MANLIUS — Hall coach Mike Filippini has been calculating his strategy for three weeks for a potential regional matchup with top-seeded Seneca, willing and able to run as much time off the clock as the Red Devils could to shorten up the game. On Wednesday, it almost worked.

In the end, Seneca (24-4) made just enough free throws (11 of 12) in the fourth quarter to negate a three-point barrage by Hall (8 overall, 5 in the fourth quarter) to hold on for a 42-40 win to advance into Friday’s championship game against St. Bede (23-5).

“I’ll take two-point wins all day. They don’t have to be pretty, they just have to be Ws,” said Seneca coach Russell Witte, formerly of Hall.