Cambridge used its size and physical defensive style to defeat Lowell, 54-38, on Saturday night in North Andover and capture the Division 1 North title.
With Lowell trying to chip away at the lead in the fourth quarter, Jakigh Dottin found Malik Correia in the corner for a 3-point dagger that pushed top-seeded Cambridge’s lead to 49-34 with under than three minutes to play.
Dottin and Correia each scored 14 points for the Falcons.
The Falcons (22-1) face Catholic Memorial on Monday at TD Garden in the state semifinals. It is a rematch of last year’s state semifinal, which the Knights won, 67-64.
“Our goal is to get better every single day when we go into that gym,’’ said Dottin. “For us we are really just going to focus on ourselves and what we need to do to be successful come Monday night.’’
The second-seeded Red Raiders (20-3) were outmatched by Cambridge’s size advantage.
The Falcons’ Dimon Carrigan, a 6-foot, 8-inch sophomore, established his dominance in the paint, tallying two blocks in the game’s opening minutes.
Cambridge held Lowell to 4 points in the first quarter and 13 in the first half.
“To be able to hold Lowell to that many points says a lot about our team,’’ Cambridge coach Lance Dottin said.
The Falcons hounded Lowell’s offensive stars. Merrimack Valley Conference MVP Sean Bryan managed just 13 points, sophomore Alex Rivera had 12, and freshman Quest Harris added 7.
Division 2 North
New Mission 70, Brighton 67 — Despite some late-game adversity, the Titans held off the Bengals to win the sectional final at the Shelburne Community Center in Boston.
New Mission sealed the win in the game’s final minute, hitting a bevy of clutch free throws.
Senior guard Tyrique Lee netted 13 points in the fourth quarter, including 9 from the foul line. He finished with 19 points.
“That’s been our style all year,’’ said Titans coach Cory McCarthy. “Make it ugly, try to go [on a run], and just run for our lives with our tail between our legs and try to get the win.’’
New Mission (21-3) will face Whitman-Hanson in the state semifinals Tuesday at TD Garden.
Junior Jordan Galloway led all scorers with 27 points off the bench for Brighton (16-9).
After being outscored, 15-9, in the first quarter, the Bengals responded with a 20-point frame to even the score, 29-29, at the break.
Play evened out in the second half, with senior Isaiah Laurent scoring 6 of his 13 points in the third quarter to put the Titans ahead, 47-40, entering the final stanza.
Brighton did not go down without a fight, as Galloway piloted a 6-0 run in the final minute to pull into striking distance.
“We just had to play through it,’’ said McCarthy. “[Galloway] hit [his shots], we hit ours.’’
The teams traded blows until Galloway, who exploded for 21 points in the fourth, found sophomore Mykel Derring for a 3-pointer in the corner to bring Brighton within a point with just 10 seconds left.
However, with the Bengals forced to foul, it was Lee’s clutch free throws that sealed the win for New Mission.
“[Lee] got off his game a little bit, he was so emotional,’’ said McCarthy. “But boy did he hit some big free throws.’’
The atmosphere was electric from the opening tip, as the two city schools were playing for such high stakes and at a location in Boston.
“Major props to the city. We would love to have this [atmosphere] every year,’’ said McCarthy. “This is for the city of Boston.’’
Division 2 South
Whitman-Hanson 56, Randolph 51 — It was a game of runs, and the Panthers did just enough to stave off a late flurry from the Blue Devils at Durfee High School.
Senior guard Nick Smith scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers and an and-one layup, as Whitman-Hanson (22-2) advanced to the state semifinals on Tuesday at TD Garden.
The Panthers’ stifling defense caused Randolph (18-6) to missed their first 12 shots. The Blue Devils scored just 1 point in the first quarter, but a combined 23 points from guards Lester Riley and Anthony Fernandes helped Randolph claw back.
The Blue Devils’ late effort fell short, as Whitman-Hanson hit nine of its final 10 free throws.
“What we did defensively in the opening minutes of this game and really the whole first half kind of set the tone for what [our guys] were going have to deal with,’’ Panthers coach Bob Rodgers said post-game.
South Shore League All-Star center Christian Hon struggled with foul trouble, but Randolph managed to stay afloat. They trailed, 12-1, early in the second quarter, but rallied to cut the deficit to 19-14 at the half.
After a Smith 3-pointer made it 41-36 with four minutes to go, Riley and Fernandes helped trim the lead to 52-51 with a minute remaining. Smith responded with two free throws, and the Blue Devils couldn’t buy a bucket to tie the game.
“People always say we’re a 3-point shooting team, but we’ve also proved we’re a defensive team and that’s how we win games,’’ Smith said. “That’s what we did tonight.’’
Division 2 Central
Concord-Carlisle 41, Marlboro 38 — At Fitchburg State, Eric Sellew had 15 points for the Patriots, who will face Tantasqua in the state semifinals on Monday at TD Garden.
Aiden Cyr aded 10 points for Concord-Carlisle (21-1). Chris Doherty led the Panthers (18-5) with 15 points.
Division 3 North
Bedford 65, Lynnfield 62 — In a tightly-fought battle, bench play was the difference for the Buccaneers in Woburn.
Bedford (17-7) will face Bishop Stang in the state semifinals on Tuesday at TD Garden.
Junior guard Cameron Shelmire played a pivotal role off the bench for the Buccaneers, pouring in a game-high 19 points.
“[Shelmire has] played two great tournament games in row,’’ Bedford coach Vincent McGrath said. “He’s just tough and mature. I asked him to come off the bench today and he took it from there.’’
Bedford traded blows with the Pioneers all game, with neither side gaining more than an 8-point lead. The action reached a fever pitch late in the third quarter, when the sides combined for a total of five three-pointers in as many possessions.
Lynnfield (18-5) had a chance to tie it at 65 at the buzzer, but a desperation heave from sophomore guard Billy Arsenault fell short.
“It comes down to composure and executing down the stretch,’’ said McGrath. “The whole group has a belief that they’re going to get the job done. They grind, they play hard, and they play for each other, so they deserve it.’’
Arsenault and senior forward Brendan Sullivan led Lynnfield with 18 points each.
Division 3 South
Bishop Stang 58, Apponequet 50 — Sophomore Brycen Goodine scored a game-high 26 points to push the Spartans past the Lakers in New Bedford. Bishop Stang (21-3) will play Bedford in the state semifinals on Tuesday at TD Garden.
Second-year coach Colby Santos had high praise for his 6-foot, 3-inch guard.
“He can do it all,’’ said Santos. “He can score 40 [points], but he’d rather get those six or seven assists and get those rebounds. He’s the total package.’’
Bishop Stang (21-3) needed everything it could get from Goodine, as Apponequet finished the first quarter with a 17-9 lead.
The Spartans started to kick into gear in the second quarter, outscoring Apponequet, 16-12.
Bishop Stang turned up its defensive pressure to start the second half. The Spartans held Apponequet senior Chad Gaucher to just 5 second-half points after he had 12 in the first half.
Bishop Stang got secondary scoring from sophomore Justin Lopes, who sank two 3-pointers in the third and finished with 12 points. Freshman Damien Perry added 10 points, including 8 in the second half.
Globe correspondents Richard Morin, Ethan Schroeder, Matt MacCormack, and Andrew Penacho contributed to this report.
