JEFFERSON TWP — Force one of the WPIAL's top scorers to the bench with foul trouble and you like your chances.

Not with Knoch's fortunes these days.

Despite holding Deer Lakes senior forward Ryan Stanko to 11 points, the Knights suffered a 58-51 boys basketball loss Saturday night — their eighth straight defeat.

Stanko averages 26 points per game, but fouled out with 4:22 remaining and the Lancers (9-4, 3-4) holding a precarious 39-35 lead.

"I was suprised how efficiently their offense ran without him," Knoch coach Chris Andreassi said.

Stanko scored 35 points in the Lancers' 70-64 win over Highlands on Friday night.

Three other Deer Lakes players scored in double figures Saturday. The Lancers' key player down the stretch was senior guard Mike Whitico, who scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the final quarter.

Whitico sank 10 of 11 free throws in the fourth quarter.

"We fouled the wrong guy," Andreassi said. "We should have been fouling somebody else."

Whitico is the best free throw shooter for Deer Lakes, which managed to hold on to the final playoff position in Section 1-AAA with the win.

Right after Stanko fouled out, Whitico scored nine of his team's next 10 points, including two layups, five free throws and a three-point play.

That burst gave the visitors a 49-41 lead with 2:17 to play. The Knights didn't threaten again.

"We're far from a one-man team," Lancers coach Kevin Cochran said. "We talk to Ryan about playing smart and under control because teams are going to bring four guys at him to try to get him in foul trouble.

"But our other guys can score, too. We distributed the ball well today and Mike is deadly at the line."

The game was tied six times in the first 10 minutes, the last time at 14 as Knoch's Adam Seger drained a trey with 6:50 left in the first half.

Zach Reichard stuck back an offensive rebound with 6:30 left in the half and Deer Lakes had the lead it never lost. The Lancers' biggest lead was 55-43 with 58 seconds left in the contest.

Deer Lakes took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Knoch (6-9, 1-5) scored only 27 points in the first three quarters before erupting in the fourth. Seger scored 11 of his team-leading 14 points in the final period.

Andrew Wirtz added 13 points for the Knights, including three treys. Nathan Junk had six of his team's 24 rebounds and Jake McTighe had nine points and five boards despite seeing limited action because of foul trouble.

"It hurt not having Jake on the floor because I felt we could do damage against them inside," Andreassi said.

Reichard had 14 points and eight of Deer Lakes' 33 rebounds. Zac Capan contribbuted 12 points and six boards to the Lancers' cause.

Knoch lost despite committing only seven turnovers. Deer Lakes had 13.

"Winning here is big for us," Cochran said. "We've got a chance to get on a roll in section play now. If we can put three or four good games together, we'll solidify our position."

Andreassi isn't thinking about the playoffs right now.

"We need a win ... period," he said.

DEER LAKES 58Zac Capan 5-5 1-2 12, Jordan Fragapane 0-0 0-0 0, Mike Whitico 3-5 13-15 19, Troy Szwaczkowski 0-2 0-2 0, Zach Reichard 5-16 4-4 14, Ryan Stanko 4-7 2-3 11, Ethan Albinger 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 17-35 22-28 58.

KNOCH 51Corey Miller 3-4 0-0 6, Kevin Wood 0-5 0-0 0, Andrew Wirtz 5-15 0-3 13, Chris Cetnar 1-3 1-2 3, Adam Seger 4-9 4-4 14, Jake McTighe 4-9 1-1 9, Robert Zanella 1-2 0-1 2, Nathan Junk 2-7 0-0 4.

Totals: 20-54 6-11 51.

Deer Lakes 11 16 10 21—58Knoch 11 10 6 24—513-point goals: Deer Lakes 2 (Capan, Stanko); Knoch 5 (Wirtz 3, Seger 2).

Tuesday: Knoch at Kittanning