BANGOR – Mindy Watson epitomizes the type of high energy the Southern Aroostook of Dyer Brook girls basketball team likes to apply at both ends of the court.

Whether it’s pressure defense or fast-break offense, the idea is to accelerate the game. With Watson leading the way, the Warriors sped past Shead of Eastport 56-37 Saturday night in an Eastern Maine Class D quarterfinal at the Bangor Auditorium.

“We wanted to push the ball and press on defense,” said Watson, a senior guard who had 21 points, five steals, and four assists. “We’re a running team, and it’s hard to guard.”

That’s also what No. 3 Ashland wanted to do in its Saturday evening quarterfinal against No. 11 Washburn. It worked twice in the regular season and again in the playoffs as freshman Melinda Chasse scored 12 points in a 55-37 win for the Hornets.

Second-seeded Southern Aroostook (17-1) will face No. 3 Ashland (18-2) for the third time this season in a regional semifinal at 2:05 p.m. Thursday. The teams split their regular-season clashes, each winning on its home court.

The No. 7 Tigerettes finished with an 11-8 record.

“Turnovers killed us,” said Shead coach Joni Kinney. “We didn’t really get a chance to do anything because we were throwing it to people who weren’t there.”

Yet the Tigerettes were within 36-31 midway through the fourth quarter until Southern Aroostook’s Kaylea Collier ignited a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer off a Watson feed.

Watson then fed center Audrey Charette (17 points, nine rebounds) for a layup and scored a layup of her own after two Kristinn Watson free throws to give the Warriors a 45-31 lead with 3:15 to play.

“It was a rough game, so it kind of took us out of our flow a little bit,” said Southern Aroostook coach Jon Porter. “It seemed like every time down the floor there was a whistle, so it was a tough game to get into as far as having a flow.

“But we kept our composure and did some good things. I thought defensively we played pretty well, we pressed well.”

Shead got a big game from junior center Taunya Cook, who scored 13 points – including a 9-of-11 effort from the free-throw line – and grabbed a game-high 20 rebounds. Laureta Ricker added 10 points for the Tigerettes.

In the first game, the Hornets used a 9-2 run at the end of the first half to finally put away the pesky Beavers.

Ashland had a 19-14 lead at one point of the second quarter, but both offenses stalled with turnovers. Things got jumping again after an Angela Belskis free throw gave Ashland a six-point lead.

The teams traded three baskets in a 24-second span, but the Hornets took control as Chasse scored, Ashley Nemer completed a conventional 3-point play, and Chasse put back a rebound. Washburn’s Richelle Saucier answered with two free throws, Ashland’s Ashlee Peters banked in a pass from Whitney Flint, and Saucier hit a jumper to end the half.

After all that, the Hornets had a 31-22 lead. They held the Beavers to four points in the third quarter and outscored them 14-11 in the fourth.

“We knew for us to stay with them, we were going to have to be successful in our press,” Washburn coach Leland Caron said. “But they took advantage of some of our weak spots and they ran us. They did a great job.”

Ashland forced 22 turnovers.

Cousins Chasse and Flint, both freshmen, combined for 22 points. Flint had six of her 10 in the first quarter while Chasse scored six of her 12 in the second.

“When they both have good games, we win,” said junior Ashley Nemer, who had a good game of her own with 10 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists. “I just told them they were unbelievable. They’re so big and so important for us.”

Saucier, a freshman, came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points for Washburn.

WARRIORS 56, TIGERETTES 37

Shead (11-8) So. Aroostook (17-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Pottle 2 4 0 0 4 Charette 7 14 3 6 17

Cummings 0 5 0 3 0 King 0 0 0

Morrison 1 2 0 1 2 Hardy 1 9 2

Richardson 1 7 0 0 2 Desmond 0 0 0

Candelmo 0 1 0 0 0 McLaughlin 0 3

Ricker 3 8 3 4 10 Collier 1 7 8

Smith 0 0 0 0 0 Clark 1 1 2

Murphy 0 1 0 0 0 Caswell 0 4 0

Francis 0 0 0 0 0 R. Ryan 0 0 0

Biss 0 0 2 2 2 M. Watson 8 21 21

Constant 1 4 0 0 3 J. Ryan 0 0 0

Cook 2 7 9 11 13 K. Watson 0 1 3

Martinez 0 1 1 2 1

Melanson 0 0 0 2 0

Totals 10 40 15 25 37 Totals 18 58 16 30 56

Shead 7 17 28 37

Southern Aroostook 10 24 33 56

3-pt. goals – Shead (2-8): Constant 1-2, Ricker 1-3, Pottle 0-1, Cummings 0-1, Morrison 0-1; Southern Aroostook (4-13): M. Watson 3-9, Collier 1-3, Hardy 0-1

HORNETS 55, BEAVERS 37

Washburn (6-14) Ashland (18-2)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Blakney 0 4 0 0 0 Belskis 2 12 8

Abar 0 5 1 2 1 Chasse 4 9 4 12

McLaughlin 1 3 2 4 4 Flint 5 8 10

Howe 2 6 0 0 5 Ouellette 0 0 0

Maynard 1 3 0 0 2 Nemer 3 7 10

McDougall 0 2 0 0 0 Chamberln 2 4

Carter 0 1 0 0 0 Collins 0 1 0

Reed 0 1 0 0 0 Mayo 0 0 0 0

Saucier 6 17 4 4 16 Cray 0 0 0

Bird 4 12 0 0 8 Peters 3 7 1 7

Cochran 0 0 0 0 0 Boyd 0 1 0

Espling 0 1 1 2 1 D. Long 2 4 4

Palmer 0 0 0 0 0 M. Long 0 1 0

Hafford 0 0 0 0

Totals 14 55 8 12 37 Totals 21 53 12 20 55

Washburn 12 22 26 37

Ashland 16 31 41 55

3-pt. goals – Washburn (1-10): Howe 1-2, Saucier 0-2, Bird 0-6; Ashland (1-2): Nemer 1-2