VIRGINIA BEACH — For most girls basketball programs a trip to the state tournament is a dream. At Princess Anne it’s an expectation.
The No. 1-seeded Cavaliers met expectations on Wednesday with a 90-50 win over Kellam in the Class 5 Region A Tournament semifinals in their “Dozier Dome.”
The victory advances the Cavaliers (23-0) into Tuesday’s Class 5 state quarterfinals, where they will continue their quest for a fourth consecutive state crown and Virginia High School League record 16th overall. First, they’ll play Deep Creek — which beat Salem 56-48 in the other semifinal — on Friday at Kellam for the region title.
“It’s good to have that feeling that we’re going back to states,” said PA junior Micah Ojo, who scored a game-high 21 points. “We obviously have the goal of winning the regional championship first, but yeah, it’s nice to get back to states.”
Although Kellam (18-6) is a quality team ranked No. 7 in the 757Teamz Top 15, they were no match for the Cavaliers. Jizelle James buried a 3-pointer moments after the opening tip, before Maya Land-Dailey stole a pass and drove for a layup as the Cavaliers, who led the entire way, went up 5-0.
The sequence highlighted the two things the Cavaliers did well in building a 48-29 lead by intermission. They shot the ball well in the first half, making 17 of 29 field goals, and they were terrific defensively — forcing 10 turnovers.
“I thought the entire team played very well tonight,” said Princess Anne coach Danell Dozier, who has guided the Cavaliers to their 15 state titles, the first in 2002. “Our defense has been great for years, as people know.
“Jizelle James got it right at the right time.”
Kellam’s Kate Spain (2) guards Princess Anne’s Jizelle James (15) closely during a game at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Ted Calise/For The Virginian-Pilot)
That meant she played well in the first half, something Dozier has urged her increasingly to do. James scored 16 of her 19 points the first two quarters.
James and Ojo were joined in double figures by Tristan Rickenbacker (18 points), Rún Sveinbjornsdottir (11 points) and Amani Olds (10 points). The Spain twins, Mia (19 points) and Kate (14 points), led a Kellam effort that never lacked spirit.
The most entertaining stretch of the game came during the second quarter, when the Spain twins combined for four 3-pointers, while James and Ojo combined for five. It was a good-natured duel because Ojo and the Spains play on the same club team.
“Playing against them is always a good time, because we spend so much time outside of this, too,” Ojo said of the Spains.
Mia Spain said, “I love playing against Micah because we’ve been best friends since elementary school. She was amazing tonight.”
The Spains will no doubt be rooting for Ojo in the state tournament, a place the Cavaliers always expected to be.
“When you come into training camp, you expect to be in the state tournament every year,” Dozier said. “All teams should think that, but we definitely think that because we work hard to win.
People don’t want to give that to us, that we work hard. Haters are going to be everywhere.
“We love that.”
