The Final Four is set in the MIAA girls basketball Division 4 state tournament, and No. 3 South Hadley will square off with No. 2 Millis in the semifinals on Wednesday at Worcester State University.

The Tigers (21-3) moved on after toppling No. 6 Carver, 55-34, Friday on their home court in a Round of 8 victory, thanks to their rugged defense and a 21-point performance from sophomore Kate Phillips.

“This is our third time to the semifinals in the last four years,” South Hadley head coach Paul Dubuc said after the win against Carver. “It’s impressive. The other time we got beat was [during] the Round of 8 and every time we’ve gotten beat is by the team that won the state championship. We have goals and we’re not at them yet, so we’ll see what happens.”

The Tigers are the defending state runners-up after falling to Cathedral in the championship game in 2024, which also served as their best season in program history. South Hadley is one win away from tying its highest-total ever (which also came last season), but will have its hands full going against a perennial power in Millis (16-7) in the semifinal.

The Mohawks also return to the Final Four this year (they lost to Cathedral in the 2024 semifs) but do so with a new-look roster. Millis worked in three new starters to this year’s lineup, including a couple of talented freshmen in Ella Maher and Caroline Connors.

The Mohawks sidestepped No. 10 Gardner, 53-34, in their Round of 8 win last week.

“We’re going to prepare like any other game,” Phillips said of the Tigers’ mindset facing Millis. “We’re going to be ready and we’re going to be focused, just like we always do.”

South Hadley will gladly take another stellar outing from Phillips in the battle with the Mohawks, plus, will look to get Cara Dean involved in the offense as often as possible. Dean had 14 points versus Carver, following a slow first half in which No. 12 had four points.

 The second-year starters have been consistent all season and highlight a well-rounded Tigers squad on both sides of the ball.

“I think we have great chemistry,” Phillips said. “We’ve known each other since we’ve been playing youth basketball for St. Pat’s [CYO] so I think that’s why we all connect so well and why we’re able to play so well together. We have a lot of depth on our bench, which makes us really dangerous.”

Seniors Ava Asselin, Cianna Gurek, Caitlin Dean and Maddie Soderbaum play important minutes for South Hadley and will look to extend their high-school careers one more game. Freshman Olivia Athas has also carved out a nice role as a regular contributor with the Tigers.

Wednesday’s contest will feature two sturdy defenses, as neither team has surrendered more than 65 points in a game this season.

“A lot of times these games are really won on defense because everyone’s nervous,” Millis head coach Dave Fallon said in a recent article in The MetroWest Daily News after the Mohawks’ 53-39 win over Wacohnah in the Round of 16. “The better defensive team is gonna figure out a way to win.”

With top-seeded Cathedral and No. 4 Bourne making it through the other side of the bracket, the top four seeds have held in Division 4. South Hadley hopes last year’s experience gives them the edge this time around.

“This is gonna help us in the future,” Dubuc said after the state final loss last year. “It’s not gonna help us right now or in a week and a half, but come the Monday after Thanksgiving this is gonna help us a lot. And they’re gonna be a year older, a year stronger and a year smarter. We’re planning on making another run.”

Tipoff on Wednesday is set for 5 p.m. The Div. 4 boys semifinal between No. 1 Albert D. Holland and No. 5 Monument Mountain will follow as the second game of a doubleheader at Worcester State at 7 p.m.