Seton Catholic earned a chance at a 4A-II girls basketball repeat  Wednesday with a strong first half predicated on balanced scoring and defense. A tough recipe to overcome.

The second-seeded Sentinels amassed a 32-13 lead at halftime and  were in command for the duration in posting a 61-39 victory over No. 3 seed Cactus in a semifinal game at Jobing.com Arena.

Seton, which won its 16th straight game and hasn't lost since just before Christimas Day, improved to 27-3 on the season. Cactus, which lost last month to Seton at home, 48-39, finished the season 21-4. Seton faces the Thunderbird, a 45-41 winner over top-seed Flagstaff,  for the championship on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Jobing.com Arena.

Seton is known mostly for its  four-year, frontline seniors - forward Theresa Wirth and guard Kayla Bustos. Both had a their usual games on Wednesday, but the rest of the Sentinels starters and bench helped the game open decidedly Seton's way.

"The first half  was pretty solid," Seton coach Karen Self said. "To hold them to 13 points in the half is gratifying. Playing quality defense. That was the  difference."

Wirth, who played wearing shoes from teammate Briana  Bricher aftter locking her own in her car at school, drew  the defensive assignment on Cactus' powerful post Lindsey Abramson, Wirth was consumed with defensive play and her teammates picked up the offensive slack. The Sentinels made better than 40 percent of their shots from the field in the first half and went to the locker room with four players scoring six points, one scoring five and another three.

Abramson, who was one of three Cactus players to finish with 11 points, tallied just four in the first half -- all in the first quarter when Seton jumped to a 15-6 lead. If Wirth wasn't able to deny Abramson the ball by fronting her, backside help from guards often was there. Abramson took just four shots in the first half -- none in the second quarter.

Wirth, who along with her defense managed to score a game-high 16 points, was particularly pleased with Seton's getaway. Fellow starters Colleen Chittenden, Kayla Bustos and bench player Julia Barcello had six points each in the first half and starter Susan Spinner (5).

"We all know every single person can score," Wirth said. "It's not just two seniors. They showed that."

Also scoring 11 points each for Cactus were Sydney Mullings and Megan Mullings. The Mullings, along with Abramson, led a third-quarter surge that brough Cactus within 45-36  with 7:10 to play. A basket by Wirth and two free throws by Bustos (15 points) bumped the lead back to double digits and spelled the end for Cactus.