THETFORD — Thursday’s rematch between the Windsor High and Thetford Academy girls basketball teams again proved the Yellow Jackets’ superiority, though this time with much less on the line.

The visiting Yellow Jackets, who rallied to knock off the Panthers in last season’s Vermont Division III final, this time prevailed, 41-31, behind 15 points from post player Sydney Perry. Thetford guard Addison Cadwell dropped in a team-high14 points.

“We all agreed it was going to be a challenge and we knew Thetford would bring their best,” said Perry, who sank seven of 10 field-goal attempts. “We had to remind ourselves, before we got too far into our heads, that this wasn’t a state championship game.

“But it was a tight dogfight and a good measure of where we are early in the season.”

Brianna Barton had nine points for the visitors, who also received five points, four assists and three steals from Audrey Rupp. Lithe forward Sophia Rockwood didn’t hit any of her eight field-goals attempts and was 2 of 8 from the free-throw line. She finished with only two points but remained a presence with five defensive rebounds and four steals.

It was Perry, however, who made the difference. Also a field hockey and softball player, the senior plays with a poise and awareness increasingly rare in the paint. Facing the basket or facing away from it, Perry is always alert for lanes and spaces she can exploit and dishes the ball off when double- and triple-teams arrive.

Drawing the unenviable task of defending Perry was Thetford’s Whitney Lewis, not as skilled as her Yellow Jacket counterpart, but every bit the hard worker. Lewis had four points on 2-of-11 shooting but also made Perry earn her offense. The two have battled since attending youth basketball camps.

“It’s good for me to play Whitney, because she’s my size and you don’t see a lot of that in Division III,” said Perry, who had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. “We know each other’s moves, and we definitely challenged each other tonight.

“It comes down to hard work and how well the people around you are playing.”

Windsor coach Kabray Rockwood, whose team hosts Thetford on Jan. 11, described Perry as “a post player’s post player,” noting that No. 20 boxes out well and is unselfish with the ball, which in return leads to her facing more one-on-one chances.

“She’s always been a monster on the glass,” said Rockwood, who encourages Perry to take consistently take advantage of those easier matchups. “She’s used to having teams try to take her out of the offense and she does a really good job establishing position, getting her girl on her heels and then using either hand to score.”

Windsor led by a point after a quarter and trailed by four points at halftime but seized control when it scored 13 of the third quarter’s 21 points. The Yellow Jackets (3-0) held the Panthers (2-1) to 10 second-half points.

“Playing them tonight, we knew (last season’s championship) was in the air,” Kabray Rockwood said. “But ultimately we saw it as just a game we had to win.”

Notes: Thetford coach Jolene Cadwell wasn’t available for postgame comments. … Kabray Rockwood older daughter, Olivia, is a senior guard at the University of Maine and is averaging 20.4 minutes and 4.9 points a game for the Black Bears (7-6). … One of the contest’s officials was Larry Ruffing, an Upper Valley Aquatic Center fitness instructor and longtime Hanover assistant baseball coach.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.