One of the best rivalries on the North Coast will take center stage on Friday night at the Tahnia Campbell Classic girls basketball tournament at Arcata High School.

Both Arcata and McKinleyville successfully navigated their tournament openers on Thursday, with the hosts defeating Saint Mary’s 66-32 and the Panthers getting the better of Ukiah 52-40.

Friday night’s semifinal is set for 8:30 p.m., with the winner advancing to play either Emerald or Chico in Saturday afternoon’s championship game.

The Wolford sisters were both instrumental for the Tigers on Thursday, as was the team defense.

Mae Wolford finished with a game-high 22 points, while her twin sister Tae added 15 points.

The Arcata girls held their opponents to single digits in scoring in all four quarters, while also forcing a couple of shot clock violations.

“Super proud of our team defense,” Arcata head coach Charlie Espinoza said.

Kyla Kinyon added eight points in the win, while teammate Betty Miles had seven points.

“It was a fun way to kick off our season with the first annual Tahnia Campbell Classic,” said Espinoza, who added it “was a great team win.”

With the victory, the Tigers improved to 2-0.

The Panthers, meanwhile, also impressed with a good team performance as they improved to 2-1 with their victory over Ukiah.

After an impressive freshman campaign last winter, sophomore Lily Battilocchi has picked up just where she left off last season.

Battilocchi came within a rebound of a double-double on Thursday, finishing with 16 points and nine boards.

Freshman Avery Bartoo also impressed and appears to be hitting the ground running at the high school level.

Bartoo finished with 12 points and five rebounds, including two crucial 3-pointers to help get her team going.

Liana Stumpf added nine points and three assists, and also had an impressive five steals while showcasing her hustle on the defensive side of the ball.

According to first-year McKinleyville head coach Alisha Hunter, Stumpf really set “the pace on both sides of the floor.”

Olivia Murphy also had a big game and finished with nine points and six rebounds.

“Overall we’re trying to figure out who we want to be out on the court as a team,” Hunter said. “Tonight felt different. It took a minute to get the right five out on the court to get the momentum going and staying in our direction.”

Turnovers have been a problem for the Panthers early in the season, but they have impressed on the boards, something that was evident in Thursday’s win.

“Taking care of the ball on offense is what we’re chipping away at,” Hunter added. “We’re rebounding well, pulling down 30-plus in each of the last few games. We just need to cut the turnovers and get comfortable with our offensive sets.”

It has been an adjustment for the new coach, who has taken over from Jacob Cheek, but she’s enjoying the challenge.

“We are just getting started, one game at a time,” she said. “I know what I have to do and I know the ability of my players. It’s a matter of them believing in themselves and each other to make the magic happen.”