NorCal quick facts

WHAT: The CIF Northern California Regional Division IV Boys Basketball Championship

WHERE/WHEN: Folsom High School, 7 p.m. today.

DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 99 north into Sacramento. Take Highway 50 East toward Lake Tahoe. About 15 miles east of Sacramento, take the Prairie City Road exit and go north. The gymnasium parking lot is at the first light. Turn right.

WHO: No. 2 Modesto Christian (29-4)vs. No. 1 St. Mary's-Albany (32-1)

WHAT'S AT STAKE: A berth in next week's CIF State Division IV Championship game at Arco Arena.

WHAT MC NEEDS TO DO: Junior forward Reeves Nelson is nearly unstoppable when he gets the ball down low. If he's active and grabbing rebounds, it'll slow the Panthers' transition game, too. ... Senior guard D.J. Seeley has been red-hot throughout the playoffs. If he has another big game, that could be enough. ... Should any of the role players have a great night on offense, it is going to open up the floor for Nelson and Seeley.

WHAT ST. MARY'S NEEDS TO DO: The Panthers are extremely talented but also a shorter team than MC. They need to keep Nelson off the glass as much as possible and get their vaunted transition game going. Their full-court pressure defense will put a lot of pressure on the Crusaders' guards as well. UCSB-bound brothers Will and Chris Brew are the offensive catalysts.