In a defensive battle Monday, the Boothbay Region girls’ basketball team proved to be too tough and too tall against Carrabec High School of North Anson. The No. 2 Seahawks utilized a stifling zone defense and tall front court in defeating the No. 7 Cobras, 32-17, in a Class C South quarterfinal at Augusta Civic Center.

Boothbay Region scored the game’s first nine points and never trailed. The Seahawk defense was so good it limited Carrabec to five field goals and seven foul shots. The Cobras’ offense relies on consistent outside shooting, but against Boothbay Region, they could only manage two field goals on 17 first half attempts, as the Seahawks built a 17-9 lead.

Carrabec’s first basket came with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter as guard Liberty Chestnut scored on a layup beating the Seahawk 1-2-2 full court press.

Boothbay Region coach Tanner Grover believed his team’s tall front court has been a major factor in his team’s success all season.

“Our length has been an advantage for us all year long. We’re not physically strong inside, but we made an effort to keep the ball away from the basket,” Grover said.

While the Seahawk defense sizzled, its offense struggled against the Cobras’ man-to-man defense. Guard Faith Blethen led all scorers with 16 points. Kate Friant had six, Hannah Morley added five, Sydney Meader and Page Brown had two a piece, and Nicole Clarke had one.

The most points either team scored in a quarter was nine. The Seahawks scored nine in the first and all nine fourth quarter points came from the free throws.

Boothbay Region’s only regular season game against Carrabec was also a defensive struggle. The Seahawks won 27-20 on Jan. 23 in North Anson. So Grover wasn’t too concerned about his team’s lack of tournament productivity.

“I’ve been coming up here (to the regional tournament) from many years especially with I.J. (Pinkham). It’s hard for any team to put together three flawless games,” he said. “But we did a lot well. We faced some adversity tonight and that was good for us. Our best basketball is yet to come.”

Boothbay Region’s victory sets up a rematch against the only team to beat them this year. The Seahawks lost 42-41 on a last second, three-point shot in Monmouth. The Boothbay Region-Monmouth Academy girls’ semifinal is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Thursday in Augusta.