BANGOR – The Dexter girls basketball team got its marching orders from coach Margaret Veazie after Friday night’s Eastern Maine Class C semifinal against Houlton. The Tigers were to go straight home after the game and get some sleep.

It’s a quick turnaround for No. 3 Dexter, which will get a chance to defend its 2003 Eastern Maine Class C championship tonight thanks to Friday’s 56-30 victory over No. 7 Houlton.

“We have to go right back home to bed,” said Dexter junior Sabrina Cote, who had 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. “I’d love to stay but I don’t want to be tired so I’m glad she’s telling us to go home.”

Had they stayed, the undefeated Tigers would have had a chance to see Central of Corinth, which beat Calais in Friday’s second semifinal. The Red Devils and Tigers will play at 7:05 p.m.

Dexter has beaten Central twice in the regular season.

The MVP of last season’s tournament, 6-foot-4 forward Ashley Ames, was stellar again Friday night. She had game highs of 19 points and 22 rebounds, including 13 offensive boards.

Ames scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds in the first quarter to help Dexter take a 15-4 lead. Cote opened up the second quarter with a jump shot to extend the advantage.

Houlton worked its way back into the game a bit. The Shiretowners didn’t turn the ball over in the second quarter while taking advantage of six Dexter turnovers, and got five points from Danielle Sewell at the free-throw line to get within 12 points.

Houlton’s Claire Thompson and Anna Lenentine each hit a jumper in the final 1:15 to cut it to 23-15 at halftime.

“We had a great second quarter,” Houlton coach Jerry Tweedie said. “We had some chances, some back-door cuts and missed layups. We boxed out as best we could but that extra foot, they just went right over us.”

But Dexter’s height was too much for the Shiretowners in the third quarter. Mallory Ames, Ashley’s 6-6 freshman sister, had six points and four rebounds in the period, while Ashley Ames had another four boards. The Tigers had a 17-point lead at the end of the period.

Mallory Ames finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Sewell paced the Shires with 12 points and seven rebounds. She was 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.

Houlton played a variety of zones but stuck with a 2-3 for most of the game.

“They doubled a lot but we just had to work through it and be patient, I guess,” Ashley Ames said.

Tweedie was good-natured after the loss.

“It’s like we told everybody before the game: nobody’s been successful so far and there’s no reason I should be,” he said with a smile. “I’m no smarter than anybody else.”

TIGERS 56, SHIRETOWNERS 30

Houlton (13-8) Dexter (20-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Guy 0 5 1 2 1 M. Ames 5 10 2 12

Foster 1 7 1 2 3 Veazie 1 5 6

Varney 0 1 0 0 0 Chapman 0 0 0

Fitzpatrick 0 0 0 0 0 Mountain 0 0

Thompson 3 13 0 0 6 Burton 0 0 0

Hovey 0 0 0 0 0 Fogarty 2 3 5

Cole 2 7 0 0 4 Cote 5 12 2 12

Lenentine 2 6 0 0 4 Hartford 0 0

Sewell 2 7 8 9 12 Alton 0 1 0

Miller 0 0 0 0 0 Patterson 0 2

A. Ames 7 14 5 19

Totals 10 46 10 13 30 20 49 16 27 56

Houlton 4 15 24 30

Dexter 15 23 41 56

3-pt. goals ? Houlton (0-6): Guy 0-5, Varney 0-1; Dexter (0-5): Veazie 0-2, Patterson 0-3