MT. LEBANON — Knoch had an answer every time Elizabeth Forward was on the verge of pulling away.

Except the last time.

Trailing by just two points with one minute, 25 seconds to go, the Knights were on the short end of a 10-3 run to close the game as Elizabeth Forward escaped with a 51-42 WPIAL Class 4A first round girls basketball playoff win at Mt. Lebanon High School Monday night.

“We just didn't make enough shots,” said Knoch coach Chris Andreassi. “I thought we out-played them in the third (won by the Warriors, 14-13). If we make a few more shots there, things could've turned out differently.”

Elizabeth Forward's final spurt began with Haylee Briggs' trey that pushed the Warrior edge to 44-39 with 1:20 left.

Senior forward Brianna Spirnak, who led all scorers with 21 points, helped ice the game from the free throw line in the final minute.

The result allowed Warriors' coach Krystal Gibbs a big sigh of relief. She watched her team look dominant at times — like the 8-0 run the Warriors (16-7) used to open the game — but also saw the Knights come back time and time again.

When Knoch's Skylar Burkett drained a 3-pointer in the opening minute of the second half, the Knights had their first and only lead of the game at 22-21.

“We usually shoot lights out, but tonight there were times when we couldn't make a shot,” said Gibbs, whose team made 34 percent (17 of 50) of its attempts from the field. “I wouldn't say we played well, but we didn't crack. I think our maturity had a lot to do with that.”

Spirnak entered the game averaging 19 points per game, but also nursing an ankle injury.

“It starts with her and we knew we had to control her,” said Andreassi. “She started the game off well with a few baskets at the start, but we adjusted. A lot of her points came at the free throw line at the end.”

The Knights (9-14) held Spirnak scoreless in the second quarter, but still trailed 21-11 with a minute left before the half. Navaeh Ewing and Burkett both hit a trey and Abbey Shearer sank a bucket shortly before the buzzer to pull the Knights to within 21-19.

“We were super-confident entering the second half,” said Andreassi.

Burkett paced the Knights with 16 points.

“We knew what they had and knew that we had to keep bringing the energy the entire game,” she said.

The Knights did that and their loss was not due to lack of effort, but lack of execution.

Andreassi can live with that.

“If nothing else, this experience of playing in the playoffs, the experience of a big game, we're going to reap the rewards from that,” the coach said. “All five of our starters are back next year and that says a lot.”

“Playing like we did tonight, it gives us confidence that we can get back here and win next year,” said Burkett.

Ewing added 13 points for Knoch.

KNOCH 42

Madilyn Boyer 2 0-1 4, Skylar Burkett 6 0-0 16, Lauren Cihonski 2 1-2 5, Nevaeh Ewing 5 0-0 13, Jaylee Lassinger 1 0-0 2, Abbey Shearer 1 0-0 2, Terann McElravy 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 1-3 42.

ELIZABETH FORWARD 51

Haven Briggs 1 0-0 3, Brianna Spirnak 6 9-11 21, Abigail Bickerton 1 0-0 2, Anna Resnik 2 0-0 5, Haylee Briggs 1 0-0 3, Juria Flournoy 1 2-2 4, Seneca Thompson 0 1-2 1, Bailie Brinson 6 0-3 12, Julia Jenkins 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 12-18 51.

Knoch 5 14 13 10 — 42

Elizabeth Forward12 9 14 16 — 51

3-point goals: Knoch 7 (Burkett 4, Ewing 3); Elizabeth Forward 3 (Haven Briggs, Haylee Briggs, Resnik).