Sixth-seeded Millennium completed a gradual rally from a nine-point, first-quarter deficit to nip #3 seed Seton Catholic, 44-42, on Monday afternoon in the final 2023 Open Division girls quarterfinal at Seton's McMahon Gym.

5A Millennium (19-8), the Desert West Region champion, advances to the Open semifinals. The Tigers opponent will be #2 seed Perry. The Millennium-Perry semifinal is set for Thursday at Gilbert High at 7 p.m. Perry has recorded three-double digit victories (Williams Field, Betty Fairfax and Pinnacle) thus far in the tournament. 4A Seton, co-champs of the Desert Sky Region, is 22-7 after recording Open Division wins over Sahuaro and Mesa High. 

Millennium led 35-32 lead heading to the fourth period in the tightly-contested game after the teams traded leads several times in the third. Baskets by Kayda Pierce (a two) and Mia Amundsen (a three) in the first two minutes of the fourth gave Millennium its largest lead (40-32) with 5:50 left. Seton sophomore Carmella Gallardo kept the outcome in doubt scoring six points in an 8-2 run that pulled the Sentinels within 42-40 with one minute to play.

Pierce tallied the final Millennium basket  - that proved the difference - with a layup with 50 seconds to go. Seton's Mia Dipuccio answered with 44 seconds left to get Seton back within 44-42.

Seton was forced to foul and did so five times in the final 20 seconds to put Millennium at the free-throw line. Elli Guiney was the player fouled that finally got the Tigers to the line. Guiney missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 9.3 seconds left. Seton clutched the rebound and called time to set up a final shot. Seton senior Amelie Cartagena, who made three threes as part of her 11 points, saw her game-winning attempt miss the mark as time expired

Millennium didn't fall further behind after trailing 16-7 after the first quarter. The Tigers turned the tables in the second quarter, outscoring Seton, 17-9, to slice the deficit to 25-24 halftime. Five players scored for Millennium in the second quarter and the balanced scoring in the quarter showed in the final totals. Three players tied for team-scoring honors. - seniors Amundsen and Pierce and junior Guiney netted nine points apiece. Seton junior Caitlyn Benally and Cartagena scored in double figures - Benally connected for 15, 11 in the first quarter. Cartagena tallied 11 points.