BY MARTY MYERS

Times-Shamrock Writer

In the end, it will look like another blowout for the defending state champions.

Anyone who saw it will know it was a much different story than offered by Steelton-Highspire’s 63-44 win overForestCity.

For three quarters of Wednesday’s second-round PIAA Class A girls basketball playoff game, the Lady Foresters and their 14-12 record had the Rollers on thin ice.ForestCityled by two at halftime and trailed by justfive after threequarters.

But too many fouls and too much Malia Tate-DeFreitas endedForestCity’s upset hopes, as Steel-High spread the floor over the final eight minutes and pulled away for a 63-44 win atHazletonAreaHigh School.

Tate-DeFreitas finished with 34 points, her season average, but 14 of those came in the fourth as the Lady Foresters couldn’t deal with her quickness. And the loss of two starters to fouls – Cassandra Bendyk with2:42to go in the third and Katelyn Zembrzycki early in the fourth – was too much to overcome, even with a 21-point, nine-rebound effort by Lady Foresters’ guard Carly Erdmann.

“I couldn’t ask more from my team,” said Erdmann, who scored 12 in the first half as the Lady Foresters grabbed a surprising 25-23 lead. “We knew it was going to be tough but we knew we weren’t going to back down.

“Just some sloppy turnovers that hurt us.”

Eight of them in the third, and Steel-High took advantage, finally shaking the pesky Lady Foresters on Amber Hess-Moore’s 3 for a 28-27 lead 90 seconds into the third. It started a 16-7 spurt that put the Lady Rollers in front to stay, and saw Bendyk foul out, picking up four in the third quarter.

“I really think a key part of the game was our next two scorers fouling out,” Urbas said. “That takes some of our punch away.”

With the lead and the ball to start the fourth, Steel-High spread the floor and Tate-DeFreitas went to work, hitting 5 of 6 shots and 4 of 5 free throws.

“Our kids worked defensively,” Urbas said. “That kid’s a great player. I thought we played her decent. She creates shots.”

Erdmann, who had three blocks and three assists, and Tania Pollard, who hit all four of her shots after Bendyk and Zembrzycki fouled out, tried to keepForestCityclose, but the Rollers guards were just too talented.

“I thought Carly had a great game,” Urbas said. “Defensively, everything. She made some big drives the second half with people hanging on her. She really showed that she’s a good player.

“I’m really, really proud of our kids. To come down here and play this team with the reputation they have, it’s not a win but it is a win.”