Seton Catholic's girls basketball team knows winning another state title is going to be more difficult without point guard Anne Marie Holter, out for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate liagment a couple weeks ago.

The second-seeded Lady Sentinels got a taste of that Friday night hanging on to edge No. 15 Williams Field, 49-43, in overtime in the Division II state tournament at Seton.

Seton, which has won three successive state titles, improved to 26-4 and moves on to Tuesday's quarterfinals at Jobing.com Arena. There it will face No. 10 seed Campo Verde, which knocked off No. 7 Sahuaro, 66-47, on Friday Williams Field finished its first year under Andrew Carter with a 16-14 mark, but nearly derailed the champs. Williams Field suffered three losses to Seton this season prior to Friday, all by double-digits. 

Junior Heather Heild scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the way for Seton. Junior Julia Barcello, normally a post, shifted to point guard to offset the absence of Holter. Playing out of position,Barcello finished with seven points, 14 rebounds and four assists. Senior Susan Spinner came up with 14 points and four assists and hit three 3s in the first half to help offset the 26 turnovers the Lady Sentinels committed.

Barcello looked spent afterward as she played all 36 minutes and it was a good thing she wears knee pads given the rough-and-tumble that was this game. The Lady Sentinels got a reminder at hafltime from coach Karen Self what was at stake with them holding a precarious 20-18 lead.

"This felt like the state tournament," Barcello said, adding the knee pads are there so I can walk when I'm older. "The intensity is different. Karen said we had to work for this if we want it. It won't be given to us. They played like they wanted it more than we did the first half.

Heild scored five of Seton's seven points in overtime, making three free throws and a bucket in the low post with about two minutes left to put Seton ahead, 46-42. The teams were tied at 42 heading into overtime. Williams Field had a chance to win in regulation, but Arianna Barnes missed two free throws with 22 seconds left. After a Seton turnover with 11 seconds left, Williams Field failed to get off a shot as Carter frantically called for them to move the ball and get off a shot to no avail from just across the half-court line.

Turnovers were again a factor for Seton, which is trying to limit the miscues without Holter. Wiilliams Field almost balanced out the miscues with 20 of its own.

"Anne Marie is the most underrated point guard in the state," Self said. "We are an up-and-down team and we'ree going to have some turnovers. We have to limit them. We averaged around 20 before (Holter injury). They're part of the game." 

Self made note of the contribution off the bench from tiny 5-foot-4 senior Megan Burke. Burke scored 10 points and made several hustle plays once she entered the game in the second period and beyond.

"She's solid, I love that child," Self said of Burke. "She's a defensive stopper for us, but tonight it was offensive boards, points. It seems every time we need a llittle extra, someone does just enough to help us get by."

Williams Field was led by sophomore post Cardelia Allen with 16 points and Shantelle Crespin with 14. Allen was 5-of-7 from the field in the final period to help Williams Field rally from five points behind.