DIXFIELD – Dirigo received a balanced attack on offense, with Jane Hebert scoring a game-high 10 points, but the Cougars’ defense was the bigger story.

The Cougars forced 42 turnovers en route to a 44-17 victory over Telstar on Monday.

Dirigo jumped on top early with its trademark man-to-man defense, and Telstar wasn’t able to adjust. A three-pointer by Kristen Harvey made the score 10-0 midway through the first quarter, and there was more to come.

Dirigo (3-1) had stumbled in a loss against Livermore Falls and was anxious to get back on track.

“In a game like this, we needed to keep our composure,” Harvey said. “We needed to run and direct our offense without getting caught up in the emotions with all the steals happening around us.”

The lead had grown to 14-0 before Brianna Douglass sank a free throw for Telstar first point. Both teams are undergoing a youth movement, with Harvey and Douglass (six points, six rebounds) the only seniors.

Ricki Sinclair (eight points, five steals), Tricia Turner (eight points) and Hebert (five steals) helped establish Dirigo’s tempo. A driving layup by Hebert increased the lead, and wholesale substitutions followed. Cougars freshmen Erin Turner, Miranda Shurtleff, Paige Murphy, Alyssa Wade and Larissa Bryant received quality playing time.

“There were some (trouble) spots,” Sinclair said. “But, the team executed well, especially in the second half.”

Telstar (0-3) didn’t record a field goal until Douglass made a layup and Lyndsay Merrill drained a two-handed set shot in the second quarter. The Rebels have just 10 players in the entire program, including nine freshmen and sophomores.

The Rebels shot 16 percent and made six field goals in the game.

“This is a learning process,” Telstar coach Kelly Dole said. “We’re taking it one day at a time. One practice and one drill. The Dirigo pressure hindered our offense, but we hadn’t seen it because with so few players, we cant practice against it.”

Dirigo received production from Morgan Hutchins, Hannah Knight, Brooke Kersey (five points) and Katrina Pulk. The Cougars shot 35 percent and made 10 of 12 free throws. A pair of steals and coast-to-coast baskets by Turner put Dirigo ahead 32-10 in the third quarter.

“We just need to be patient,” Dirigo coach Reggie Weston said. “They stole the ball 30 times and that’s a good ratio, because we only turned the ball over five times in the second half. Still, after a steal, they need to slow down are to hyped-up on offense and are turning the ball over.”