DES MOINES - Xavier High School seniors Sarah Dickes and Kayla Armstrong know what it's like to perform on a big stage and win state titles.

They helped the Saints win their seventh state soccer title in a row last year, an unprecedented accomplishment in IGHSAU history, and now they are two victories away from reaching the top in girls basketball.

Dickes scored 13 points and made four key free throws in the final 19.7 seconds Wednesday as No.5 Xavier held off No.7 Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 50-45, in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Dickes and Armstrong both played well on defense, as usual, and got ample help from their teammates as the Saints reached the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday against top-ranked Sioux City Heelan.

Ashley Stulken scored 12 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked four shots for Xavier (15-9). Hayley Deutmeyer and Morgan Breitbach scored eight points apiece.

The Saints led 43-32 with 2:57 left on a pair of free throws by Breitbach, but Lewis Central (20-4) put on a furious rally behind Aubrey Norville and pulled within three points at 44-41, 46-43 and 48-45.

The Saints committed untimely free throws and had trouble executing their offense after the Titans switched to a man-to-man defense, but the four free throws by Dickes helped them escape and play another day.

The score went from 43-32 to 44-41 in 93 seconds as Lewis Central went on a 9-1 run. There was still 1:24 left in the game at that point and Xavier appeared to be in trouble after playing a steady, methodical game while building its 11-point cushion.

"You have to play with poise," said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly, relieved to escape with the victory. "We certainly found ourselves a little rattled."

Norville, a 5-foot-10 senior, nearly lifted Lewis Central to victory by herself with 28 points on 10-for-13 shooting from the floor and an 8-for-13 showing at the foul line.

She had to sit down with 3:01 left in the third quarter after committing her fourth foul, but she returned with a vengeance in the fourth and poured in 14 of her 28 points in the final stanza.

"I had to play through it," Norville said about her foul problems. "I knew I had to play the role that I've played all year for my team. It had to be done.

"We definitely did give it a shot."

Xavier led 38-28 with 3:50 remaining when Stulken picked up her fourth personal foul. Norville went to work shortly after that as Stulken had to back off on defense.

"It's hard not being aggressive and playing like I normally play," said Stulken, a 6-foot-2 senior. "I did what I had to do. She really was good about knowing I had four fouls and taking it at me."

Lilly kept Stulken in the game, wanting his top post defender on the floor at crunch time. "I think the foul trouble kind of intimidated her a little bit," he said.

"Their big kid, Norville, really chewed us up. She had a great ballgame. She's a very talented young lady."

Stulken scored six points in the first quarter to help Xavier get off to a good start, but then Lewis Central collapsed its zone defense against her and made it tough for her to get the ball. Dickes helped pick up the slack and popped in a pair of 3-pointers over the zone.

Xavier played a steady game while building its 11-point lead, then survived a frantic finish. "It's win and advance," noted Lilly, glad it was over.

The Saints will be underdogs against No.1 Heelan (21-3) in the semifinals Thursday night, but they've faced tough competition before in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

"Our goal is to get to the championship game, but we're going to focus on the winner of Wahlert-Heelan and take things from there," Dickes said before Heelan beat Wahlert, 63-47, in the opening round. "We're taking it just one game at a time right now."

Armstrong has committed to play soccer at Drake University next year, so her basketball career will end at the state tournament. She knows what it takes to win state soccer titles and would like to finish her career with a basketball title as well.

"I think this environment is more intense, more go-go-go," she said. "And soccer is kind of in your own head. You just do what you have to do."

Xavier won state basketball titles in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

The Saints outscored Lewis Central, 22-8, at the foul line. Breitbach scored all eight of her points on free throws by going 8 for 10.

LEWIS CENTRAL (45): Madsen 2 0-0 5, Beacom 1 0-0 2, Spielman 2 0-0 5, Norville 10 8-13 28, Madsen 2 0-0 5, Higgins 0 0-0 0, Sockrider 0 0-0 0, Pedersen 0 0-1 0. Totals 17 8-14 45.

XAVIER (50): Armstrong 2 0-0 4, Deutmeyer 3 2-2 8, S.Dickes 3 5-7 13, Bertsch 1 1-2 3, Stulken 4 4-7 12, Breitbach 0 8-10 8, J.Dickes 0 0-0 0, Watson 0 0-0 0, Bailey 0 0-0 0, Andersen 0 2-3 2, Chorzempa 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 22-31 50.

Halftime - Xavier 21, Lewis Central 17. 3-point goals - Lewis Central 3 (Madsen 1, Spielman 1, Madsen 1), Xavier 2 (S.Dickes 2). Fouled out - Madsen.