DIXFIELD – There is a great deal of respect between the Dirigo and Mountain Valley girls’ basketball teams, but all bets were off when the arch-rivals faced each other at Defoe Gymnasium on Friday night.

Venessa Cayer and Taylor Smith combined for 24 points as the Falcons picked up their intensity to rally for a 35-30 win over Dirigo. Both teams had used their trademark man-to-man defense to disrupt the flow and in the second half.

Cayer scored eight of her game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter and a pair of baskets by Smith from 12-feet was enough. Mountain Valley made four of five shots from the floor and six of eight free throws in the fourth quarter.

“We just applied more pressure down the stretch,” Mountain Valley coach Rich Allen said. “We’d been picking Dirigo up at the three-point line and it gave them to much vision so this reduced their opportunities on offense. We settled down and were able to get the ball down low and into a post player.”

Dirigo (6-3), No.2 in Class C, was unable to answer until Katrina Pulk made a bunny with 1:35 left, and Ricki Sinclair made two free throws in the waning moments. The Cougars missed their final four shots and were 29 percent in game and committed six of 17 turnovers in the fourth quarter.

“Dirigo is a rival,” Cayer said. “We stepped it up and this is a big win for the team. We were a little nervous in the first half, but then picked it up when the play was more open.”

A key was two baskets off steals by Emily Knapp to give the Falcons a 14-13 lead early in the third quarter. The lead was tied or changed sides 11 times over the next nine minutes. Dirigo baskets were by Sinclair, Hannah Knight, Morgan Hutchins (eight points) and Jane Hebert (six points).

Lauren LePage scored five points in the second half and Smith was wide open on the wing for four baskets. The Falcons used guards Meagan Maifeld, McKenzie Paterson and freshman Emily Gallant on the perimeter.

Dirigo had forced seven turnovers in the first quarter by disrupting the back court and making the Falcons throw the ball away. Baskets by Kristen Harvey (two), Hutchins and Hebert gave the Cougars a 13-10 lead.

“It wasn’t a slow down,” Dirigo coach Reggie Weston said. “We were just being patient and looking for the open man. These are two good defensive teams, and I said in preseason that Mountain Valley was one of the teams to beat in the MVC. We just want to feel we belong.”