It was a near thing, but the Wareham High School boys varsity basketball team secured their spot in the state championship game with a 67-65 overtime win over Millbury High School. 

The Tuesday night game stayed close throughout. Wareham took an early lead and maintained it through most of the game. However, Millbury kept itself within striking distance, never ending a quarter down by more than 10. 

Millbury snatched a one-point lead with one minute left in the game, but Wareham battled back and tied the game up at 59-59 going into overtime. 

From there, the teams traded buckets back and forth, until a drive by the Vikings with 12 seconds left on the clock earned them a bucket, a two-point lead and the game. 

With the win, Wareham moves on to the State Finals of Division Four, to be played at Tsongas Center, facing Bourne High School at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17.

The team now has a chance to win back-to-back state finals, following its successful championship run the previous year. 

Wareham fans turned out in force to support their team, with Wareham High School cheerleaders leading the chants. 

“They’re a good group of boys,” said Della Sylvia, who is married to assistant coach for the team, Jamie Sylvia, and who was part of the championship winning 1982 girls basketball team. She said the boys have been playing together since they were around five years old. 

If they continue to play like they’ve played the last three games, they’ll win a championship, Sylvia added.