Playoffs Continue for Wildcats Monday Night

During much of their , the Wilmington girls basketball team proved it can be downright dominant. It's a trend the locals hope to continue on Monday night.

Head coach Jay Keane's charges welcome Gloucester to town at 7 p.m. in the North Division 2 quarterfinal round. We get you ready for the contest with five pieces of information about the tilt.

1. Both teams earned their spot in the quarterfinals with first round wins over lower seeded opponents. Wilmington crushed Waltham early and held on for a 58-51 victory, while Gloucester cruised past No. 11 Marblehead, 67-54, in its first round contest.

2. The winner of the game will be rewarded with one the toughest games of the season. Arlington Catholic already advanced past Latin Academy with ease. The No. 2 seed and defending Division 2 state champion thumped its tenth-seeded foe, 56-20, last week to advance. Wilmington or Gloucester will play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in hopes of dethroning the champs.

3. Wilmington earned its playoff spot with a , while Gloucester finished second in Northeastern League play behind eventual champion Swampscott. But Gloucester's record is still impressive. The team finished 11-5 in league play and 14-7 overall during the regular season.

4. Gloucester, which never won more than four straight games during the regular season, allowed 39.7 points per game to its opponents while scoring an average of 47.7. Wilmington, which won nine straight and five straight at different times this year, scored 53 points per game while allowing 45.1 per contest. With both teams capable of putting the ball in the hoop, there could be some big numbers on the scoreboard by night's end.

5. If you can't make the game, you can follow along with Wilmington Patch. Become a fan of our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter, and you can keep up with updates throughout. And as always, be sure to check back for the most in depth coverage around on Tuesday as we bring you a full recap, photos and video of the playoff tilt.