Hanover Falls to Salem in Hard-Fought Basketball Championship

Hanover’s bid for a Division 3 state championship came up just short Saturday, as the Hawks fell to Salem, 57-51, at Tsongas Center in Lowell. Hanover finished its season 23-2 and nearly erased a 13-point halftime deficit, cutting the lead to two in the final seconds before Salem sealed the win at the free-throw line. Ryan Mutschler led the Hawks with 22 points, while Cole Madden added 13 and Sebastian Brown and Brad Peterson scored eight apiece.