BUFFALO TWP — Freeport wouldn't back down. Knoch kept plugging away.

The result was 18 lead changes, 10 ties, two overtimes and a hopeful halfcourt heave.

When the desperation shot glanced off the rim, Knoch could finally breathe a sigh of relief on Friday night after a thrilling 64-63 Section 1-AAA boys basketball victory over the Yellowjackets in front of a raucous crowd at Freeport High School.

“You couldn't have asked for a better high school basketball game on a Friday night,” said Freeport coach Mike Beale.

Marc Vaughan scored all 15 of his points in the second half — including eight in the extra periods — and knocked down two decisive free throws to give the Knights a one-point edge with 13 seconds remaining in double overtime.

Freeport rushed up the court, but the ball squirted loose, Vaughan came away with the steal and was fouled with four seconds left. He missed both foul shots, though, and Brendan Lynch — who tallied a game-high 31 points — corralled the rebound and barely misfired from just beyond half-court.

The teams were never separated by more than five points and the hard-fought triumph provides Knoch (9-5, 4-3) with a two-game lead and the tiebreaker over Freeport (5-7, 2-5) for the section's final playoff spot.

“It definitely shows we've got something,” said Vaughan, a senior forward. “We can pull it out if we play a tough team.”

“I told our guys they get a lot of credit,” said Knoch coach Ron McNabb. “They have not been in an overtime game yet and they handled the pressure. We were only 12-of-26 from the free-throw line, which is a very big concern, but they made them when they counted.

“You couldn't relax,” McNabb added. “Coach Beale does a great job ... and that dang Brendan Lynch. I mean, even that last shot, I was scared to death he was going to make that.”

He had every right to be.

Lynch forced the first overtime on two clutch free throws with seven seconds left in regulation, before Robbie Miller tied Knoch with 11 seconds remaining in overtime on a driving lay-up.

The Knights tried to end it there, but a shot from Chris Kier didn't fall and the Yellowjackets took possession underneath Knoch's hoop with two seconds to go.

However, it turned into an improbable opportunity for the Knights.

Dakota Bruggeman deflected the inbound pass, gained control and banked in a potential game-winning shot, but it came a moment too late and the game proceeded to double overtime.

Two free throws from Lynch and a hoop from Zane Geist gave Freeport a 61-57 cushion with two minutes left in the second extra period. But Knoch's David Gallagher — who tallied a team-high 19 points — immediately answered with a 3-pointer and later added another basket to put Vaughan in position for the game-winning free throws.

“I thought Gallagher's shot at the end there, when we were up four, obviously swung the momentum their way,” Beale noted.

“I just take what comes to me,” said Gallagher, a junior guard. “Any opportunity I have to shoot it, I'll shoot it and hope for the best.”

Although the Knights earned the win, Freeport showed it's a much-improved team since a 61-42 loss at Knoch on Dec. 13.

“We played them at Knoch and it wasn't even a ballgame,” Beale admitted. “It's late January and I know it's taken us a while to really jell, but I think tonight showed how much we've really come together.”

Miller finished with 15 points for Freeport, while Josh Beale chipped in six points and a team-high six rebounds.

Lynch shot 9-of-20 from the floor, converted 10-of-14 free-throw attempts and hit three treys on the way to 31 points.

Coach Beale simply smiled and shook his head when asked about the performance from his 5-foot-8 senior guard.

“Brendan is Brendan. He just never quits,” said Beale. “He leaves every ounce of energy on this court. I don't know how he walks off because he works so hard defensively, just as much as offensively.

“He's a role model to our program,” the Freeport coach added. “It was great that all these little kids (who played during halftime) were here to see him because that's the type of people we want leading our team.”

Vaughan led the Knights with 10 rebounds, while Bruggeman recorded 10 points, nine boards and blocked two shots. Kier dished out a game-high seven assists.

Gallagher was 7-for-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point range.

“It was a big win, especially for the tiebreaker later on,” Gallagher said. “It was a tough one on the road, especially in this atmosphere.”

With the entire gymnasium buzzing and student sections exchanging hostile chants, Vaughan cherished the experience and never doubted his team despite Freeport's resilience.

“As the game went on, it became more fun,” Vaughan explained. “The crowd is yelling and it's the time of our lives playing basketball.

“It was a fun game and we knew we could pull it out.”

KNOCH 64

Austin Miller 2-11 0-0 5, David Gallagher 7-11 2-4 19, Dakota Bruggeman 4-8 2-6 10, Marc Vaughan 4-9 7-12 15, Chris Kier 2-6 0-2 4, Matt Zanella 4-5 1-2 9, Ben Pfieffer 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 24-52 12-26 64.

FREEPORT 63

Brendan Lynch 9-20 10-14 31, Robbie Miller 4-17 6-8 15, Tony DeVivo 1-2 0-0 2, Zane Geist 2-5 0-0 5, Josh Beale 3-4 0-0 6, Fred Pastoria 0-2 0-1 0, Ethan McCormick 0-0 0-0 0, Seth Bowser 2-2 0-1 4. Totals: 21-51 16-24 63.

Knoch 14 20 7 9 7 7—64

Freeport12 21 8 9 7 6—63

3-point goals: Knoch 4-12 (Gallagher 3-5, Miller 1-5, Kier 0-1, Pfieffer 0-1); Freeport 5-16 (Lynch 3-9, Miller 1-5, Geist 1-2).

JV: Knoch 34, Freeport 32

Tuesday: Knoch at Kittanning; Valley at Freeport