ADAMS TWP — The way Mars boys basketball coach Rob Carmody sees it, just about everything Highlands guard Micah Mason throws up tends to go into the basket.

So when Mason, the WPIAL's leading scorer, heaved a last-second shot from just past midcourt and it hit the rim and bounced away, Carmody was a little surprised — and very relieved.

In a battle of Section 1-AAA unbeatens, the Planets survived for a 74-72 overtime victory.

Mason, who is averaging 33 points per game, finished with 42.

“When Micah released the ball, I thought ‘That's in,'” Carmody said.

The game had several ups and downs, as Mars (10-1, 5-0) opened with a 17-4 lead and built it to 16 points, the last time at 29-13 with 6:24 before halftime.

Christian Locher, who finished with 26 points for Mars, and Owen Nearhoof had eight points apiece, and Mitch Buzard had six in that span as the Planets hit 10 of their first 12 shots from the floor.

However, Highlands used an 11-2 run before two free throws by Brad Weischedel and Locher pushed the Planets lead to 35-24 with 1:54 before the break.

Highlands (6-6, 4-1) scored the next 15 points — 13 by Mason — to take a 39-35 lead with 3:56 left in the third quarter.

“We just turned up the pressure a little bit,” Rams coach Shawn Bennis said. “When you get down, you turn up the heat.”

A 3-pointer by Nearhoof and a layup by Buzard gave the Planets a one-point lead.

Mason and Weischedel exchanged 3-pointers, but when Locher followed with a basket, Mars held a 45-42 lead with 1:07 left in the frame.

Mars built its lead to eight points with 2:18 to play before Mason and Andrae Boone scored on consecutive possessions to cut the deficit in half.

Buzard and Garrett Ashbaugh each missed the front end of one-and-ones and Locher sank one of two free throws to make it a five-point advantage.

After the teams swapped a pair of free throws, Mars still enjoyed a 65-60 lead with 47 seconds to play.

Mason, however, scored less than five seconds later, then buried a deep 3-pointer with 18 seconds to play to tie the score at 65.

The Planets tried to bring the ball upcourt, but Glenn Saunders stole it, dribbled twice then put in a layup to give the Rams the lead with 8.1 seconds left.

Buzard, though, was fouled and calmly sank both free throws to tie the game with 2.5 seconds left in regulation.

Both teams suffered turnovers, which sent the game into overtime.

Mason opened the extra period with a basket before Buzard answered with two free throws and a layup for a 71-69 Mars lead.

Mason netted a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to give Highlands the one-point lead, but Locher's layup with 11 seconds left gave Mars the lead for good.

A foul by Highlands on the offensive side sent Ashbaugh to the free-throw line. He made the first shot, but missed the second, which set up Mason's near heroics.

“The one thing we've struggled with all season is defense,” said Bennis, whose team averages 78.1 points per game, but surrenders 71.7.

Carmody knows that this win was huge, but it's still just one piece of the puzzle.

“This is really just game 5 of the season,” he said.

Buzard tallied 18 points, Nearhoof 16 and Weischedel nine for Mars.

HIGHLANDS 72Seth Goheen 1 2-2 4, Andrae Boone 4 0-0 8, Micah Mason 17 3-4 42, Tre Duncan 2 1-2 5, Nate Ehrlich 0 0-0 0, Glenn Saunders 1 0-0 2, Kaisaun McMillan 5 0-0 11, Aqelay Frison 0 0-0 0, Terrell Leonard 0 0-0 0, Nathan Virag 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 30 6-8 72.

MARS 74Brad Weischedel 2 4-4 9, Christian Locher 11 3-4 26, Jake Lee 2 0-0 4, Mitch Buzard 6 4-5 18, Garrett Ashbaugh 0 1-3 1, Owen Nearhoof 6 1-1 16, Ben Erdahl 0 0-0 0, Andrew Moraca 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 27 13-17 74.

Highlands 10 19 15 23 5—72Mars 24 11 13 19 7—743-point goals: Highlands 6 (Mason 5, McMillan); Mars 7 (Nearhoof 3, Buzard 2, Weischedel, Locher).

Friday: Mars at Kittanning