna Royer and the Lady Pirates beat Bishop Carroll.

“They’ve been three great games, and hopefully, we’ll have another,” Lestochi said. “In this year’s game, we were only down two with the ball and a minute left. It was right there, but we had a silly turnover and that put us behind where we had to start fouling and the final margin ended up being eight points.”

Lestochi said he will go with a similar game plan tonight but is hoping for better execution from his team against the Shamrocks, who ironically will be playing on Saint Patrick’s Day.

“What we wanted to do earlier this year, we did not execute,” he said. “Even after the game when we broke the film down, we told them that we have to clean this up — it is what cost us the game. We need to clean up those things and be a little sharper.”

Trinity’s top player is junior guard Andre Steele, who scored 30 points in a 75-53 victory over Forest Hills in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Lestochi is hoping his team can step up to the bigger challenge after Saturday’s overtime win over Westmont Hilltop.

The Class 3A boys state final is 2 p.m. Saturday in Hershey.

“We did not play our best game (Saturday),” Lestochi said. “But our boys are battle-tested. We’ve played a lot of good teams and won in all different ways. I think that’s what’s special about this group. It doesn’t matter the style of how we play, we’re going to be in games just by playing tough.”

Williamsburg girls coach Angela Detwiler also knows her team’s opponent extremely well as this will be the fifth meeting between Williamsburg and Saint Joseph’s in Detwiler’s two seasons as head coach.

Saint Joseph’s won those four previous meetings, including two this year where the Lady Wolves scored 72 and 75 points. Saint Joseph’s senior Naomi Crispin, who scored 37 points in helping knock out two-time defending state champion Bishop Guilfoyle on Saturday, averaged 22 points in the two games against Williamsburg.

“Defensively, we are looking at the tendencies of several of their players and talking to a lot of other coaches for our scouting report,” Detwiler said. “They’re really good. Naomi Crispin is the best high school girls basketball shooter I’ve seen, and they have other girls who can hit 3s as well as good post players. It’s a big challenge that we’re looking forward to.”

Williamsburg lost by 28 points to Saint Joe’s in Boalsburg on Jan. 28 but nearly defeated the Lady Wolves in the District 6 consolation game, losing 75-73, with its top scorer and rebounder, Levada Gorsuch, sidelined with an injury.

Williamsburg has won three straight state playoff games, including Saturday’s 53-48 win over Bishop Carroll. The winner of tonight’s game advances to Friday’s noon PIAA Class 1A championship game in Hershey.

“We went through a lot (this season),” Detwiler said. “But the girls came together, and we came out a stronger team. We’re playing as one unit and gelling at the perfect time of the season.”