The Mathews High School varsity girls’ basketball team earned a place in the VHSL Group 1A regional tournament after upsetting the number-one seed in the first round of last week’s Conference 42 tournament, West Point, 30-25.

Two days later, Mathews lost the conference championship game to Charles City, 36-32. But as the conference runners-up, the Lady Devils earned the right to advance to the Region 1A East tournament. That first game was scheduled for last night in Petersburg, where Mathews faced Appomattox Regional Governor’s School. Results from that game were not available at press time.

Mathews picked up the win over West Point on the Pointers’ home turf. It was the second time this season that Mathews traveled to West Point to play, winning each time. In preparing for this difficult conference semifinal matchup, head coach Tommy Eriksen with assistants Lawrence Ambrose and Thomas Spadaccini implemented a new diamond-and-one defense that the Lady Pointer...