The No. 1 Benton Lady Tigers will face No. 5 A.J. Ellender in the Class 4A semifinals at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at Rapides Parish Coliseum in Alexandria.
The game is part of the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Girls’ Marsh Madness state tournament.
Benton (33-3) defeated No. 32 Livonia 86-41, No. 16 Plaquemine 67-47 and No. 8 South Lafourche 60-42 en route to the semifinals.
Ellender (23-10) defeated No. 28 Breaux Bridge 71-32, No. 21 Woodlawn 59-39 and No. 4 South Terrebonne 48-41.
The Benton-Ellender winner will play the winner between No. 3 Minden (32-3) and No. 4 Warren Easton (30-5) for the state championship on Friday at 8. The Minden-Warren Easton game will follow the Benton-Ellender game Tuesday.
Benton is making its second straight appearance in the state tournament. The Lady Tigers lost to eventual champion Warren Easton 64-54 in the semifinals last season.
Benton has wins over both Warren Easton and Minden this season. The Lady Tigers defeated Easton 45-43 in the Battle on the Hardwood on Nov. 16 and Minden 52-45 in the teams’ first District 1-4A meeting on Jan. 11.
Minden has handed Benton two of its three losses, 50-44 on Dec. 29 in the semifinals of the “Doc” Edwards Invitational on Dec. 29 and 54-50 on Feb. 5 in the second district game.
The Lady Tigers and Lady Tiders shared the district championship.
