With a six-player state championship trophy already on display at the school, Norwalk now has a chance to win one in the five-player game.

But the second-ranked Warriors weren't sure of the opportunity until the final buzzer sounded in their 44-42 victory over No. 2 Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 3A semifinals Thursday night.

Kelsey Cermak scored 20 points to lead Norwalk and made a couple of key plays in the fourth quarter to help the Warriors keep the lead. The 6-foot-2 junior finished 6-for-8 from the field and went 7-for-8 at the free throw line.

Hannah Noel added 12 points and three steals for the Warriors and Brittani Pritchard scored seven, including a huge 3-pointer in the fourth quarter.

Jennifer Potts led Xavier with 17 points, while Sara Clancy had 11 points, 14 rebounds and three steals.

Norwalk, the 1981 six-player champion, takes a 25-2 record into the title game at 6 p.m. Saturday. Xavier, which made a run at the Warriors after trailing by nine

points early in the second half, finishes 24-3.

Norwalk led 36-30 after Pritchard hit her 3-pointer from the left of the key with 6:57 left. After Xavier cut the lead to 36-35 on Clancy's two free throws and a 3-pointer by Potts, Cermak went to work.

She drove down the right side of the lane, leaned toward the basket and scored as she was fouled. Cermak made the free throw to complete the three-point play and stretch the lead to 39-35, then got the ball back for her team with a heads-up hustle play.

With the ball on the floor at the Xavier end, Cermak dove to grab it and called timeout before she could get tied up. Krista Walker sank two free throws 13 seconds later to make it 41-35 and that proved to be enough of a cushion.

Cermak made a final free throw with 6.7 seconds remaining and Xavier missed a shot at the buzzer.