Lacassine is the No. 1 seed in Class B with a 30-game win streak, but the Cardinals say they have something to prove to be considered among the state’s elite programs.

The Cardinals will make their 13th appearance at the state basketball tournament today.

They will face one of those powerhouses in No. 4 Simsboro at 8 p.m. in the Class B semifinals. Simsboro (22-9) has won seven state championships, including four from 2018-22.

“We still feel like the underdog,” Lacassine head coach Micah Rasberry said. “We are not one of the perennial teams, yet.

“We were there three years ago, and we have been knocking on the door the last two years. They are kind of fired up about that. They want to be one of the Zwolles and Simsboros. That is something we have been talking about that to motivate them a little bit.”

It will be a rematch of the Cardinals’ (30-1) last semifinal game, which ended in a 70-51 loss to Simsboro. Many of the current Cardinals were on that team, including senior Kane Broussard who was a sophomore in the starting lineup.

Rasberry said he has seen a lot of growth in his team since then, especially with a more robust offense.

“Back then we were a one-trick pony,” Rasberry said. “We shot the 3 and played fast to get the pace where it needed to be.

“Now I think we are a little more dynamic. We can score through the post. We will post guys up, even our guards. We run multiple actions, and we can score off the dribble.”

Simsboro has scored more than 70 points in 13 of its last 14 games, led by junior JaKaleb Modest (19 ppg).

“We just have to take care of the ball,” Rasberry said. “They are going to put a little bit of pressure on us.

“Both of us like to play fast, so it could be a track meet. I think it is going to come down to rebounds and turnovers. They don’t have a ton of size, but they are very athletic. They like to shoot the three quickly in transition. We have to absolutely win the turnovers.”

Select Division III

No. 5 Rosepine is coming off an upset of three-time defending state champion Isidore Newman and is poised to pull another upset today. The Eagles play No. 1 Calvary Baptist at 6 p.m. today at Burton Coliseum.

Rosepine is making its first semifinal appearance since 1991, while Calvary is quite familiar with big games. The Cavaliers played in four consecutive finals from 2020 to 2023.

“They are all good,” Rosepine head coach Logan Maddox said. “They have three guys that are multi-star athletes.

“They are good, there is no doubt about it, but we are not afraid of the moment or afraid of anybody. We are just going to play as hard as we possibly can.”

Rosepine, which has won 25 consecutive games, wants to play fast. Newman took the Eagles out of their game in the first half on Friday, but the Eagles turned it on in the second half with 40 points to win 65-57 and want to do the same against Calvary.

“The faster the better,” Maddox said. “(Calvary is) long.

“On a missed shot, or even if they make it, we try to grab it and go and cancel it out. We will eventually turn you over enough, or you will miss it enough shots. As long as we keep our pace, I feel pretty confident.”

The Eagles average 77.3 points a game, led by seniors Hayden Brister (23 ppg) and Emmanuel Brownlee (13 ppg, 8 rpg).