JEFFERSON TWP — The Knoch boys basketball team had five players score in double digits and shot 59 percent from the floor — but still lost.

Welcome to WPIAL Section 1, Class AAA — where anything is possible.

"This one is going to smart for a while," said Knoch coach Chris Andreassi.

The Knights did not go to the free throw line in the game — all of their points came on 27 field goals.

Valley committed just five fouls.

Yet Knoch was in control for most of the night against section rival Valley, holding an 11-point lead in the third quarter.

But that's when things went horribly awry in a 63-60 home loss Friday night.

Valley duo Mike Trenski and BrianRayburg got scorching hot from the floor in the final 12 minutes.

Trenski scored nine of his 18 points during that span and Rayburg hit three consecutive 3-pointers to wrest away in a snap the momentum Knoch had built.

"They were all contested shots. It's not like we were giving them gimmies," Andreassi said.

Valley had runs of 13-0 and 15-2 in the second half. Knoch recovered from the first one to lead by seven in the initial minute of the fourth quarter, but it could not survive the second Valley run.

Yet in the waning seconds, Knoch still had a chance to tie, but Rob Briggs' desperation 3-point attempt clanked off the top of the backboard and the Vikings (10-5, 3-2) survived another cutthroat section battle.

Briggs ended the night with 18 points and 11 rebounds. He became the fifth player in school history to surpass 1,000 career points last week against New Castle.

The final minute was good for some serious hand wringing for Valley coach Vern Benson.

"Those last 16 seconds seemed like six minutes," the coach said.

The first half must have seemed like a year for Benson, who stomped his feet and shook his head in disgust.

Valley scored only 24 points in the first half and trailed by nine at the break.

But the Vikings shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half.

No one was deadlier than Rayburg, who overcame a first-half benching to show off his marksmanship.

"(Rayburg) can shoot," Benson said. "But he wasn't doing anything in the first half. If you're not going to score for us, not going to play defense or rebound, we don't need you in there.He shot the ball very well in the fourth quarter."

Rayburg did more than that. He might have sent the Knights into must-win mode.

It doesn't get much easier for the Knights in a section that is as brutal as they come.

At 6-7 overall and 2-3 in the league, Knoch sits in sixth place, just one spot ahead of winless Kittanning.

Mars, which is also 2-3 in section play, is next on the schedule on Tuesday.

"These guys have a really good perspective on things," Andreassi said. "They are hurting and there's nothing I can say right now to make that stop. They'll come back ready to go and go after it."

VALLEY 63Geoffrey Fuquay 2-5 0-0 6, Mike Trenski 7-16 2-2 18, Troy Hill 8-15 1-2 17, Brian Rayburg 4-8 0-0 12, Tyrese Collins 3-7 2-4 8, Joe Mandak 1-4 0-0 2. Totals: 25-55 5-10 63

KNOCH 60Michael Gallagher 5-10 0-0 11, Kyle Reiser 4-6 0-0 10, Jake McTighe 5-6 0-0 11, Rob Briggs 9-18 0-0 18, Andrew Wirtz 4-5 0-0 10, Josh Lio 0-0 0-0 0, Preston Saxton 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 27-46 0-0 60

Valley 11 13 20 19—63Knoch 11 22 16 11—603-point goals: Fuquay, Trenski 2, Rayburg 4; Gallagher, Reiser 2, McTighe, Wirtz 2

JV: Knoch 53-48 (3 OT)

Tuesday: Knoch at Mars