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A goal was set at the beginning of the season by the Manchester Essex girls basketball team.

Albeit a lofty one, but as we learned last night at Salem State College's O'Keefe Center, a very doable one for these gritty Hornets.

Big players come to play in big games.

The saying may be a bit of a cliche, but for Manchester-Essex girls hoops players Danni Ciccone, Lizzy Ball and Elsa Keefe, it's indicative of their performance in the Hornets' 59-56 overtime win over Mt. Alvernia in the Division 4 North final.

What are you doing at 2:30 p.m. this Tuesday?

If you're the Manchester Essex girls basketball team, you're going to the TD Banknorth Garden to play in the Division 4 state championship game.

The No. 9 Hornets (16-8) advanced thanks to a heart-stopping 59-56 overtime win over No. 3 Mt. Alvernia (20-5) in front of a standing-room only crowd at Salem State's O'Keefe Center. They'll now meet the South winner | Millis/Cohasset | for the state title. Manchester Essex has won seven in a row and 10 of its last 11 games.

Georgetown junior Taryn O'Connell could've done without the celebration that ensued when she scored her 1,000th and 1,001st career points last night.

The milestone meant little to the 5-9 forward, who was far more concerned with her team being only seconds away from having its season come to an end.