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There was no victory parade through Manchester on Tuesday evening.

But even without that display of affection, it's clear that the community greatly appreciates what their beloved Manchester Essex girls basketball team accomplished this winter.

The Division 4 state tournament had presented its share of challenges to the Manchester Essex girls basketball team. But none had been too difficult to overcome.

That was the case until yesterday, when a bit of irony ultimately doomed the North champion Hornets in the Division 4 state title game at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden against South champ Cohasset.

Tournament wins used to be foreign to Manchester Essex girls basketball coach Lauren Dubois.

Now, after just three years at the helm, the Beverly native knows the postseason as well as the information she presents in her history classes at Manchester Essex.

Over the past few weeks, drama and the Manchester Essex girls basketball team have become synonymous. So it was fitting that yesterday's Division 4 state title game would be no different.

Regulation was not enough time to settle the score between the North champion Hornets and South champ Cohasset at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.

This is what the Manchester Essex girls basketball team has worked for all season.

There are no more meetings, no more practices. It all comes down to one game.

That would be today's Division 4 state championship, where the North champion Hornets (16-8) face off against South champion Cohasset (22-2) at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden (2:30 p.m.) for the Division 4 state title.

They got there.

Now it's all about making the most of their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They refers to the Manchester Essex girls basketball team and there refers to Boston's TD Banknorth Garden, which is where the Hornets will play Cohasset tomorrow (2:30 p.m.) for the Division 4 state title. Manchester Essex (16-8) punched its ticket to the home of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and the rest of the first-place Celtics with a dramatic 59-56 overtime victory over No. 3 Mt. Alvernia on Friday in the North final at Salem State College. Meanwhile, Cohasset (22-2) gained entry to the Garden by knocking off Millis, 42-30, in the South final.

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.

It seems as though the Manchester Essex girls basketball team has an unofficial, unspoken deal worked out with their state tournament opponents and the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).