The Viking boys clinched the Number 1 seed  for the state tournament, and with it the home court advantage for their first two games. Unfortunately, it was not immediately clear that there would be a home court. 

In the wake of the Blizzard of 2013's multi-day power outage, a water pipe burst at Wareham High School, flooding the foyer outside the gym. Flowing into the gym itself, the water caused the floor to bubble.

While speedy repairs allows the Wednesday, Feb. 27, game against Norwell High School to go on as scheduled, a bouncy floor with warped wood had athletic officials scrambling at the beginning of the week to find an alternative "neutral" location.

When the big pipe -- which feeds a heating system -- burst, "the water leaked from the foyer and went under the doors," said Principal Scott Palladino. 

"Now we have a little speed bump," said Palladino earlier this week of the bubbling floor.

The Vikings ended the season undefeated in the South Coast Conference, with an overall record of 19-1.

According to coach Kevin Brogioli, "home court advantage" is more than just a figure of speech.

A home game attracts "more fans, which helps create a more intense environment," he said. "It is also an advantage to shoot on the hoops you have practiced on all year."

"There's a comfort level to playing at home. We have rarely lost on our home court," he said.

"We think we have enough time....we just need to get it dried out," said Palladino earlier in the week. "It would happen naturally, but we're speeding it up."

He said the basketball tournament is not the primary reason for speeding up the drying process. The gym hosts two classes a day and, if the dampness isn't taken care of quickly, mold can set in.

"The big concern is mold," according to Palladino. "Fortunately, it's a floating floor so there's a lot of room for air. . . . At some point we'll have to have a mold specialist come in and check the air quality."