SLIPPERY ROCK - If it could go wrong in the first half, it did: 1 of 6 from the foul line, 13 turnovers, 0 of 7 from the 3-point line.

Couple those figures with a Franklin team operating on all cylinders and the result was inevitable.

The Knoch boys basketball team fell behind 45-17 by halftime and ended its season with a 76-47 loss to Franklin in a first-round PIAA Class AAA tournament game Friday night at Slippery Rock University's Morrow Field House.

"I don't think we can play any better than we did tonight," Franklin coach Steve Shingledecker said.

And the Knights (18-7) couldn't have played much worse.

Knoch took a 4-2 lead just over a minute into the game on a pair of Ryan Hollihan buckets, but Franklin (25-1) scored 24 of the game's next 26 points to take a 26-6 advantage with 7:32 left in the first half.

All 11 buckets during the run were layups, two off offensive rebounds, three in transition following steals, six by simply penetrating inside.

"We played no defense tonight," Knoch coach Les Shoop said. "Absolutely none."

The 76 points marked the most Knoch surrendered to an opponent all season. The Knights allowed 70 points only one other time - during a 75-71 win Dec. 28 over Freeport.

"We saw film on Knoch and they play a tough man-to-man defense," Shingledecker said. "We worked all week on spreading the floor and getting good dribble penetration.

"The kids executed it really well, we were able to jump up big on them and that was it."

Knoch fell behind by as many as 35 points with 30 seconds left in the third quarter. The Knights' only other double-digit loss this season was a 10-point decision at two-time WPIAL champion Moon.

"It's disappointing to see it end this way," Shoop said. "Tonight, Franklin was far and away better than us in every phase of the game."

Five Franklin players scored in double figures. Jude Urda led the way with 23 points, including three 3-pointers. Guiseppe Barone added 14, Jake Hasson had 12, and Nate Byham and Bryan Crawford had 10 each. Crawford's production came off the bench.

Knoch didn't sink a 3-point field goal all night. The Knights made only 3 of 15 free throws and had 19 turnovers.

"We were 8 of 11 inside, 0 of 7 from outside the arc (in the first half)," Shoop said. "The foul shooting, the turnovers - we did everything you can't afford to do in a playoff game."

Jordan Shoop had 20 points for Knoch while Hollihan had 13 points and nine rebounds.

"I know we didn't see Knoch's best game," Shingledecker said. "But in a one-game, single-elimination situation, this kind of stuff can happen."

Byham had seven of 30 Franklin rebounds and the winners turned the ball over only three times in the first half.

Franklin sank 25 of 40 shots from the floor for 62 percent in the first three quarters before emptying its bench in the fourth period.

The victory was Franklin's 21st in a row.

"They're a first-class program and they took it to us," Shoop said. "I hope they go all the way."

Knoch loses three senior starters in Hollihan, Eric Czech and Ryan Ziacik, but return point guard Shoop and fellow starter Scott Muska.

Bill Elliott saw ample playing time this year and Rob Briggs, a freshman, got a few varsity minutes. The Knights' junior varsity team was 18-2 this year.

"We'll be back," Shoop said. "This loss is going to bother me all off-season and I'm hoping it bothers the kids a lot more, because I can't go out there and play."

KNOCH 47

Scott Muska 2-8 0-0 4, Jordan Shoop 10-16 0-0 20, Ryan Ziacik 0-4 0-0 0, Paul Hancheck 0-0 0-0 0, Tim Hickey 0-0 0-0 0, Curtis Compton 0-0 0-0 0, Bill Elliott 1-4 1-1 3, Rob Briggs 1-4 1-4 3, Alex Whisler 0-1 0-0 0, Eric Czech 2-4 0-0 4, Ryan Hollihan 6-9 1-6 13. Totals: 22-50 3-15 47

FRANKLIN 76

Nate Byham 5-11 0-1 10, Jude Urda 8-11 4-4 23, Guiseppe Barone 6-8 0-0 14, Jake Hasson 4-8 4-6 12, Patrick Kahle 1-1 2-2 4, Bill Klinger 0-2 1-2 1, Mark Shouey 0-3 0-0 0, Matt Reitz 0-1 0-0 0, Bryan Crawford 5-7 0-0 10, Cody Monarch 0-0 0-0 0, Dusty McElhattan 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 30-54 11-15 76

3-point goals:

Urda 3, Barone 2