Aubrey Lincoln had to take time off in the fourth quarter Friday night to deal with her fourth foul, but the only points she contributed in that quarter were oh so huge.

Lincoln sank two free throws with 10 seconds left to break a 51-51 tie and give fifth-seed Xavier a heart-stopping 53-51 victory over No. 4 seed Highland in a 5A-I girls basketball quarterfinal battle at Highland.

Xavier (18-7) heads to Jobing.com Arena next Thursday for a semifinal matchup with No. 1 seed St. Mary's. The Knights eliminated Alhambra on Friday to earn their spot in the final four. It will be Xavier's first triip to the semifinals since 1986. Highland finishes its season 27-5 and will miss being in the girls final four for only the third time in its 18-year history. Highland got a team-high 16 points from Cassi Damyanovich and 15 points from Alyssa Heeman.

Lincoln, despite her foul difficulties, managed to score 18 points and backcourt mate Rikki Mulloy was just as effective netting 16 points. Mulloy scored eight of her 16 points in the final quarter when Xavier had to come-from-behind. The Gators, who led 25-14 late in the second period thanks in part to a couple of banked-in threes from Lincoln, saw that margin melt to five by halftime.

Late in the third period, with Highland finding its aim from 3-point range, Xavier found itself behind, 42-37. Xavier entered the final period trailing, 42-39. Highland, which was 2-for-10 from 3-point range in the first half, rallied in great part to 5-of-8 3-point shooting in the third period. Lincoln and particularly Mulloy, countered the three-point shooting of the Hawks with their overall play from start to finish.

"Those two have been magnificent," first-year Xavier coach Mary Hauser said. "Two players playing big in a big game. They've been doing that especially the last 10 games or so."

Xavier fainlly regained the lead it held most the night -- 46-44 -- with 3:38 left on one of Mulloy's two baskets in the final period. Katie Werner's spin move for two bumped the lead to 48-44 with 2:38 to play.  Highland cut the lead to 50-48 on two free throws by Kaile Magazzeni with 1:52 left.

The next scoring came on Mulloy's free throw with 26 seconds left to make it 51-48. Highland called time and set up a play that resulted in Cassi Damyanovich getting a good look on a 3 and hitting it with 14 seconds left, tying the game a final time at 51.

With Highland retreating to the other end of the floor to defend,  Lincoln was bumped and fouled bringing the ball out of backcourt with 10 seconds left. She converted both free throws, making her 5-of-6 for the night from the free-throw line.

Highland was out of time outs and rushed the ball up the floor trying to get it in the post to Magazzeni (12 points) as time wound down. The Hawks never did. Highlan's Jordan Hagen ended up with the ball and fired up a 3 from 25 feet that caromed off the heel of the rim as time expired.

"I thought if we could get the lead down to where we got it at halftime (five points) we'd be all right," Highland coach Miner Webster said. "We came out tight at the start. Didn't shoot well and we were pathetic shooting free throws the first half (6-of-15).... At the end things just didn't go our way."

 

 

HighWith a couple change of possessions, two free throws by Highland's