AUGUSTA – Sorry, North Yarmouth Academy, but you already had your chance.

Such was the attitude Wednesday morning of six-time reigning Class D boys’ basketball state champion Valley Memorial High School, which gained more than merely a world of confidence in rallying from 18 points down to knock off NYA on its home court last month.

The Cavaliers watched, learned, adapted and applied those lessons throughout a convincing 79-65 victory in the rematch, this time in a regional semifinal at Augusta Civic Center.

Senior Mark Gaudet created his customary blend of big shots and defensive havoc, concluding with 28 points, eight rebounds, five steals and four assists.

Sophomore Travis Hovey, filling the role of the Cavaliers’ annual budding star, added 23 points and seven rebounds.

“They obviously learned a lot about our shortcomings,” NYA coach Tom Robinson said. “Their defense was different. They took certain kids away from us.”

Valley (19-0) parlayed that knowledge into its 23rd consecutive victory at the civic center.

Second-seeded for the first time in its streak of state titles (the Cavaliers have lost only one regular-season game in that stretch), Valley meets No. 1 Hyde School of Bath in the Western D championship game at 3:05 p.m. Saturday.

Outscoring NYA 20-2 through the first five minutes of the second quarter, Valley transformed an early seven-point deficit into a 41-29 halftime lead.

Hovey scored 17 of his 23 in the second half as the Cavaliers increased the margin to 64-48 with 6:21 left.

Though Valley went scoreless in the next 3:30 and missed five of six free throws during one agonizing stretch, the lead never dipped lower than six points thereafter.

Tim DeLuca led all scorers with 34 points, but he was one of the few offensive weapons to get untracked for the Panthers (13-7).

“We knew they like to run a lot,” Valley coach Dwight Littlefield said.

Valley learned more than that in its previous journey south to meet NYA.

The Cavaliers saw some tendencies in forwards Tim Lachance (13 points) and Brian Chin (seven) that led them to believe that the slender, 6-foot-5 Hovey could step up his game in the low post.

“Coach Littlefield reminded me that those guys, especially Chin, like to jump,” Hovey said. “So I used my up-fake more.”

Gaudet and Hovey combined for 20 points in the fourth quarter, matching NYA’s team total.

Luke Welch did a solid job defensively denying Gaudet his usual number of open looks at the basket, but the Panthers soon learned how many other shooters wear silver and blue. Tony Hibbard nailed a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. Mark Hyland dropped another from beyond the arc.

“We’re used to applying pressure and forcing turnovers,” Robinson said. “But on this big floor, and when they have four guys who can hit from the outside, it’s a lot different.”