Most years Fairview head coach Kyle Jinks has several experienced players to work with to build his next state title contender.

This time around was different with a single returning starter and one other with starting experience, but the results have been the same.

The two-time defending Class B champs will face No. 5 Oak Hill in the final at 7 p.m. today at the state basketball girls tournament at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.

“It was a lot more difficult,” Jinks said of the season. “I have been pretty fortunate. Last year we lost two or three the year before, but we had kids with experience even if they didn’t start. We knew that we had a lot of work to do. This year we started all over, and we beefed up our schedule.

“We have come a lot further than I thought we would come playing at the level we are right now.”

The second-ranked Panthers (36-5) start four underclassmen and are led by senior multi-sport standout Rylee Cloud, who scored 34 points in the Panthers’ 70-55 win over Florien in the semifinals. Sophomore Ella Reeves is the Panthers’ other starter with previous varsity experience.

“I am proud of how far we have come, being as young as we are,” Jinks said.

Oak Hill will play in its first state championship game, and Jinks credits the Rams’ head coach Kaci West.

“Kaci West has done an exceptional job over there,” he said. “She came in and the program wasn’t very good.

“It was mostly a softball school. I don’t know how long she has been there. She completely turned it around and made them a very competitive school. They are young. I think most of them are sophomores that are starting for them. She got them believing that they can win. We are going to have to be ready.”

Jinks said the Panthers need to control three key areas: rebounds, defense and the pace of the game.

“That is the key for us to win — we have to defend and rebound,” he said. “Pace for us is everything. If we are going to get beat, we are going to get beat at the pace we want to play out.”

Oak Hill (37-6) is led by 5-foot-10 sophomore center Alexis Dyer (16 ppg, 8.2 rpg).

“They have several kids that can shoot the ball,” Jinks said. “They have a big kid (Dyer) inside, and she is just a sophomore.

‘That can cause us some problems, and they have a good bench. Defensively we have to show up. If we give up too many points and we are not making shots, we are going to lose.”