AUGUSTA - Back-to-back wins on a weekend in January don't mean a whole lot to the Buckfield girls right now.

Buckfield beat Vinalhaven by significant margins in its regular-season meetings, but the unbeaten Bucks know that was an isolated pair of games, and the Vikings are a very different team than was witnessed in Buckfield last month.

"When you play Vinalhaven, it's back-to-back," said Buckfield coach Troy Eastman. "So what you get one day is kind of what you get the next day. There's not a lot of chance to practice for each other and play each other differently."

When Buckfield plays Vinalhaven at 1:05 p.m. today at the Augusta Civic Center for the Western D girls' title, the Bucks will toss those previous results aside.

"It will not be an easy game," said Eastman. "I think our record is misleading. People think we've beaten people by a lot all the time. That's not really the case. Being prepared and disciplined does a lot for people."

The Bucks beat the Vikings 62-29 on a Friday night in January. The Vikings were limited to perimeter shooting and watched the Bucks break open a 20-12 lead at the half with a dominant second half. The following morning, the Bucks won 76-41.

"We fastbreaked really well against them," said senior guard Amy Reuter. "So we'll be able to do that. Our defensive pressure, they scored (29 and 41). So hopefully we can keep them below that and keep them smothered."

The Bucks (20-0) have shown a prolific and balanced offense with 85 points against Seacoast and a lights-out defense that held Richmond scoreless for two quarters and without a field goal for 15:20 in the second half.

"We have to make them play our game and not let them make us play their game," said junior forward Tristen Newton. "We have to take control at the beginning and make sure it is our game the whole time."

Vinalhaven has not been in the regional final since losing to Buckfield in 1986. The Bucks drought is almost as long, losing to Monmouth in 1991. The Bucks enter today's matchup as the favorites and with the pressure of a perfect season on the line.

"Going in undefeated is a big step for us," said Newton. "We've never come in this confident. We're not overconfident, but we have to keep our heads high."

The Bucks feature what has been dubbed the "Blonde Squad," a starting group that features seniors Kasey Farrington, Alyssa Henderson, juniors Lindsay Henderson, Emily Eastman and sophomore Ashlee Hamann. That group gives the Bucks a balanced force that can score, play defense and effectively run the floor. The Bucks can also counter with a few brunettes and a redhead off the bench. Abby Jones and Newton provide great support in the post when needed.

The Vikings' Amelia Davidson was the main threat against the Bucks in the regular season, but third-ranked Vinalhaven (15-5) has shown greater balance and poise. The Vikings rolled past Valley late in the semifinal Thursday. Kayla Conway, Claire Carter, Alex Young, Chelsea Guptill and Jenifer Guptill present a more formidable foe than what the Bucks saw a month ago.

"We've never gotten beyond this point," said Reuter. "We lost last year in overtime in the semifinal. Now we're over it, and we'll play with the intensity we know we have. It's a big game. So you never know what to expect. They'll definitely come out strong. Hopefully, we will too."