The Lady Saints have advanced to the state semifinals after a 54-50 win over Seton School Wednesday.

The Nansemond-Suffolk Academy girls’ basketball team is a game away from reaching the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association Division II State Championship. As the No. 6 seed, NSA was able to upset the No. 3 seed on Wednesday. Coach Kim Aston felt like it was the best her team has played in a month.

“We hadn’t been playing our best basketball as of late, but against Seton, everyone came to play,” Aston said. “We just continued to fight back all through the night.”

NSA had to withstand a strong shooting night from Seton on their home floor. As a team, Seton hit 11 total three-pointers. However, NSA knew what was at stake, and they continued to fight back. Both teams started off tied at 14 after one quarter of play, and at halftime, NSA had a 30-28 lead at the half. The Lady Saints fell behind in the third quarter before working their way back in the fourth quarter for the win.

“I was proud of their effort,” Aston said. “We could have easily gotten frustrated by the type of shooting night they had. We stuck to what we do, and we were able to keep pace while tightening up our defense.”

Alivia Giles led the way with 22 points and seven rebounds. Cammy Reid added 13 points and nine rebounds. NSA knocked down six threes, with Giles and Maren Council hitting two each.

“I felt like we played amazing,” Giles said. “We played really well as a team, and we never gave up, and we were determined to win from the start.”

Aston and the Lady Saints believe they can carry their momentum into Friday afternoon, when they match up with Miller School. Before the playoffs, Aston said her young team can play with nothing to lose, which could be scary for their opponents.

“Being able to walk away with the victory we had, we should be able to carry that over,” Aston said. “We feel like this week has given us some momentum we might not have had otherwise.”

If NSA wins Friday afternoon against Miller School, they will play for a state title Saturday afternoon. NSA and Miller School will match up at Steward School at 1:30 p.m. Friday. In case of a win, they will play for a state title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Steward School.

NSA 54, Seton 50

NSA—Giles 22, Reid 13, Council 6, Waddy 6, Conrod 4, King 3

SS—Hill 15, Pennyfeather 14, Compton 12, Clifton 6, Rodgers 3