The CCCAA state Final Four arrives tonight at Consumnes River College in Sacramento.

At 5 p.m. the Ventura College women's basketball team (32-1) faces deep, athletic and physical Foothill (29-4) in a meeting of the two teams who reigned over the Southern and Northern California regional coaches' polls for the last three months of the season.

Not up to date on the game? Click here for my Final Four preview. Click here for my feature on how the VC women have made themselves such a quality team. Click here, here and here for pregame coverage from Sacramento.

We'll have all the live updates here on Twitter.

The VC vs. Foothill women's semifinal will being broadcasted online by HomefieldSports.com.

Community College women's basketball
State semifinals, Consumnes River College, Sacramento
No. 2-South Ventura (32-1) vs. No. 1-North Foothill (29-4), 5 p.m.
No. 1-S Mount San Antonio (29-3) vs. No. 3-N Fresno (28-5), 7 p.m.

After a 55-minute shootaround, the team's final on-court preparations ahead of tonight's state Final Four in Sacramento, both head coach Ned Mircetic and star forward Destinee LaFountain proclaimed the Ventura College women's basketball team "ready to play" Friday morning

"It went well," said Mircetic. "We got out of the hotel. We got some good shots up. We got in everything that we wanted and did it efficiently.

"We're ready to play."

Asked about the on-campus venue, the Consumnes River College Athletic Center, Mircetic replied that only the Pirates' home venue would be better.

"It's very nice, I love it," said Mircetic. "This is a great site."

The consensus among the players was positive, although sophomore Blayke Hudson mentioned that the balls seemed "really bouncy."

Sophomore point guard Rebecca Griffin pointed out that the venue will be the same for both teams.

"We could be playing outside and we'd still have to give it our all," said Griffin.

All four semifinals were asked to make a brief statement about their seasons at Thursday night's CCCWBCA banquet.

Stephanie Ramirez, the sophomore captain of the Ventura College women's basketball team, was chosen by her team.

The Rio Mesa High product was diplomatic in her speech in front of the three opposing teams.

"We're going to do our best and hope for the best," said Ramirez.

After the banquet, Ramirez was asked about being up on the spot.

"I had to keep it classy and respectful," said Ramirez.

With all four teams mingling in a small meeting room, there is often a bit of gamesmanship at the event.

"I know everyone is going to be nice, but we're in business mode," said sophomore Regan Mew. "All four teams were staring each other down."

"I felt a little tension in there," said sophomore Blayke Hudson. "It made me laugh."

As the CCCWBCA president, Consumnes River head coach Coral Sage served as moderator of the night's events. Before the night was through, she made sure to take a friendly dig at Ventura by making sure to mention that, as a player, she led her Sierra team over the Pirates in the 1999 state championship game.

The comment prompted laughter and boos from different corners of the room. It seemed to perk up the Ventura players.

"We want to win this year and back coach up," said Hudson.

Sophomore Destinee LaFountain didn't mind the atmosphere. The state co-Player of the Year was so focused on Friday's semifinal that she didn't realize her name was misspelled "LaFountaine" on her All-State certificate.

"All the talking is going to be done on the court," said LaFountain. "I just can't wait to play."

The California Community College Women's Basketball Coaches Association's banquet is held annually the night before the state championships to honor the participating teams.

It also honors the CCCWBCA Hall-of-Fame class. This year, the coaches inducted Los Angeles Valley players Ruth Aguilar Seja '89 and Sylvia Casteneda '90, as well as Cypress player Sara Works '95.

Aguilar Seja, the former L.A. Valley coach, now works in the neonatal intensive care unit at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

Thursday night, the 1989 state co-Player of the Year offered perhaps the best advice for the four teams on Final Four eve.

"Enjoy this," said Aguilar Seja on the dais, her young daughter at her side. "It's going to go one of the best times of your life."

After two years in Ventura County, the California Community College basketball championships will return to Northern California next March at Consumnes River College in Sacramento.

Anyone present at the Ventura College Athletic Event Center for the state finals March 12 will remember the sight of the City College of San Francisco men's basketball team turning down the ladder during the postgame net-cutting ceremony.

Instead, the Rams opted to cut down the nets as a team, supporting themselves on the shoulders of teammates to cut down the nets.

Nearly six weeks before Ventura College hosts the California Community College basketball championships, a few CCCAA administrators were in town Jan. 27 for a site visit.

"We wanted to come by and see how an actual game is run, said George Mategakis, the Commission on Athletic's Director of Championships.

Between games of the Oxnard-Ventura doubleheader, Mategaskis and Jim Stephens, the championships' event manager, could be seen measuring the "VC" center-court logo.

"We want to dress up the place," said Mategaskis.

Despite a new direction and a new format, the California Community College basketball championships will remain local this season.

For the first time in decades, Ventura College will host the 2010-11 championships in March.

The school last hosted the tournament women's tournament in 1993 and the men's tournament in 1972 and 1973.

In the interest of "cost containment," the California Community College Athletic Association decided to reduce the tournament to a Final Four format and hold the event on a community college campus this season.

The event was held in Thousand Oaks, at Cal Lutheran University's Gilbert Center, last March. Ventura College and Saddleback College won the women's and men's state titles, respectively.

"We are pleased to announce that the 2011 CCCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be held at Ventura College Athletics Event Center (AEC)," wrote Carlyle Carter, the CCCAA president, in an e-mail announcing the decision Monday. "Less than 30 miles west of the site of the 2010 Championships, Ventura College is very accessible and the Ventura administration is enthusiastic and looking forward in assisting us in planning for a spectacular event for the participating student-athletes.

"In addition, the willingness of the Ventura County Visitors & Convention Bureau to assist us in securing competitive bids from various hotel properties to house the participating teams, CCCAA, and the CCCWBCA/MBCA was a huge selling point. Our site visit allowed us to see the venue and the necessary auxiliary facilities as well as the proximity of multiple lodging and restaurant establishments within minutes of the campus.

"The seating capacity at the AEC is also slightly larger than the 2010 facility which was primarily bolstered by the attendance of fans from nearby Ventura. In addition, the venue features items such as a scrolling matrix board, enhanced scoreboard and double tier seating creating an arena type atmosphere. We believe these added enhancements will allow for a true state championship environment for the student-athletes and fans."

We'll have more on the decision later in the weekend.