BANGOR – Teams that face Erskine Academy know their biggest challenge is to keep the ball out of the hands of junior guard Donna Cowing.

Certainly, Mount View knew it – Cowing burned them for almost 40 points in one regular-season game.

Cowing had her way again Friday night as the No. 3 Eagles of South China held off the No. 6 Mustangs of Thorndike in a Eastern Maine Class B quarterfinal 66-62.

Cowing poured in a game-high 29 points, including 17 in the first half, to lead Erskine Academy to a semifinal berth.

The Eagles, now 14-5, will face No. 7 Foxcroft Academy Wednesday at 2:05 p.m.

Mount View finishes at 13-7.

The Eagles knew they had to keep the ball away from Mount View forwards Heather Carter and Kim Stevens. Stevens and Carter had dominated early, combining for 20 points as Erskine held a shaky 37-34 halftime lead.

But with starting guard Zahara Coddington on the bench unable to play because of pneumonia, the Eagles’ full-court press and tough man-to-man defense wore down the Mustangs. Erskine also double-teamed Carter and Stevens.

“I think after a while they got frustrated because we were doubling down on their forwards,” Cowing said. “They’re usually more focused on getting the ball inside.”

Mount View’s Danielle Mayer (21 points) said the Mustangs did struggle to get the ball inside.

“We’re a post team and in order for us to win we have to enter the post,” she said. “When they double down, we’re in trouble and our guards have to shoot.”

The Eagles had a nine-point lead at the end of the third quarter but Mount View climbed back into the game. Erskine was ahead 60-54 with 4:33 left to play when Mayer made a fast-break layup, hit two free throws and scored again off a steal to tie the game with 2:39 to go.

But jumpers from Cowing and Shauna Lessard put the Eagles back on top for good.

Eagles 66, Mustangs 62

No. 6 Mount View (13-7) No. 3 Erskine (14-5)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG F AF TP

Goehringer 3 6 0 0 8 Joslyn 3 5 6

Mayer 9 19 3 4 21 Horak 1 1 3 5

Barnard 0 2 0 0 0 Pushard 1 2 0 2

Swanson 1 3 1 1 3 French 0 0 0 0

Carter 8 13 0 2 16 Haskell 6 14 2 14

Stevens 6 11 2 5 14 Nored 0 4 0 0

Cowing 12 18 5 29

Angell 1 3 0 2

Thomas 1 1 0 2

Lessard 2 4 1 6

Totals 27 54 6 12 62 27 52 11 17 66

Mount View 15 34 45 62

Erskine 15 37 56 66

3-pt. goals: Mount View (2-7): Goehringer 2-5, Mayer 0-1, Barnard 0-1; Erskine (1-7): Lessard 1-2, Cowing 0-1, Nored 0-4