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The Seneca Valley girls basketball team will make its second state-tournament appearance Thursday. The first came 32 years ago.

The Screaming Eagles' opponent in the 3A state semifinals, the Largo Lions (22-3), will be at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County for the third time in the past four years. That includes the 2007 state title, one of Largo's two. Ayana Bell-Ward was a player for the first, in 1997, and the head coach for the second.

Bell-Ward hopes the experience advantage helps separate the two teams, who will square off at 7 p.m. in the first of two semifinal contests. The other semifinal pits Centennial (16-5, Howard County) and Western (17-6, Baltimore), which tip off at 9 p.m. The championship game will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday at UMBC.

"Just knowing what the atmosphere was like last year and two years prior to that and what it takes to play in that whole arena, just that experience can put you over the top," Bell-Ward said.

The Lions have been impressive this postseason. As the second seed in the 3A South Region, Largo annihilated third-seeded Huntingtown, 82-43, and crushed top-seeded Westlake, 81-54, in the final. The 80-plus scoring nights were nothing new for Largo, which netted 80 or more on 13 separate occasions and averaged 78.7 points per contest for the season.

"We're going to have to be on top of our game defensively [to win]," Screaming Eagles coach Todd Bumgardner said. "They can shoot [and they're] athletic. It's going to be a tough game."

Leading that explosive offense are junior point guard Jessica Lyons and junior guard Brittany Taylor, who are averaging roughly 19 and 17 points per game, respectively, Bell-Ward said.

The Screaming Eagles (25-0) counter with one of the state's best players in Kelsey Wolfe, who is producing a little more than 20 points per game. She knocked down 29.3 points per game during the regional tournament, including 41 in Seneca's semifinal victory against Frederick. Audrey Cunningham adds 13.3 points a game.

The other semifinal contest pits two teams not seeded to win their regions. Centennial entered the 3A East playoffs as the fifth seed, but upended top-seeded River Hill in the semifinals before dispatching No. 6 Mt. Hebron in the final. It last reached the state playoffs in 1997 and won its lone state crown in 1981.

Western rode into the 3A North as the fourth seed, but crushed No. 1 Catonsville, 57-33, in the semifinals and beat third-seeded Poly in the final. This is the Doves' fifth straight state appearance and sixth in seven years. It won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995.

Class 3A State Semifinal

Thursday, 7 p.m. at University of Maryland-Baltimore County

-Seneca Valley Screaming Eagles (25-0)

Location: Germantown

Head coach: Todd Bumgardner

Players to watch: G Kelsey Wolfe (20.0 ppg), G Audrey Cunningham (13.3)

-Largo Lions (22-3)

Location: Upper Marlboro

Head coach: Ayana Bell-Ward

Players to watch: G Jessica Lyons (19 ppg), Brittany Taylor (17 ppg)