It is the month of March which means that March Madness is upon us. NBA teams are jockeying to make the postseason, the NCAA is getting ready for their dance, and high schools here in Massachusetts, are looking for the opportunity to play on the hallowed parquet floor underneath the 17 NBA Championship banners raised to the rafters by the Boston Celtics.
This past weekend, some of the best local boys and and girls basketball teams in Massachusetts defied the odds and won division championships, and will get the opportunity to play at the TD Bank North Garden on Monday evening March 9th, and Tuesday evening March 10th.
Cambridge Rindge and Latin Boys Basketball Team Defeat Saint John’s Prep in the Division 1 North Basketball Final
Cambridge’s long history of basketball dominance got back on track as the Falcons defeated Saint John’s Prep 71-64 this past Saturday evening at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.
Isaiah McLeod scored a game-high 31 points in the victory for Cambridge.
The Saint John’s Prep Eagles got off to a slow start and were never able to recover from an early deficit.
The Falcons will face South Champion Catholic Memorial at TD Garden Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Andover Girls Basketball Team Defeat Billerica in the Division 1 North Basketball Final
The Andover Golden Warriors had a solid 16-6 season and were able to avenge last season’s loss in the quarterfinals and defeated Billerica 41-38 in in the Division 1 North Girls Final Saturday night at the Tsongas Center.
The third quarter featured a defensive stalemate as both teams held one another to 6 points in the quarter.
Some clutch free throw shooting by Andover’s Rachel Cormier down the stretch sealed the win for the Golden Warriors.
Andover will play South Champion Braintree on Monday at TD Garden at 5:45 p.m.
High School basketball is filled with a lot of energy and passion from players, coaches, and fans. Go out and catch some of the top high school athletes in Massachusetts perform at the TD Garden this Monday and Tuesday. Tickets are cheap and you get to stay for all of the games!
Below is the schedule of boys and girls basketball semifinal games at TD Garden
The TD Garden has released dates and times for upcoming MIAA basketball events. Tickets for the MIAA games played at TD Garden are available for advance purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com for $12.95 (print at home option, only) or in person at the TD Garden Box Office for $15.00. Each ticket is valid for all games scheduled for the date for which the ticket was purchased.
Monday, March 9
Basketball State Semifinals
2:15 PM Division IV (Girls)
4:00 PM Division IV (Boys)
5:45 PM Division I (Girls)
7:30 PM Division I (Boys)
Tuesday, March 10
Basketball State Semifinals
2:15 PM Division III (Girls)
4:00 PM Division III (Boys)
5:45 PM Division II (Girls)
7:30 PM Division II (Boys)
Contributing writer Jasen Sousa for Premier Hoops is the author of a number of poetry and fiction books for young people. Jasen has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing and is a life-long participant and fan of the game of basketball