PORTLAND

The Brunswick High School girls basketball team’s offense has won it many games this season.

There was plenty of that in spurts during Monday’s Class A South quarterfinal at the Portland Expo, but this time, it was defense that led the way.

The Dragons put up a wall from the start and held Kennebunk to a single basket in the first quarter. Despite some foul trouble, an early lead and dominance down low led to a comfortable 57- 42 win.

“Defense is what they believe in,” Brunswick coach Sam Farrell said.

Brooke Barter splashed an early trey as part of a 7-1 start for No. 2 Brunswick (16-3), and on the other side of the floor, No. 7 Kennebunk (8-11) could hardly find a shot. Barter and fellow forward Madeline Suhr clogged the paint as the Rams threw up errant shots and only managed a handful of freethrow attempts.

Their first bucket of the game didn’t come until 34.6 were left on the first-quarter clock.

“I think we just shut down the shooters,” Suhr said. “We knew who we had to shut down and we did it pretty well.”

While Kennebunk was shooting just over 20 percent from the field, the Dragons were catching fire down low. Barter scored seven of her 10 total points in the first quarter and dished out a pair of assists. Suhr, who finished with a game-best 16 points, scored eight in the first half and also sunk an early 3-pointer.

Brunswick shot 50 percent in the second frame.

“We knew we were bigger than them, so we just tried to pound it inside,” Suhr said.

A big boost came from sophomore Rosalie White, who went 4-for-5 off the bench and scored all eight of her points in the quarter. All were in the paint and two buckets were putbacks after an offensive board.

“She’s shown spurts of it all year,” Farrell said of White. “Rosi is a big kid that works hard. She’s got it in her and she came in, played calm and realized she could shoot over those kids and did it.”

Sabrina Armstrong (10 points, four steals) notched four points in the second quarter as the Dragons led, 33-14 at the break.

Foul trouble

One thing Kennebunk did manage to do throughout the game was get Brunswick into foul trouble. Both Armstrong and Barter had three fouls by the half, and in the third quarter the Rams took advantage while they were on the bench.

As the Dragons’ offense cooled off, Sierra Tarte (team-high 14 points) and Marian Oakman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to bring Kennebunk within 10 at 49-39. Brunswick managed just 2- of-12 shooting in the frame and was outscored 15-10

“At one point I think the whole starting five was out with foul trouble except for me,” Suhr said. “I think that was a big adjustment, but a lot of people stepped up on the bench.”

“Last time we played Kennebunk was probably our worst game of the year,” Farrell said. “They’re such a good, tough team.”

In their first meeting this season on Jan. 6, Brunswick escaped with a 51-47 overtime win on the road. Still, when Suhr was asked if she was ever worried when the lead was cut to 10, she answered with a quick “no.”

The Dragons were in fact still in control, and two quick buckets from Suhr at the end of the third quarter made the score 43-31 heading into the fourth. There, Barter swished another trey and Suhr rounded out her scoring as Brunswick pulled away.

Suhr played a game-high 31 minutes and also pulled in a game-best 11 boards, while guard Charlotte MacMillan notched six points and six rebounds. Aidan Sachs had four points down low.

“When we move the ball and players move without the ball, we seem to get a lot of good looks, inside and out,” Farrell said. “I thought we settled for a while for some threes, but late in the game we had three or four rim out that ice the game, and if a shooter thinks it’s going in, shoot it.”

Now it’s on to York in the semifinals, which narrowly fended off Falmouth 49-46 in the earlier game on Monday. The two sides didn’t meet in the regular season, but Farrell has done plenty of scouting.

“I think we’re playing good basketball,” Farrell said. “It’s going to be tough. York’s got a ton of experience. They’ve got a whole bunch of kids that can handle the ball and they play great defense.”

“I think we just have to keep playing our game and everything will fall into place,” Suhr said. “Keep playing how we’re playing.”

No. 2 Brunswick 57,
No. 7 Kennebunk 42

At the Portland Expo Kennebunk — 4 12 15 11 — 42 Brunswick — 14 19 10 14 — 57 Kennebunk — Gabby Fogg 5-0-10, Madi Lux 0-2-2, Emily Dupler 0-0-0-, Marian Oakman 2-3-8, Kala Cummings 0-0-0, Samantha Creech 0-4- 4, Jessica Dupler 1-1-4, Elizabeth Kiezulas 0-0-0, Alaina Schatzabel 0-0- 0, Sierra Tarte 5-2-14. Totals — 13- 12-42. Brunswick — Charlotte MacMillan 1- 4-6, Aidan Sachs 2-0-4, Sabrina Armstrong 2-6-10, Brooke Barter 4-0-10, Madeline Suhr 6-3-16, MacKenzie Burrows 0-0-0, Heather Kinee 0-0-0, Anna Kousky 0-0-0, Emily Larochelle 0-2-2, Rian Sachs 0-1-1, Rosalie White 4-0-8, Alexis Guptil 0-0-0, Holly Black 0-0-0. Totals — 19-16- 57. 3-point field goals — (K) Tarte 2, Dupler, Oakman; (B) Barter 2, Suhr. Records — Brunswick 16-3, Kennebunk 8-11. Up next for the Dragons — Class A South semifinal against York on Wednesday, 1 p.m., at Cross Insurance Arena in Portland.