JEFFERSON TWP — The “circle” play wasn't working. So Knoch improvised.

And Devin Campbell produced.

The junior guard drained a trey from the right corner with 3.4 seconds remaining in overtime Friday night, handing Knoch a 41-38 Section 1-AAA boys basketball victory over Burrell.

The win clinched a WPIAL playoff berth for the Knights (11-6, 8-4).

“We had the circle play on, an inside play designed to get the ball to the basket,” Campbell said. “Only it wasn't working and we were running out of time.

“I didn't think I'd even get a chance for a shot there. I could hear our coach behind me trying to call a timeout. Then Aiden (Albert) penetrated, saw me and got me the ball.”

Burrell (8-11, 5-7) had a 15-10 lead late in the first quarter. From the second quarter through overtime, neither team ever led by more than four.

A Lucas Cable free throw with 45.6 seconds left in regulation capped a 7-0 Burrell run and gave the Bucs a 34-30 lead. P.J. Gourley stuck back an offensive rebound for Knoch with 35 seconds left before Max Garda sank one of two free throws with 32.8 to play.

Campbell attempted a game-tying trey from the right corner and missed. Mac Christy snared the rebound and found Austin Hannes alone at the top of the key.

Hannes drilled the 3-pointer to knot the game with 23 seconds to go. Burrell could not get off an open shot during its final possession and the game headed into overtime.

“When I saw our two guards head toward the basket to go for the rebound, I knew (Hannes) was left wide open,” Burrell coach Shawn Bennis said. “We didn't get the rebound and they hit the shot.

“We missed too many free throws and layups down the stretch. We hit something like 12 of our last 21 free throws ... That's not good enough in a game like this.”

Hannes hit another trey to give Knoch an early lead in overtime. He had missed six straight shots before sinking those two treys.

“You just forget about those misses. They never existed,” Hannes said. “You always believe the next one's going in.”

Brendan Lettrich canned a lay-up and Cody Legters a free throw to pull Burrell even with 1:04 left in overtime. After Campbell's go-ahead trey, Garda got off a shot from just inside half-court at the buzzer. The ball bounced off the front of the rim and Knoch's students stormed the court in jubilation.

“I was impressed with how calm and collected our guys were during that last (overtime possession),” Knoch coach Ron McNabb said. “There was never a sense of panic out there. They just executed.”

No one scored in double figures for Knoch. Hannes and Campbell scored nine points each on three treys each. Hannes added five assists.

Christy had eight points and seven rebounds, Gourley seven rebounds and Albert five rebounds and three assists.

“Mac and P.J. asserted themselves on the boards in the second half,” McNabb said. “We talked about that at halftime.”

Burrell had a 17-14 lead at intermission. Both teams managed only two points in the second quarter. Knoch attempted only one free throw all night. Burrell made five field goals in the first quarter — then five more the rest of the game.

“We wouldn't have it any other way,” Hannes said of the low-scoring win. “Our coach preaches defense first and let the offense come from that.”

Lettrich had 16 points and five rebounds for Burrell. Garda contributed seven points, three steals and three assists.

Despite the low score, neither team turned the ball over 10 times nor held the ball for extended periods.

“We are two of maybe three teams in our section willing to play a game like this,” Bennis said. “Neither one of us forces the action or makes mistakes.

“In this type of game, execution is the difference. They executed when they had to late. At the end of regulation and overtime ... Those were huge shots.”

BURRELL 38

Nick Kotecki 2-5 2-2 6, Lucas Cable 0-0 3-5 3, Cody Legters 1-4 3-4 6, Max Garda 2-8 3-4 7, Brendan Lettrich 5-11 6-11 16, Jack Ryan 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Artman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 10-28 17-26 38.

KNOCH 41

Aiden Albert 1-6 0-0 2, Mac Christy 4-9 0-0 8, Josh Knochel 1-1 0-0 3, Austin Hannes 3-11 0-0 9, Jackson McKee 2-5 0-0 4, P.J. Gourley 3-4 0-1 6, Devin Campbell 3-9 0-0 9 . Totals: 17-44 0-1 41.

Burrell 15 2 8 10 3 — 38

Knoch12 2 10 11 6 — 41

3-point goals: Legters; Knochel, Hannes 3, Campbell 3

JV: Knoch, 43-38 (B: Donovan Russell 17, K: Julian Sanks 18, Jesse Fesel 12

Saturday: Knoch at Slippery Rock