The Nansemond River High School boys’ basketball team will head to the Norfolk Scope Saturday evening to compete in the Class 5 Region A semifinals.

The Warriors won the “Battle of the Warriors” matchup Tuesday night to advance to the region semifinals. In an overtime clash, Nansemond River defeated Kecoughtan High School 64-61.

It was a battle from start to finish, but the Warriors didn’t allow any mistakes or any pressure to allow them to lose focus. Now, they can clinch a state tournament berth with a win Saturday.

“Our defense definitely won us that game,” junior Justin Fatherly said. “We crashed the boards more in the second half and forced some key turnovers.”

At the end of one quarter, Nansemond River held a 14-11 lead. In the second quarter, Kecoughtan started to execute at a higher level, which ultimately saw them take the lead heading into the half. Nansemond River didn’t shoot particularly well in the first half, going 9-of-26 from the field with 2-for-7 from the three-point line. However, NRHS was only down 23-21 going into the second half.

Nansemond River started to build more momentum in the third quarter. Jeremiah Lewis, Fatherly and Rayshawn Murray continued to make plays. Defensively, Jalil Langston competed well against one of Kecoughtan’s top players. NRHS went into the third with a 40-36 lead. In the fourth quarter, Nansemond River’s lead got as high as six points, but Kecoughtan didn’t let it get too far out of hand.

With 39 seconds to go in the game, NRHS held a 54-51 lead. A late three from Kecoughtan tied the game, sending the contest into overtime.

In overtime, Nansemond River was able to outpace Kecoughtan to advance. Murray led the way with 15 points, with Fatherly adding 14. Lewis added nine with Langston and Jamal Boone scoring eight each.

As the No. 4 seed, the Warriors get a matchup with the No. 1 seed, Green Run. Green Run will likely be favored by the spectators, but Nansemond River has the makings of a team who can upset quality opponents in the playoffs.

“Playing together is going to be a big key for us,” Fatherly said. “We have to be able to handle adversity and not get caught up in the outside noise. If we play our game and play hard, we can come out with the win.”

“We have to be the smartest team on the floor for 32 minutes,” Lewis said. “We have to have high energy, rebound and not let them unravel our game.”

Nansemond River and Green Run will match up at the Norfolk Scope at 5 p.m. Saturday.