Highland girls basketball is as solid a program as the sport possesses in Arizona.

With coach Miner Webster guiding the Hawks since the school opened in 1993-1994, Highland has won six state titles, been runner-up once and reached at least the semifinals nine of its other 11 seasons.

Highland's ability to hang with the best teams year in and year out has been a key to its success. Tuesday night the Hawks took another step in that direction with their  57-52 victory over fellow 5A-I contender Hamilton at Hamilton High.

Highland's Jordan Hagen blocked a 3-point field goal attempt by Hamilton's hot 3-point shooter on the night, Cassidee Ranger, to protect a 55-52 Hawks' lead with four seconds left. Two of five free throws made by Highland's Alyssa Heeman in the final 34 seconds nailed it down for the Hawks. Ranger led Hamilton with 12 points -- four 3-point field goals. Hagen had 12 for Highland, also all on 3-pointers.

"We have improved quite a bit since the season began, but we're not as consistent as I'd like sometimes," Webster said.

That was made evident by Highland's uneven performance Tuesday. Part of it was the Hawks own doing, the rest can be chalked up to Hamilton exerting pressure to rally back from a 12-point, first-half deficit and a 10-point, fourth-quarter shortfall. Hamilton (19-7) actually took the lead, 49-48, with 2:43 left after a 14-3 run over a four-minute span of the final period.

Highland regained the lead for good after a timeout at the 2:43 mark on two free throws by Kaile Magazzeni, who scored a game-high 18 points. A runner by Cassi Damyanovich (10-point) with 1:54 to play increased the margin to 52-49. The lead was 55-49 with 24 seconds left, but Highland allowed Hamilton to hit a 3 and then had to block the late 3 by Ranger to succeed.

Beating 5A-I contenders wasn't  Highland's forte earlier this season. The Hawks were blown out by St. Mary's (most teams have) and they dropped tight games to Xavier in December and Mountain View in January.

With the victory over Hamilton and another two weeks ago in a rematch with Mountain View, Webster has a brighter outlook the rest  of the way. Whether or not that confidence comes full circle will take place next week when the state tournament begins.

"After a game like tonight, I think I'm going to retire," Webster said. "This team has great stretches, and then has some real head scratchers."