BANGOR – Washburn High School’s 6-foot-3 sophomore center Rachel Palmer hadn’t been productive in her team’s two regular season losses to Southern Aroostook High School in Dyer Brook.

But it was Palmer’s night on Saturday as she scored a game-high 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked four shots as second seed Washburn eliminated the No. 10 Warriors 43-32 in their Eastern Maine Class D schoolgirl quarterfinal at the Bangor Auditorium.

Washburn, 13-7, will now meet No. 3 Greater Houlton Christian Academy, 19-1 and a 38-33 winner over No. 6 Ashland earlier Saturday, in Thursday’s 2:05 p.m. semifinal.

Palmer said she scored only two points in each of the losses to Southern Aroostook “so tonight I came out and played my hardest and we did really good.

“I was getting better position [under the basket] and I’ve been learning what my position was. So I just brought it down on them,” added Palmer who also altered shots with her presence in the paint.

“She had a really good game. We couldn’t do much to stop her,” said SA senior guard Kaylea Collier, who paced her team with nine points.

Five-foot-10 Shana Martin, SA’s tallest starter and top rebounder, picked up her fourth foul just 1:16 into the third quarter and had to come out.

“Early in the season, [Rachel] was getting her feet wet. She has come a long way since then,” said Washburn coach Ron Ericson, whose Beavers won their first EM tourney game at the Bangor Auditorium since 1990.

After spotting Collier and the Warriors the game’s first five points, Washburn used a 15-4 run to take a lead it would never relinquish.

Kelsee McLaughlin had 12 points for the Beavers including the last two baskets of the first half to regain the momentum after a 7-1 run by the Warriors and supply Washburn with a 24-16 intermission lead.

“The girls were getting me the ball when I had an opportunity to score. I give them as much credit as I’d take for myself,” said McLaughlin, who also grabbed nine rebounds.

A 10-3 run to open the third quarter, featuring seven points from Alex Bird, built the lead to 34-19.

Washburn led by at least 11 the rest of the way.

Bird finished with 12 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Amy Reed had eight rebounds.

Washburn outrebounded Southern Aroostook 39-20.

In addition to Collier’s nine points, freshman Elizabeth Goodall had six for 10-10 SA.

In the earlier game, Megan Korhonen had 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists to lead Greater Houlton Christian Academy past Ashland.

Sarah Riopel had nine points off the bench with six coming in the third period while Korhonen watched from the bench with four fouls. Korhonen’s cross-court pass to an unattended Riopel for a crucial 3-pointer with 3:40 left in regulation expanded the lead to 34-27 and gave the Eagles some vital breathing room.

“I knew one would eventually go in,” said Riopel who felt she received some divine intervention on that 3-pointer from the right side of the key.

“That one was guided,” said Riopel.

Korhonen had eight first-half points as GHCA built a 21-13 lead before Whitney Flint banked in a 35-foot heave at the buzzer to cut it to 21-16.

Korhonen got her fourth foul just 1:53 into the third quarter and was taken out.

Riopel scored GHCA’s final six points in the third period as the Eagles maintained a five-point lead.

Korhonen returned with 7:05 left and scored six points in the final 4:40 as GHCA withstood an Ashland rally fueled by Mindy Chasse’s two baskets off nifty spin moves in the final 2:20.

Chasse’s second basket cut it to 35-33 with 16 seconds left but Korhonen was intentionally fouled seven seconds later and she sank both free throws.

“I knew I had to do something to help the team. Free throws win basketball games,” said Korhonen, whose exceptional ball-handling enabled GHCA to weather Ashland’s full-court pressure.

Chelsie Lord had seven rebounds for the winners.

Chasse’s 14 points and game-high 13 rebounds and Flint’s 12 points and 10 rebounds sparked Ashland, which wound up 13-7.

EAGLES 38, HORNETS 33

Ashland (13-7) Gr. Houlton (19-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Chasse 4 17 6 12 14 Livezey 3 7 7

Flint 5 11 1 4 12 Brewer 2 2 4

Cook 1 2 0 1 2 Jago 1 6 0 2

Cray 2 6 1 2 5 Korhonen 3 12 13

Landry 0 0 0 0 0 Riopel 4 16 9

Poulin 0 3 0 0 0 Parker 0 0 0

D’Ozier 0 0 0 0 0 Boutilier 0 1

Baker 0 0 0 0 0 Lord 1 7 2

Totals 12 39 8 19 33 Totals 14 53 13 38

Ashland 7 16 24 33

GHCA 10 21 29 38

3-pt. goals – Ashland (1-9): Flint 1-4, Cray 0-3, Poulin 0-2; GHCA (1-15): Riopel 1-9, Lord 0-4, Korhonen 0-2

BEAVERS 43, LADY WARRIORS 32

So. Aroostook (10-10) Washburn (13-7)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Collier 4 12 0 2 9 McLglin 4 7 12

Desmond 0 5 0 2 0 Huston 1 4 2

Caswell 0 5 5 8 5 McDougl 2 4 4

Martin 1 13 1 2 3 Bird 5 9 12

A.Charette 2 8 0 0 5 S.Cochrn 0 0

Goodall 2 13 2 3 6 AmyReed 0 2 0

B.Charette 0 0 0 0 0 Palmer 5 11 13

McGary 1 2 1 2 3 Berube 0 1 0

King 0 1 1 2 1 Chandler 0 2 0

Ryan 0 0 0 0 0 Amb. Rd 0 0 0 0

Bustard 0 0 0 0 0 F.Cochrn 0 0

Ke. Grant 0 0 0 0 0

Ki. Grant 0 0 0 0 0

Hudson 0 0 0 0 0

Bergan 0 1 0 0 0

Totals 10 60 10 21 32 Totals 17 42 17 43

Southern Aroostook 9 16 25 32

Washburn 15 24 42 43

3-pt. goals – SAHS (2-12): Collier 1-3, A. Charette 1-2, King 0-1, Desmond 0-3, Goodall 0-3; Washburn (1-7): Bird 1-2, Chandler 0-2, Berube 0-1, Palmer 0-1, S. Cochran 0-1