Normally, a team making consecutive trips to the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association state basketball semifinals could count on the experience of one year carrying over to the following year.

Poly girls coach Kendall Peace doesn't have that luxury heading into tonight's semifinal meeting with Wicomico (19-4), as six players from the 2006-07 season graduated.

"Last year's experience graduated soon after we got there,' said Peace, who is 100-36 in six years at Poly. "I graduated four post players and two guards. We've ended up being very young in the post, but they've stepped up and done some things for me this year."

The relative inexperience on Peace's roster means there's a danger that this year's players could get wide-eyed at the prospect of making only the second state semifinal appearance in school history.

"I told them and we've talked about it, 'I can't create that environment that you're going to have,' said Peace. "'You're going to have to get within each other and within yourselves and tune out all of the other things that are going on in that element and focus on what's important.'"