A little over a month ago, Fryeburg Academy scored just 14 points in a crushing home loss to Deering.

Monday afternoon, the Raiders got a large measure of revenge.

Fourth-ranked Fryeburg held the fifth-ranked Rams to just nine points in the second half and pulled away for a 43-27 victory in the Class A South quarterfinals at the Portland Expo.

The Raiders (10-9) led by just six at the half but held Deering (9-10) to just two baskets in the final two quarters.

“I’m really proud of my team,” said Fryeburg senior Mina Milosevic, who led the Raiders with 19 points and 18 rebounds. “We worked really hard. We prepared for this game the last two weeks. We practiced really hard every day for two hours. And we’re not going to stop here.”

Fryeburg will play the winner of the Westbrook/Mt. Ararat game in the regional semifinals at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, at the Expo.

Fryeburg Coach Kristen Stacy had no doubt that the 35-14 regular-season loss to Deering was the turning point for the Raiders. It came in the midst of a six-game losing skid that had the Raiders questioning themselves.

“We went through a portion of time where we weren’t playing our game because things were happening off the court that impacted what happened on the court,” said Stacy. “Once we sort of found the root of the root and spent some time together and did some soul-searching, it brought us back together.”

After that loss, Stacy said she knew “things had to change.”

So she sat some of her best players and slowly the team molded back into a team. Fryeburg would lose four more games before finishing the season with a big win over Gray-New Gloucester.

“I know we have talented players,” she said. “But you can’t be talented and not work hard. Not if you want to win.”

Deering had early control, a quick 5-0 lead on a drive and 3-pointer by Angie Keo, who led the Rams with 16 points. Deering would tie it at 11 just 15 seconds into the second, but Fryeburg took a 24-18 lead at the half after Sydney Shaw hit a 3-pointer from well beyond the NBA line.

Then Deering went stone cold in the second half, its only baskets coming on consecutive possessions by Keo, a 3-pointer and a drive that made it 28-23 late in the third. But Fryeburg’s Marta Bajic made steals on consecutive Deering positions, each leading to a Raiders score (by Shaw and Milocevic) and they were back in control.

“Her defense is impeccable,” said Stacy, of Bajic.

And in the end, Fryeburg’s defense was too much for Deering. “That team they played earlier,” said Stacy. “That wasn’t us.”

And Deering Coach Mike Murphy knew that. He said that Milocevic, Bajic and Shaw were as strong and as good as any players he’d seen this year.

“In that third quarter, there was a 6-minute lull where we had good shots and the ball just wouldn’t drop,” he said. “And that was the separation.”

The game was the last of Murphy’s 33-year coaching career, the last 16 at Deering.

“I’m pleased with the move down to Class A for the kids and the school,” he said. “Hopefully the numbers help with kids going out for basketball or going to Deering.”

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