Newton North to play Mansfield boys' basketball for title

Now, the Mansfield High boys' basketball team knows who they will be playing.

Newton North earned a spot in the Division 1 South finals at the TD Boston Garden Friday at 6:45 p.m. with a 67-44 win over New Bedford Tuesday night at UMass-Boston.

The time of the game will be determined by the rest of the games at the game. If the Mansfield girls' basketball team beats Newton South tonight at Massasoit Community College in Brockton in a 7:45 p.m. game, then there will be two Mansfield teams in the game. When that happened a year, the Mansfield girls' played Durfee in the first game, beating them for the South. The boys then lost in the nightcap to Madison Park, who they have already beaten in this year's tournament.

This is the second year in a row, the Divison 1 North and South finals have been played at the TD Boston Garden.

Mansfield boys' head coach Mike Vaughan thinks it will be advantage for the Hornets to go back to the home of the Celtics.

"It's easier to play in a place where you dream of playing when you've been there a second time," said Vaughan. "We're going to have a lot different outlook than we did a year ago. "

Senior co-captain Michael Lofton is glad to get another chance on the famed parquet.

"It's an advantage going back there," he said. "It feels good."

Coming home with the South title will feel even better.