WESTHAMPTON - After picking up two fouls 2 minutes, 36 seconds into the game, Hampshire Regional freshman forward Sarah Kober was forced to the bench to watch most of the first half Monday night.

It left her plenty rested for the second half of the first-round game in the Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament as she helped the No. 8 Red Raiders pull away from No. 9 Mahar Regional for a 63-46 game victory at home.

Kober had 12 of her 14 points and all seven of her rebounds in the second half, while Ashlee Moussette was strong throughout with 23 points.

"Sarah changes everything," Hampshire coach Desi Vega said. "She's under the boards, she gets rebounds. She can run the floor and play D. She changes the scope of everything that goes on."

The Raiders (13-8) advanced to the quarterfinals at No. 1 Palmer (20-0) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Panthers swept the two regular-season games between the two teams 54-26 and 58-33.

"We'll go in there and do the best we can and see how things go," Vega said. "Anyone can win on any given night. Why not us? We'll give it a try."

Moussette said she is looking forward to the challenge.

"They have a target on their back. They know they're 20-0," Moussette said. "If we come and play our game we can be in the game with them."

The Senators were in the game with Hampshire early. Kayla Wetherby's banked jumper put Mahar up 22-21 with just under two minutes left in the first half, but Moussette and Lauren McGrath (11 points) each scored four points in the Raiders' half-ending 8-1 run that gave the hosts a 29-23 edge.

Hampshire picked up where it left off after the break.

Kober sank two free throws to open the third quarter. Christine Richardson answered with a 3-pointer for the Senators, but the Raiders took over after that. Margo McCarthy scored the next six points - all off turnovers - as part of a 9-0 Hampshire run that swelled the lead to 40-26.

The Raiders' edge reached 51-33 in the fourth quarter before Katie Ray came to life. The Senators senior, who had been scoreless for the first three quarters, scored 11 points in her final quarter of high school basketball.

Sam Parker had 11 points and Wetherby added eight points and seven rebounds for Mahar, which finished its season at 12-9.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.