The potential for an all-Cobb Class AAAAA girls state final is within reach, but so is an all-Gwinnett championship

That will be determined today as Campbell takes on Norcross and McEachern faces Mill Creek in the semifinals at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

Campbell (25-6) will tip off at 4 p.m. against defending state champion Norcross (27-3), while McEachern (24-6) will battle Mill Creek (18-13) at 7 p.m.

The Lady Spartans, champions of Region 4AAAAA, will face the 7AAAAA champion Lady Blue Devils in the state playoffs for the second straight season. Last year, the two teams met in the quarterfinals, where Norcross moved on with a 65-54 victory.

Campbell held a 36-35 lead entering the fourth quarter of that game, but the Lady Blue Devils made 15 of 19 free throws in the final frame and outscored the Lady Spartans 30-18 to take the victory.

Entering today's contest, Campbell is averaging 62.9 points per game, while Norcross is putting up 62.2. The difference, however, is on the defensive side of the ball, where the Lady Blue Devils give up only 39.1 points, compared to 49.2 for the Lady Spartans.

Norcross primarily used a 2-3 zone defense when the teams met last season, challenging Campbell to win the game from the outside. With six players standing 6-foot-1 or taller, the Lady Blue Devils will have the height advantage, leaving the Lady Spartans to make shots consistently and shoot well from the free-throw line to give themselves a chance to win.

"It's nice to get through the elite eight and into the final four," Campbell coach Randy McClure. "The girls told me at the beginning of the season that we'd get here, but I'm a Missouri type of guy, you'll have to show me, and they showed me.

"Now we're here, and we're playing a great team with great girls from different schools that have come together to play some terrific basketball. They have three girls from Stephenson, one from Marietta and other one from Hiram and the list keeps going - and they've jelled into a unit."

Even though Norcross may be favored on paper, McClure is holding out hope that his girls can pull off an upset.

"'It'll be like N.C. State vs. Phi Slamma Jamma or David vs. Goliath,' is what I'm telling my girls," McClure said, alluding to the 1983 NCAA men's championship when North Carolina State shocked Houston with a last-second tip-in. "We're going to have to compete and get up and down the floor and try to stay ahead of them."

On the other side of the bracket, McEachern and Mill Creek combined for 11 postseason appearances since 2005. The Lady Indians, the No. 3 seed from 4AAAAA, last made the semifinals in 2005. The Lady Hawks, the No. 3 seed from 7AAAAA, reached the semifinals in 2008.

Despite its 18-13 record, Mill Creek knows how to win after posting back-to-back overtime victories in its previous playoff games.

"I've watched (Mill Creek) in person and I've seen them on film," McEachern coach Phyllis Arthur said. "They're peaking at the right time. You can't just look at their win-loss record. They're quick, fast, they work hard and they work as a team. They're patient in the halfcourt and they won't beat themselves. Plus, they've won two games in overtime, so you know they don't give up."

McEachern is averaging 64.5 points per game game, compared to 57.6 for Mill Creek. Defensively, however, the Lady Indians are giving up only 45.7 points, to the Lady Hawks' 51.3.

Mill Creek was 12-12 following a loss to Norcross early last month, but it has since won six of its last seven, including four straight, to reach the semifinals.

As it has done all season, McEachern will try to get the ball down low into its frontcourt and take advantage of its inside game to win.

"We have a little bit of a height advantage," Arthur said, "but it will come down to guard play and defense. If we play well in those areas, I like our chances."