DYER BROOK – The last time the Ashland and Southern Aroostook girls basketball teams met this season, Warrior junior Audrey Charette sat on the bench with foul trouble for most of the game.

Charette spent some stretches of Monday’s rematch on the bench, too, but not because of foul trouble. This time, she had a chance to sit because she spent so much time early on putting the game away for Southern Aroostook.

Charette poured in 35 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in Southern Aroostook’s 66-38 win to knock the Hornets from unbeaten status – the same thing Ashland did to SAHS in their first matchup.

“We’re still looking for the perfect 32 minutes, but this is the closest we’re going to get right now,” Warriors coach Jon Porter said.

And it came at the right time. SAHS is 9-1 and Ashland is 8-1 while the Hornets were first in last week’s Eastern Maine Class D Heal point standings and SAHS was second.

That was in the back of the Warriors’ minds, but simply gaining the win was enough after a 59-54 loss in December.

The Hornets played a 2-3 zone in both meetings, and it was effective in the first game with the 5-foot-10 Charette on the bench. Not so this time, as she seemed to have no problems working against Ashland’s defense.

“I think I had a little more aggressiveness,” she said. “I was ready to play this game.”

Charette made 16 of her 21 field-goal attempts, including at least five after she grabbed an offensive rebound. She had nine offensive boards.

“She’s a great low-post player. Tonight she played a great game and we had no answer for it,” Ashland coach Ben Lothrop said. “[Southern Aroostook] knew this was a big-time game and they came out ready to play.”

Senior guard Mindy Watson, who hit eight 3-pointers in the teams’ first game, was held to six points Monday but assisted on five of Charette’s baskets.

Playing in front of a loud crowd at the high school gym, the game opened at a quick pace but the Warriors settled into a patient rhythm trying to work the ball inside to Charette.

Almost midway through the first quarter she converted a 3-point play (after an offensive rebound, of course) to take the lead for Southern Aroostook. Kaylea Collier (11 points) hit a 3-pointer from the right corner, Charette put back another rebound and Watson hit a jump shot for a 16-9 lead. The Warriors outscored the Hornets 18-10 in the second quarter and didn’t look back.

SAHS had a 26-9 rebounding edge at halftime. Sixth man Kristinn Watson helped the effort on the boards with nine rebounds and four other players had at least three rebounds.

The Warriors picked up their man-to-man defense in the second half, forcing 12 turnovers. Porter had Collier guarding Ashland freshman Whitney Flint, who burned Southern Aroostook for 19 points in the first game, and Erin Caswell and Kristinn Watson on senior Angela Belskis, the Hornets’ top post player.

Belskis had 10 points and eight rebounds and Mindy Chasse led Ashland with 11 points and seven rebounds.

WARRIORS 66, HORNETS 38

Ashland (8-1) So. Aroostook (9-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Belskis 4 8 2 2 10 Au.Charette 16 21 3 6 35

Chasse 5 9 1 2 11 King 0 0 0

Flint 1 6 2 2 4 Desmond 0 0 0

Nemer 1 10 2 2 5 McLaughlin 3 6

Chamberlin 1 1 0 0 2 Collier 5 9 11

Mayo 0 0 0 0 0 Clark 2 10 0 4

Peters 2 5 1 4 5 Caswell 0 4 0

D. Long 0 2 1 2 1 R. Ryan 0 0 0

Hafford 0 0 0 0 0 M. Watson 3 14 0 0 6

J. Ryan 0 0 0 0

K. Watson 1 5 4

Am.Charette 0 1 0

Totals 14 41 9 14 38 30 72 10 66

Ashland 9 19 32 38

SAHS 16 34 52 66

3-pt. goals – Ashland (1-6): Nemer 1-6; Southern Aroostook (1-8): Collier 1-3, Clark 0-1, M. Watson 0-4

JV: Southern Aroostook 52-18

Attendance: 350 (est.)