Seton is always motivated to win a state girls basketball title, but Saturday morning it had more motivation than usual.

With ill assistant coach Tiffany Tate on its sideline celebrating her 31st birthday and waiting for a second, double-lung transplant donor, Seton rallied in the second half to defeat once-beaten Cienega, 37-30, and win the Division II title at Jobing.com Arena.

It's the fourth title in five years for Seton and truly was an emotional one. Seton used a 10-0 shutout of Cienega in the third period as its key to victory. Plenty of tears flowed from the winners, led by Self. The team presented the title trophy to Tate, a former standout guard at Chandler High a little more than a decade ago as she joined the team for the net-cutting ceremony and was presented the title trophy by the team.

"This one was special for us," Seton coach Karen Self said. "Tiff's help the last few years has been huge. We said, "Do it for Tiff, do it for Tiff.."

Seton prevailed with a senior-freshman combo in its lineup. Seniors Julia Barcello and Heather Heild finished their careers with three state titles in four years. Three freshman, two who started (Jennifer Wirth and Liz Holter) and one who played a key role off the bench (LeeAnne Wirth), were instrumental.

Barcello didn't score in the first half, but put up 10 points in the second half and finished with 10 rebounds -- her usual double-double. Barcello also clamped down on the boards in terms of limiting Cienega's Treyanna Clay to four boards in the second half after nine in the first.

Heild went down in the second period with a sprained ankle and gutted out a tape job to return and display leadership. The Wirth's combined for 19 points when Barcello and Heild usually lead the team in scoring. LeeAnne Wirth, who missed clumps of time this season due to knee, back and wrist injuries -- all fractures -- scored a season-high 10 points. Jennifer Wirth had nine points. Holter ran the offense, a very deliberate one -- smoothly.

Seton trailed 16-14 at halftime, but came out fired up in the third period. The Lady Sentinels hit two threes in the third period -- one each by Barcello and Jen Wirth. Cienega was 0 for 7 from the field in the quarter and didn't score its first field goal of the second half until 6:34 left in the final period. Cienega pulled within two once and three a couple times in the final period, but Seton made 7 of 8 free throws in the final period to protect its lead.

"At halftime I asked them, "Do you want to win," Self said.  "They said yes. I told them then let's follow the game plan."

That meant rebounding better and making more shots. Seton was outrebounde 20-13 in the first half and finished winning the rebounding battle 34-33. They also shot 38 percent in the second half to 27 percent the first.

Cienega, which suffered only its second loss of the season, led at halftime thanks mostly to its rebounding edge. The Lady Bobcats went cold and didn't rebound as well in the second half. That spelled defeat.

Denesia Smith led Cienega with nine points, seven in the first half. Clay and Gabby Banales, who average a combined 24 points a game during the season for Cienea were limited to 11 point total.

Self  has coached the Lady Sentinels to all seven of their titles dating back to the mid-1990s. Self has now won more state titles than any small school girls basketball coach in state history. She was tied with Winslow's Don Petranovich and  Window Rock's Jimmy Skeet with six each. Highland's Miner Webster has won eight -- six at Highland and two at Gilbert High to rank as the winner of the most state titles for a girls coach.