CRANSTON, RI – The Cranston West Falcons boys basketball team advanced to the Division I state tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night with a convincing 68-52 victory over Woonsocket, their best tournament run in three years and a testament to the program's resurgence under head coach Tony Martino.

Senior guard Marcus Williams led the Falcons with 22 points and six assists, while junior center Kyle Ferrante contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds in a dominant performance. The Falcons' defense held Woonsocket to just 35% shooting from the field, a reflection of the defensive intensity that has been the hallmark of Martino's teams.

"Our kids have been working toward this all season," Martino said after the game. "We've had some tough losses this year, but we've learned from each one. This team is playing its best basketball right now, and I like where we are heading into the quarterfinals."

The Falcons finished the regular season with a 16-5 record, their best since the 2022-23 season. The team's success has been built around a core of experienced seniors who have grown up together in the program and developed strong chemistry over four years.

The quarterfinal matchup will be against second-seeded La Salle Academy, which has been one of the state's dominant programs this year. The Falcons will be significant underdogs, but Martino believes his team is capable of pulling the upset.

"La Salle is a great team, but we've played great teams all year," Martino said. "We'll prepare well, play our game, and see what happens."

"This is the most fun I've had watching Cranston West basketball in years," said parent and booster club president Susan Callahan. "These kids play hard, they play together, and they play the right way. Win or lose, we're proud of them."