LAS VEGAS -- Pahrump Valley's girls and boys basketball teams played in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A Regional tournament Thursday at Del Sol High School here.

Both teams were out to qualify for the state tournament for the second straight season. In 2007, the Lady Trojans advanced to the state finals, bowing 46-33 to two-time champion Spring Creek in the finals. The boys lost in the semifinals 41-32 to Dayton, which fell to defending champion Las Vegas Faith Lutheran in the title game.

Overton Moapa Valley was the opposition in both games Thursday. Pahrump Valley's girls had defeated Moapa Valley twice during the regular season, while the boys' teams split. Each won on the other team's court.

In the other semifinals Thursday, the Mesquite Virgin Valley boys and girls played Faith Lutheran.

Saturday's regional championship games have significant importance. Only the winners will advance to the state tournament Feb. 22-23 at the Lawlor Events Center in Reno.

The girls' title game is at 6:40 p.m., with the boys playing at 8:20.

Senior point guard Darius Dolly will direct the offense for coach Lonnie Shereck's boys' team (17-13). Dolly scored 23 points in the Trojans' 67-49 loss to Moapa Valley last Friday, and at Overton, his four-point play in the final five seconds of overtime lifted PVHS to a 59-58 win.

Pahrump Valley was 1-1 against Virgin Valley and 0-2 vs. Faith Lutheran during the Southern League season.

For coach Bob Hopkins' girls team, its success will depend on how well the post players perform.

Megan Meads, a 5-10 senior, is averging a team-best 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. Kristi Daffer, a 6-foot junior, is at 9.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg; freshman Casey Scheller is at 4.5 ppg and 3.9 rpg and Christine Gamble, a senior, is at 3.1ppg and 3.3 rpg. Add it up: that's 30.3 points and 22.7 rebounds per game. That is not discounting the 1.8 points and 2.4 rebounds Marie Taylor contributes each game as a backup forward.

Senior guard Brittany Orr was the team's regular-season assists leader at 3.4 per game. Freshman Alyson Kunzi and senior Brittney Orr have combined for 159 steals for the 23-7 Trojans.

Courtney Salmon and Ashley Humbert are key players coming off the bench. Salmon fired in 13 3-point shots and was 7-for-8 from the free-throw line in 28 games. Humbert was limited to 21 games because of an injury; she averaged 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

Pahrump Valley was 1-1 against Virgin Valley and 2-0 vs. Faith Lutheran in the 3-A season.

The Northern 3-A regionals are being played at Elko High School; action started Thursday and will conclude Saturday.