HS Sports: Lady Panthers At RIC; JNP Faces Mt. Hope

In what was considered a rebuilding year, the Johnston High School girls' varsity basketball team has reached the Final Four in the state Division II playoff tournament, thanks to solid effort throughout the season.

Coach Chris Corsinetti and his Lady Panthers will look to better last year's result and advace to the finals tonight against Classical High School in the 6 p.m. game at Rhode Island College.

Johnston won a 46-43 squeaker over D-II South top seed Rogers on March 3 to reach this year's semifinals.

Click here to follow our live blog from the state tournament, starting just before game time. Moses Brown takes on Narragansett in the 8 p.m. nightcap to determine the scheduled March 10 finals match-up.

Cougars Take To Ice Friday:

The Johnston-North Providence Cougars varsity hockey squad is set to play the team is beat last year for the D-III state title, Mt. Hope High School, on Friday night at 9 p.m. at Smithfield Ice Rink, according to the Rhode Island Interscholastic League website.

After compiling a 14-2 record in the regular season, the Cougars and number-two East Providence earned a first-round bye in the state tourney.

Friday's contest is the first of a best-of-three series against the Huskies, with the winner facing the EP-Tolman winner in the finals series.

Mt. Hope and East Providence are the ony two teams to beat the Cougars this year, with the Townies dealing JNP a 2-0 shutout on Feb. 4 and the Huskies beating the defending D-III champs 3-0 in an odd daytime game during February vacation week.