LOWELL — The Norwell Clippers climbed to the top of the mountain as they defeated the Old
Rochester Bulldogs, 64-61, to claim the Division 3 state title in an overtime thriller.

This is the school’s first ever state championship in boys basketball.

Senior guard Ronan Coffey hit a game-tying three-pointer as time expired in regulation to  send the game to overtime. Coffey would score nine of his team’s 11 points in the extra period. This ends the season for the Bulldogs as they come up just short of completing the Cinderella run as a 20th seed.

The first half showed that this would be a bloodbath in terms of intensity, and a game of back and forth scoring runs. The opening quarter went to the Clippers as their ferocious paint defense and rebounding stymied many of Old Rochester’s drives.

The Bulldogs had sloppy stretches of bad turnovers, but was able to keep it close as they trailed 10-6 in a low- scoring first. The second became a bit of a shooting gallery as both teams combined for six three-pointers, but it was Norwell coming out of it with a 25-22 lead at the half.

Every punch that Norwell landed, Old Rochester matched. The Clippers started the third quarter on a quick five-zero run, only to be matched by a 7-0 run. After a third quarter that saw three ties and four lead changes, it was Norwell which went into the fourth up one.

After more back and forth action, the Bulldogs found themselves up 54-51 with six seconds to go, when Coffey found his dead eye shooter mode to keep his team alive. In the overtime it was mostly a free throw shooting contest. In the end it was Coffey who could not be shaken. He ended with a game high 30 points.

Coffey just getting the slight edge of Old Rochester standout guard Gavin Martin, who finished with 27 points in the defeat.