GREENFIELD — Caleb Thomas knew exactly what he needed to do when the ball swung over to him with 25 seconds left in the Western Mass. Class C semifinals on Wednesday night.

Trailing No. 3 Mount Greylock by two points, the Greenfield sophomore was left alone in the corner, received a pass and swished a 3-pointer to put the second-seeded Green Wave ahead.

The Mounties pushed the ball down the court but Caleb Murray forced a steal and sent the ball up to Oli Postera, who put in a layup with just five seconds showing on the clock. 

The visitors were unable to get a potential game-tying 3 off, and Greenfield advanced to the Class C finals with a 48-45 win at Nichols Gymnasium. 

“That game was intense,” Thomas said. “I’m glad I had the confidence to hit the shot. I was terrified when I first got the ball but that was probably the biggest moment of my life. I’ll never forget that. I wasn’t in a Western Mass. tournament last year because I didn’t play varsity. This is a big moment for our team.” 

The Green Wave (13-7) will face No. 4 Drury in the championship game on Saturday at a time to be determined. The Blue Devils upset No. 1 Paulo Freire, 51-46, in the semifinals on Wednesday. 

“They’re a big, strong, physical and aggressive team,” Greenfield coach Angelo Thomas said of Greylock. “The kids competed to the end. I’m very proud of my nephew [Caleb Thomas] for stepping up and hitting that shot and I know his dad is very proud of him.”

From the opening tip on, it felt like the game would be decided in the final minute. Both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively in the first quarter, with Greylock holding a narrow 10-8 lead after eight minutes. 

Neither squad was able to gain any separation in the second or third quarter. Jon Breor tossed in six points in the second quarter for the Green Wave to help make it a 21-21 game at the half.

Both teams traded baskets throughout the third quarter, with the game tied at 33 heading into the fourth. 

The Mounties threw the first punch in the final eight minutes of action, with Chase Doyle and Seamus Barnes scoring back-to-back baskets to put Greylock ahead, 37-33. 

Thomas responded with a 3 then Doyle got to the line and made one free throw before Thomas got inside for two, tying the game at 38. Max McAlister got in the paint for two for the Mounties but Jacob Blanchard scored on a runner in the lane on the ensuing possession to tie the game back up at 40 with 3:30 to play. 

Jackson Shelsy put Greylock ahead with a midrange jumper with just over three minutes to play but Greenfield raced up the court and got the ball to Thomas, who swished a 3 to put the Green Wave up 43-42, their first lead of the quarter. 

The Mounties forced a pair of missed shots for Greenfield on its next two possessions while McAlister got to the rim for two and Doyle made a free throw to give Greylock a 45-43 lead heading into the final minute of action. 

With just under a minute to go the Mounties forced another stop and Doyle got the ball in transition, flying toward the rim in hopes of giving Greylock a two-possession lead. Blanchard stepped in and took the charge under the rim to give Greenfield the ball back, with Thomas knocking down the go-ahead 3 on the next possession. 

While Thomas wanted to celebrate the go-ahead 3, he said he knew he had to get back on defense and get a stop, something his team was able to do to punch a ticket to the Western Mass. championship game. 

Thomas is looking to hoist Greenfield’s first Western Mass. trophy since 2000, a team his late father, Billy Thomas, played on.

“In my head I said I wasn’t going to hit that shot for nothing,” Caleb Thomas said. “We had to get the stop. Goosebumps hit after. We’re feeling confident and I want to take it home. The last time we won a Western Mass. championship was in 2000 when my dad played. I’m trying to get one in his shadow.” 

Thomas led the way with 17 points, with Breor joining him in double-figures with 10 points. Murray finished with nine points, Postera had five points, Blanchard scored four points and Jackson Campbell knocked down a 3 in the win. 

Barnes (14) and Doyle (13) were the top scorers for Greylock. 

Playing in close games all year helped prepare the Green Wave for Wednesday’s battle with the Mounties. Five of Greenfield’s 18 games this season were decided by five points or less, with Angelo Thomas’ young group growing throughout the year to be ready for the situations that presented themselves against Greylock. 

“It’s more heart-wrenching for fans than it is players and coaches but even less for players than us as coaches,” Angelo Thomas said. “We’re really young but we’ve gained a lot of experience this year. Every game this year has felt like a battle. Now they’re super-sophomores and super-juniors. There’s no excuses now, we have to come and play. As much as these kids drive me crazy, I love them to death. It feels so much better on the winning end than the heartbreaking losing end. Now we know we can do it.” 

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