DES MOINES - Kayla Armstrong and the Xavier Saints shocked the No.1 team in the state Thursday night.

Now the surging Saints will try to claim the No.1 tag for themselves when they play for the Class 4A state basketball title Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

Armstrong played the game of her life Thursday as the Saints stunned Sioux City Bishop Heelan, 68-57, in the semifinals with a wire-to-wire performance.

Armstrong poured in a career-high 22 points, collected seven assists, grabbed seven rebounds and made five steals with a relentless effort that would have left the Energizer Bunny gasping for air.

"The game of her life right there," praised Sarah Dickes, Armstrong's running mate in the Xavier backcourt.

The fifth-ranked Saints (16-9) will face eighth-ranked Harlan (23-2) in the 4A finals at 6 p.m. on Saturday.

Harlan upset second-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock, 41-36, in the other semifinal Thursday night and now the two upstarts will battle for the No.1 prize.

Armstrong drove for a layup and scored after just four seconds had elapsed in the first quarter. She didn't stop until the final horn.

"It's great to have one more game left," she said, fighting tears of happiness. "We've worked so hard all season. I'm not ready to give it up just yet."

Armstrong and Dickes helped Xavier win its seventh state soccer title in a row last year, an unprecedented achievement in IGHSAU history. Now they'll try to help the Saints win their fourth state basketball and add to the trophies they won under Coach Tom Lilly in 2003, 2005 and 2007.

Armstrong made 9 of 11 shots from the field, many on hard-driving layups where she snaked through the defense with a determined look on her face.

"Kayla's performance tonight was exceptional in terms of the idea that I'm not going to end my season. That's what she had written all over her face," said Lilly.

Armstrong, who will play soccer at Drake University next year, was averaging a modest 6.9 points per game when the state tournament began. She more than tripled that number against Heelan (21-4).

"Believe it or not, we felt she had that ability all season long," said Lilly. "We felt like she had the skills that if she would just come out and play the way she did tonight, she could be an all-stater in two sports. She did a lot of things well tonight."

Armstrong could not remember the last time she scored 22 points in a ballgame. "Ummm," she said, trying to recall, then coming up with the answer. "Practice."

Practice made perfect Thursday night.

Heelan Coach Darron Koolstra studied films of the Saints and pored over scouting reports before the game, but he didn't see Armstrong perform like that in any of her previous outings.

"No, we didn't see that on film, but she beat us down the floor," he said. "She's got some speed.

"I know she's a heck of a soccer play. Soccer players make good basketball players. She's definitely a good basketball player, too."

Koolstra was socked with a technical foul with 7:16 left in the fourth quarter and the Saints holding onto a 45-39 advantage. It may have changed the course of the game, because Heelan had scored six straight points to chop a 12-point deficit in half.

Xavier junior Hayley Deutmeyer had just been fouled by Kylee Hickman and was heading to the free throw line for two shots when one of the officials blew his whistle and called a technical foul on Koolstra at the other end of the court.

Deutmeyer made one of her foul shots, then Dickes followed her to the free throw line and went 1-for-2 on the technical foul shots. Xavier kept the ball and Ashley Stulken made a layup, giving the Saints a 49-39 lead and finishing a four-point possession.

"The official told me it was because I was standing up," said Koolstra. "On a dead ball, I can stand up in front of my chair, and that's where I was standing.

"However, they tell me that I was showing them up by giving them a travel signal. If you watched and microscoped every coach in the state tournament, they do it.

"It (a technical foul being called in that situation) shouldn't happen in the semifinals."

Koolstra thought Deutmeyer had traveled before she was fouled.

Heelan had an empty possession after Xavier took its 49-39 lead, then Armstrong snaked to the basket through heavy traffic again for a 51-39 advantage with 6:08 left.

Armstrong looked like a contortionist at times, twisting her body to escape danger.

"She's kind of a Houdini," Lilly remarked. "There were a couple of times it looked like she was going one way and her upper body the other.

"Maybe she's the type of kid who's going to wait for the big stage and go from there."

Another bucket by Armstrong gave the Saints their biggest lead of the night at 53-40, but the Crusaders scored seven straight points to pull within 53-47 with 3:54 remaining.

Deutmeyer scored to make it 55-47 after Armstrong operated a one-girl press and stole the ball from Heelan on an in-bounds play, then Armstrong hit a free throw a few seconds later to make it 56-47.

Heelan responded with a 3-pointer by MaKayla Augustine to get within 56-50, but the Saints finally ended the suspense with a basket by Deutmeyer and two free throws by Dickes for a 60-50 advantage with 1:55 left.

Heelan never got closer than eight points again.

Deutmeyer finished with 13 points and nine rebounds. Dickes went 9-for-10 at the foul line and finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Maddie Bertsch contributed nine points and eight rebounds. Ashley Stulken blocked four shots and altered several others.

Xavier crushed Heelan on the backboards, 46-22. That helped the Saints survive 25 turnovers. The Saints attemped only two 3-pointers and did not make either one.

Megan McCarthy led Heelan with 16 points. Augustine scored 15 points and Taylor Koolstra netted 10.

XAVIER (68): Armstrong 9 4-8 22, Deutmeyer 6 1-2 13, S.Dickes 1 9-10 11, Bertsch 4 1-2 9, Stulken 1 0-0 2, Breitbach 1 2-2 4, J.Dickes 0 1-2 1, Watson 0 0-0 0, Andersen 2 2-3 6. Totals 24 20-29 68.

HEELAN (57): Koolstra 4 2-2 10, Hickman 0 3-4 3, Bork 1 2-2 5, Augustine 6 0-0 15, McCarthy 7 2-3 16, Todd 1 0-0 2, Tr.Beaulieu 0 0-0 0, Heaton 0 0-0 0, Ta.Beaulieu 1 2-4 5, Harris 0 1-2 1. Totals 20 12-17 57.

Halftime - Xavier 32, Heelan 22. 3-point goals - Xavier none, Heelan 5 (Augustine 3, Bork 1, Ta.Beaulieu 1).