MIAA Boys' Basketball State Tournament: South and Central Sectional Final Previews, Players to Watch, and Picks

Photo by Eamon Convey

By Matt Feld (@MattyFeld612)

After an exciting week and a half of MIAA State Tournament Basketball, sectional final Friday and Saturday are here.

A handful of upsets have already occurred with No. 8 Woburn knocking off top-seeded Beverly and fourth-seeded Belmont to reach the Division 2 North Sectional Final while No. 7 Algonquin has seen a late season surge carry them to the Division 1 Central Sectional Final.

Division 1 South sees red-hot Mansfield take on Brockton while Division 2 South is a battle between the section's top two seeds in Tech Boston and Hingham.

Out West, meanwhile, No. 2 Springfield Putnam will get a third try at top dog Springfield Central and  Hopkins has added to an impressive regular season with two 30-plus point tournament victories to reach the Division 4 Sectional Final.

Here are our previews for the South and Central Sectional Finals, with a breakdown of the top game in each section, the players to watch, and picks for all four games. Check back later for when we break down the North and West Sectional Final games.

Brockton's Big Night on the Glass Pushes Boxers Past Needham into Sectional Final

Photo by Eamon Convey

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

Taunton, Mass. – After a brief hiatus, Brockton finds itself back amongst the top basketball programs in Massachusetts.

Senior Marcus Azor scored 16 points while Segun Okunlula poured in 12 points to go with 11 rebounds as No. 3 Brockton defeated No. 2 Needham, 69-60, on Tuesday night in the Division 1 South Sectional Semi-Final at Taunton High School.

The win gives the Boxers (20-3) their first sectional final berth since 2012 when they defeated Madison Park. 

Catholic Memorial Stays Hot with Win over Brockton

By Matt Feld (@Mattyfeld612)

West Roxbury, Mass. -- As the temperatures began inside Ronald S. Perry Gymnasium, Friday night for Catholic Memorial quickly turned into Christmas morning.

The No. 9 Knights used their full court pressure, and a diverse offensive attack led by Jarron Flynn’s 20 points, to knock off No. 4 Brockton, 96-85, on Friday on a hot night at Catholic Memorial High School.

Five different Knights (15-4) finished in double figures while Will McDonnell corralled 12 rebounds, dished out five assists, and came away with five steals.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 6

As deep and talented as any team in the state, Brockton keeps passing every test put in front of it. Still, the Boxers face their toughest week yet, with tests against tops programs from the Catholic Conference, Bay State League and Hockomock.   Photo by Eamon Convey.

 1. Needham (9-0; Last Week - 1) It has been a while since the Rockets have been tested wire-to-wire. That should change Friday with a trip to Newton North.

PHOTO GALLERY: Brockton Hoops Holds Off Bridgewater-Raynham

Photos by Eamon Convey (@eamonconvey)

Brockton continued its hot start, edging a game Bridgewater-Raynham squad, 79-72, Friday night. Continue below for the sights of the game, courtesy of our Eamon Convey.

Note that you can click any image to enlarge and launch a slideshow.

MIAA Basketball Top 25: Week 2

Mansfield's student section had plenty to cheer about in a huge win over Newton North.

 Our rankings of the best teams in the state, as selected by our panel of staff writers and correspondents. (Updated 12/25)

1. Needham (4-0; Last Week - 1) Rockets remain undefeated after earning a tough win over upset-minded Natick. 

2. St. John's Prep (1-1; Last Week - 2) A pre-Christmas showdown with Andover will have to wait until Wednesday, Dec. 27 as the Eagles look to move above .500 early in the season.  

3. Central Catholic (1-0; Last Week - 6) The Raiders finally opened with a 63-36 win over Haverhill last Thursday. They’ll take on Bishop Guertin (NH) in the Commonwealth Motors Classic Tournament at Methuen High on Dec. 27.

PHOTO GALLERY: Brockton vs BC High Basketball

Photos By Eamon Convey (@eamonconvey)

BOSTON - Brockton won a last-second thriller against BC High to make an early statement, and you can read a full recap of that game from our Matt Feld here.

But, continue below for images from the Boxers and the Eagles, courtesy of our Eamon Convey. Note that you can click any image to enlarge and launch a slide show.

Brockton Holds Off BC High to Continue Hot Start

By Matt Feld (@mattyfeld612)

BOSTON - For Brockton, the final four minutes felt like four years.

Over the course of the final quarter, the Boxers saw their 17-point lead over BC High shrink to two with just under 20 seconds to go. On the Eagles' final possession, however, the Brockton defense stood firm, blocking BC High’s final prayer to come away with a 55-53 win in a state tournament-like atmosphere Tuesday night at McNeice Pavilion.