Madison girls basketball players celebrate after a basket late in a win over Monmouth in a C South quarterfinal victory Tuesday. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA — It took some time for the Madison girls basketball team to find its groove this season. The Bulldogs took less than a minute to find it Tuesday.

Mackenzie Robbins scored 27 points and Jacey Moody pulled down 13 rebounds as third-seeded Madison handled No. 6 Monmouth, 65-37, in a Class C South quarterfinal at the Augusta Civic Center.

Madison (14-5) will face No. 10 Dirigo in the semifinals at 2 p.m. Thursday in Augusta. Monmouth ended its season 10-9.

The Bulldogs set the tone from the opening minute, when Robbins scored 32 seconds into the game off a Raegan Cowan steal. Robbins and Cowan finished with four steals apiece.

“Our transition game was on today,” Madison coach Adam Rich said. “Our press helped us out a lot. And if we get open with our transition, I think that peaks us in the offensive end.”

Madison defeated Monmouth for the second time this season; the Bulldogs won their lone regular-season meeting, 47-29 on Jan. 7.

How Madison did it

• The Bulldogs held advantages of 14-8 in steals and 31-18 in rebounds. Four of Madison’s five field goals in the game’s first nine minutes came off steals, two from Cowan and two from Liz Kelley.

“That’s been our bread and butter all year, with (Cowan and Robbins) out front causing havoc,” Rich said. “Pushing the tempo is how we close out games.”

• In the third, Kelley grabbed six rebounds and Moody four to snuff out a 7-0 Monmouth run. “Those two really locked it in for the third quarter,” Rich said.

Finding their way

• Madison started the season 3-3 before rolling off seven straight wins. Patience had a lot to do with that, Rich said.

“We slowed down on the turnover aspects,” Rich said. “We tried to play up-tempo so we weren’t really getting a lot of shots like you saw today. We slowed ourselves down and got open looks.”

• Under first-year coach Keith Derosby, Monmouth improved three games from last year’s 8-11 record.

Madison’s Jacey Moody, left, and Emma Anton, right, double team Monmouth Academy’s Peyton McDonald. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

“The girls have been receptive to any coaching, any critiquing, any support. They’ve grown a lot,” Derosby said.

Foul balls

• Monmouth was whistled for 22 fouls to Madison’s 18, and key Monmouth players Rileigh Chase and Maeve Burgess fouled out in the fourth quarter.

“That definitely affects your game plan moving in, but there are kids that haven’t had the experience on this court that stepped into big moments,” said Derosby, who cited the play of sophomore Hayli Paradis, who had five points, three rebounds and two steals off the bench.

• Madison was 15 of 28 from the free-throw line, while Monmouth was 9 of 15.

Individual statistics

• Madison: Mackenzie Robbins (27 points), Jacey Moody (seven points, 13 rebounds, four steals), Raegan Cowan (12 points, four steals), Liz Kelley (10 points, seven rebounds).

• Monmouth Academy: Kaitlyn Frost (14 points)

They said it

“Our defense is key. Raegan Cowan is one of the shortest on our team but she rebounds quite a bit. Jacey’s really tall and has a lot of rebounds. Rebounding has been really big for us, especially is the second half of the season.” — Mackenzie Robbins