PATTON — Cambria Heights came up on the short end of the final score in its Heritage Conference girls basketball showdown with league front-runner Penns Manor Tuesday night, but there was no shortage of consolation prizes for the Lady Highlanders.

For four quarters, Heights battled toe-to-toe with a Penns Manor team that, at least on paper, appeared to be a heavy favorite. The Lady Highlanders shaved a seven-point deficit at the three-quarter pole to one point on two different occasions in the fourth quarter before Penns Manor finally prevailed, 41-39 at the Cambria Heights High School gymnasium.

“We kept up the intensity, and we did the little things that we needed to do,” said Heights coach Eric Thomas, whose team dropped to 7-7 overall and 5-5 in the conference. “Unfortunately, we just couldn’t finish.

“Things have been kind of up and down this year, but this could be a game that gets us going, and that’s what’s important.”

Penns Manor coach Jason Miloser, whose team improved to 14-1 overall and hiked its unbeaten conference record to 10-0, is a believer in what Cambria Heights brings to the table.

“I’m proud of my girls for making plays to find a way to beat a really good Cambria Heights team,” Miloser said. “Cambria Heights is really well-coached, and they played a great game tonight.

“Credit to Cambria Heights — they have a bunch of young girls who can make plays, and they’re going to win a lot of games this year for sure,” Miloser added.

After the first half ended in a 14-14 tie, Penns Manor broke out to a 31-24 lead after three quarters by carrying the third quarter, 17-10.

Heights had pulled in front by six points, 23-17, midway through the third period on a steal and layup by senior guard Markie Bender, before Penns Manor reeled off 14 of the next 15 points. The run was capped off by junior Katie Bertolino’s inside bucket, two free throws from freshman point guard Adia Lieb, a 3-pointer from the left corner by junior Clara Henry, and Lieb’s steal and layup.

“Down by seven against a good team, we could have folded, but our girls never back down and never give up,” Thomas said.

Cambria Heights came out blazing in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of the quarter’s first 15 points to tie the game, 35-35, on a driving bucket with three minutes left in the game by senior point guard Kinley Rogal, who scored a game-high 14 points.

After Henry made one of two free throws to put Penns Manor back on top, 36-35, Lieb — who led Penns Manor with 13 points — converted a feed into the lane for a back-door layup and a 38-35 Penns Manor lead.

Junior Lilly Karlheim’s inside bucket pulled Heights to within 38-37, but Bertolino canned two free throws to put Penns Manor ahead, 40-37 with 40 seconds left.

“Katie stepped up and made some big foul shots down the stretch for us, and as a team, we were able to handle their defensive pressure in the fourth quarter and make some good decisions,” Miloser said.

After Heights missed a 3-point shot and Penns Manor regained possession, Bender came up with a steal and layup to make it a 40-39 game with eight seconds left.

Bertolino was fouled again and made one of two free throws with six seconds left to give Penns Manor its final margin of victory, 41-39 — a score that held up when a long 3-point attempt by Heights went off the back of the rim at the buzzer.

“We played very hard tonight against a team that hasn’t lost in our conference this year,” said Thomas, whose team visits Homer-Center Thursday night. “Credit to Penns Manor — they’re a good team that is coached very well, and we came close to getting them tonight.”

PENNS MANOR (41): Henry 3 1-2 8, Bertolino 1 5-6 7, Lieb 5 3-5 13, Bennett 1 2-2 5, Luther 0 1-2 1, Matko 1 0-0 2, J. Kuzemchak 2 0-0 5. Totals – 13 12-18 41.

CAMBRIA HEIGHTS (39): Rogal 5 4-5 14, Bender 3 0-2 6, L. Karlheim 3 1-2 8, J. Karlheim 4 0-0 9, Kirsch 1 0-0 2, Adams 0 0-0 0, Abrams 0 0-0 0. Totals – 16 5-9 39.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Penns Manor 10 4 17 10–41

Cambria Heights 10 4 10 15–39

3-point goals: Penns Manor 3 (Bennett, Kuzemchak, Henry); Cambria Heights 2 (L. Karlheim, J. Karlheim).

Records: Penns Manor (14-1 overall, 10-0 in the Heritage Conference); Cambria Heights (7-7, 5-5).

Officials: Andy Lubert, Chris Walter, Alan Robinson.

JV: Penns Manor, 28-26. High scorers–Taylor Rapach, PM, 12; Makenna Ryan, Cambria Heights, 13.