AUGUSTA – This year, and especially on this night, the better team simply won.

How many times have those words been uttered at the expense of the Dirigo High School girls’ basketball team during the past decade?

Not many. Eleven, to be exact. That’s the number of defeats Dirigo has experienced since the 1994-95 season, and that includes losses of two, three and four points in Class C championship games.

Dominated by sophomores and juniors and largely considered one year ahead of schedule, Dirigo gave a rare glimpse at vulnerability in Saturday night’s 50-31 loss to Dexter at Augusta Civic Center.

The defeat ended a 34-game winning streak on this floor, including four state championship conquests.

Dexter never trailed. It was known that the Tigers, led by sisters Mallory (6-foot-6 freshman) and Ashley (6-4 junior) Ames, were taller than the Cougars.

They proved deeper, too.

This was not merely the Ames Hour. Mallory notched nine points. Ashley added eight. But every Dexter starter scored at least seven, and the first player off the bench chalked up six.

Dexter, unbeaten since an overtime loss to Dirigo in last year’s final, sank its first four field goal attempts in the game.

The Cougars recovered from that flurry, closing within three at the half.

What they couldn’t counter was Dexter’s perfection from the floor in the third period. The Tigers didn’t miss a shot until more than nine minutes had expired in the decisive second half.

Ames and Ames, though held in check offensively, ranked somewhere between disruptive and disheartening to Dirigo at the opposite end.

Mallory blocked five shots. Ashley swatted a pair. Combined, they gave the Cougars second thoughts at least a dozen more times, forcing traveling violations and extra passes into clogged escape routes.

Neither was whistled for a foul until only 2:11 remained in the game, much to the consternation of many fans in the home grandstands. With a minimum of five inches advantage on the white-shirted post players, however, Dexter’s tall tandem had little trouble stretching out their arms to corral offensive and defensive boards without contact.

This could turn out a best-of-three series. Both sisters return next winter along with fellow starter Sabrina Cote and key reserve Meagan Fogarty.

Dirigo’s first five of Alexa Kaubris, Jennifer Harvey, Michelle Holmquist, Holly Knight and Brooke Weston, will remain intact.

They’re good. In a year, the Cougars could be great.

For now, though, Dexter’s bragging rights are just a touch bigger and better.