Falcons Soar Into Division 3 State Championship Tilt

The venue size will shrink a bit. But the stage is even bigger.

After earning a 50-47 win over Martha's Vineyard on Tuesday inside Boston's TD Garden, the Danvers High School boys basketball team will square off against Smith Academy on the hardwood of Worcester's DCU Center in Division 3 state championship game.

Nicholas Bates led the Falcons with 12 points, Nick McKenna dumped home 11 markers of his own, Daniel Connors added 10 points and Vincent Clifford was next with 8 points for the locals.

In a back-and-forth game, Martha's Vineyard had one final chance to force overtime. Traverse Briana took the ball under his team's basket and launched it to halfcourt and a waiting Izak Browne. 

With time expiring, Browne launched a three-pointer towards the rim, but it bounced off the backboard and Danvers survived.

"We start four seniors, and they're tough kids. They won this. This was them. It had nothing to do with the coaches or anything," said head coach John Walsh, who said he was impressed to see the throngs of fans in Falcon blue and white in the TD Garden stands. "The Danvers community is unbelievable. This is my second year being here, and it's amazing."