Friday’s high school state tournament scoreboard

The opening round of the MIAA Division 1 boys basketball tournament produced a flurry of decisive victories and one overtime thriller on Friday night, setting the stage for a competitive path to the state title.

Rivers opened the evening with a commanding 72-52 win over Thayer in a preliminary contest, then gave way to a slate of first-round games that saw several higher seeds advance.

Barnstable rode a strong second half to a 68-59 victory against Shrewsbury, while Andover methodically pulled away from Belmont for a 65-52 decision. Attleboro’s up-tempo attack overwhelmed Methuen 90-58, and Bishop Feehan poured in 85 points to outlast Acton-Boxboro 85-67.

Defensive pressure paved the way for BC High, which limited Lowell to 57 points in a 70-57 win, and Central Catholic used a balanced offense to top Natick 77-68. Malden Catholic never trailed in a 74-54 rout of Algonquin, and Winchester edged Lexington 65-59 in a back-and-forth contest.

The night’s most dramatic finish came at Marshfield, where the Rams outlasted Cambridge 66-63 in overtime to secure their place in the next round.

With the preliminary and first-round games complete, the tournament field narrows as teams prepare for sectional quarter-final matchups early next week.