South Tahoe and Whittell High basketball teams play in state tournament Friday

The basketball teams from both South Shore high schools are playing in the first round of the NIAA State Basketball Championship, with their first round games Friday.

Whittell Warriors are taking on the Adelson Lions in their Division IV game at 3:00 p.m. at Reed High School in Reno with the South Tahoe Vikings playing the Desert Pines Jaguars at 4:40 p.m. at Reno High. The Vikings play in NIAA Division I-A.

A bus load of basketball fans left South Tahoe High at 2:15 p.m. Friday to root on their team as they make their first state tournament appearance in five years and Whittell fans will head down to Reno to back their team as they try for their second state title in three years.

The South Tahoe Vikings have ha three state titles in their basketball program history.

The winner of the Whittell-Adelson game goes on to play for the title Saturday at Lawlor Events Center on the UNR campus. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

The winner of the South Tahoe-Desert Pines games for the state title at 8:10 p.m. Saturday. That game is also at Lawlor Events Center.