What You Need to Know About Tuesday Night's Hornets' Basketball Game vs. Central Catholic

Time and Place

The Hornets will play their state semifinal game at the TD Garden on March 12 at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $10.95 if purchased in advance though Ticketmaster and $15 at the door. Children five and under may enter for free. To buy tickets online, click here.

Fans cheering for Mansfield are asked to sit in Sections 7-18.

To learn how to get to the Garden, head over to their website for driving directions. Spectators can also take the Commuter Rail from Mansfield to Back Bay and then hop on the Orange Line at Back Bay or the Green Line at nearby Copley to North Station.

Know Your Opponent

Standing in the way of a state championship game appearance are the Division 1 North champions, the Central Catholic Raiders. Despite some questions about how far Central could go, the Raiders have crushed every team they've faced in the tournament including a 83-58 win over Lynn English in the North finals.

Despite facing Lynn English with two out of their top three forwards out in Doug Gemmell and Nick Cambio, the Raiders dominated the boards and relied on newcomers like Aaron Hall to chip in 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Like Mansfield, Central Catholic has relied on their depth to win games. Tyler Nelson also added a double-double with Tyler Nelson, 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Guard Everyone or Pay the Price

Against North Quincy, the Hornets showed that anyone can be the player of the game whether they are a starter or a bench player. Both Ryan Boulter Kyle Wisnieski proved that when they both scored a game high 16 points off the bench against the Red Raiders en route to the D1 South title.

In the starting five Greg Romanko has proven he can play the roll of the big man down low or the three-point shooter up high. Rocky DeAndrade has been on point as a guard running the Mansfield offense and putting the team on his shoulders when he needs to. Hockomock League MVP Brendan Hill has spent most of the tournament creating chances for his teammates and pulling down rebounds in the paint.

If the Raiders are smart, they'll come into the game under the assumption that any player on the court wearing green and white is capable of taking over the game.

Cover it Live Will be Back!

Fans who cannot make it to the Garden but would like to get the latest updates can do so though Mansfield Patch's Cover it Live blog. Anytime the Hornets score, go on the fast break, or slam down a dunk, we'll let you know. Coverage on our website starts 30 minutes before the scheduled game time.