DIXFIELD — Mountain Valley Conference opponents are running out of defensive options against the Dirigo boys’ basketball team.

Every coach’s preference for countering a team of slashers and speedsters — some variety of zone — isn’t working. The Cougars have more shooters than the early-season scouting report let on. They sank nine 3-pointers on Friday evening at Defoe Gym, and six were unleashed by guys not named Riley Robinson.

Robinson still collected his customary 32 points, a dozen in the fourth quarter, along with 11 rebounds and four assists to help undefeated Dirigo deny Madison, 66-57.

“Some games it doesn’t look like we’re balanced, but we are,” Dirigo coach Travis Magnusson said. “There’s really nobody on our team you can play off, because they can hit a shot. Everybody can hit and get to the rim.”

Dirigo (12-0) won its 42nd consecutive game at home, a streak dating back to the opening game of the 2011-12 season. Robinson, who poured in 40 less than 24 hours earlier in a 77-67 win at Mountain Valley, cleared the 1,700-point hurdle for his career.

The Cougars never trailed and didn’t panic when Madison (10-3) twice cut a double-digit lead to five points late in the third period. Cooper Chiasson canned his third 3-pointer of the game from the right corner to make it a 46-38 advantage at the horn.

After the Bulldogs crept within four on two free throws by Chris Beaman and a hook from Devon Watt, Robinson drove for two and rained down a fallaway 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to silence the upset bid for good.

“Mountain Valley gave us a great game last night, and we knew it would be even tougher tonight,” Robinson said. “We came in fired up. We didn’t think we played very well last night. We wanted to come out and prove that we’re at the top of this league and stay undefeated.”

Swett scored his 11 points in a 12-minute window of the second half, including twin, uncontested 3-pointers from the top of the arc. Chiasson chipped in nine.

Those two also were primarily responsible for the tireless defensive effort in the paint against Madison’s 6-foot-4 Watt, 6-3 Ty Greene and Chase Malloy, and 6-2 Mitch Jarvais.

“(Thursday) night we didn’t really play well defensively,” Swett said. “Tonight the pregame speech was we’ve got to have more intensity. We’ve got to keep moving our feet, be active, and that’s what we did tonight.”

Jarvais paced Madison with 15 points. Greene and Beaman added 11 apiece, with all Beaman’s output coming in a reserve role after intermission. Malloy notched eight of his 10 points in the second half.

Madison’s two previous defeats were to Boothbay and Monmouth by a total of five points.

“They’re a big, strong team,” Chiasson said.

Chiasson and Gavin Hebert each buried a 3-pointer in the first quarter to complement Robinson’s 11 points. Robinson rained one from down from NBA range at the horn for a 17-9 lead.

Dirigo was one miss (22-for-45) beneath the 50 percent threshold from the field.

“They tried to pack it in a little bit, but we shot it well,” Magnusson said. “That’s the third game in a row now that we really shot it well. They had to come out of it early.”

Triple trouble continued for Madison in the second quarter, when additional bombs from Chiasson and Robinson produced a 27-13 disparity.

“I’ve kind of been struggling with my 3s lately,” Chiasson said. “I’ve just kept doing repetition, repetition, repetition, and today was the day.”

Greene and Jarvais asserted their strength inside, coupled with four free throws from Sean Whalen, and whittled the deficit to 33-25 at the break.

Malloy’s 3-pointer capped a 9-3 Madison run to make it 39-34 before two key rebounds by Hebert. One led to his own second-chance hoop. The second set up Robinson for an easy conversion in the open floor.

“They tried to sag off and keep us in the half court, because they didn’t want us to run,” Swett said. “When we run we’re tough to play with, and I think they definitely knew that.”

Madison stayed within seven until Robinson drew an offensive foul with 3:23 left. On Dirigo’s next possession, Swett overcame by a swat by Beaman and made good on the second chance.

Gavin Arsenault blocked a shot at the other end and went coast-to-coast for a basket that sealed the Bulldogs’ fate.

“The seniors always talk about our little streak,” Magnusson said. “These seniors really want to make sure they go out with the streak intact. They’re always hungry for that.”

koakes@sunjournal.com