JEFFERSON TWP — Mars senior basketball players Charlie Jaicks, Robbie Herold and Tim Frye didn't want their final game to come in the regular season.

But they sure made the most of the situation.

The three players combined to score 75 points in an 81-64 season-ending win at Knoch's Senior Recognition Night Friday.

The Planets (14-9, 6-6) would have made the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs had Deer Lakes defeated Valley, but the Lancers (2-10) lost 72-47.

"We knew coming in that if both we and Deer Lakes won, we'd be in," said Frye. "But with it being Deer Lakes, we couldn't expect much to come from that.

"I came into this game believing it was my last," he added.

And Frye's final game in a Planets' uniform yielded a game-high 29 points.

But Jaicks and Herold were not far behind.

Jaicks' 27 points included 13 in the second quarter alone.

Herold's season-high of 19 points began with him scoring eight points in the first period.

Frye added nine points in that first quarter, after which Mars led 21-13.

"Coming out fast is the way you want to start any game on the road," said Herold. "It feels great to contribute to a win like this."

The Planets succeeded in grabbing the momentum early during an emotional night in Knoch's gymnasium.

Besides the senior night festivities, it also was the final home game for longtime coach Les Shoop, who will guide the Knights in the upcoming playoffs.

"It was a big night for Knoch," said Jaicks. "And the last time we played them, they beat us on a goaltending call (53-51 on Jan. 13). So this was a big win for us."

It wasn't just the fact that Mars' three seniors scored so many points, it was the way they worked together for the win.

Mars led 42-32 seconds before halftime when Jaicks came up with a steal near mid-court and passed the ball to Herold, who drained a 3-pointer just as the buzzer sounded for a 45-32 lead at the break.

The Planets entered the final period with a 57-45 edge.

Jaicks and Herold combined to go a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line in the final quarter, keeping Knoch at a safe distance.

"It took the guys a while to figure it out, but playing together is the best way to get it done," said Mars coach Rob Carmody. "And we played together so well tonight."

"They shot the ball very well," said Shoop of Mars' 26-of-48 (54 percent) performance from the field. "But we didn't play well defensively. It was like a game of Horse out there. We kept giving them open shots and they kept making them."

The Knights (15-7, 7-5) also received great senior efforts from Jordan Shoop and Scott Muska, who scored 24 and 20 points, respectively.

It was minutes after the game ended that Carmody and his team learned of Valley's triumph over Deer Lakes.

The Planets can blame their absence from the playoffs on a three-section-game losing streak in late January that brought defeats against Valley, Highlands and Hampton.

"It's a shame because if we're just hitting our peak right now, maybe we could make a run in the playoffs," Carmody said. "But if you want to go to the prom with the prettiest girl in school and you wait until the last day to ask her, she's probably not going with you."

Notes:

Other Knoch seniors recognized were Bill Elliott, Logan Baker, Takanori Koroki, Joel Berger and Paul Hancheck.

MARS 81Charlie Jaicks 7 11-13 27, Robbie Herold 6 6-6 19, Tim Frye 10 7-13 29, Vinny Smith 3 0-0 6, Bryan Humphreys 0 0-0 0, Dan Colbert 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 24-32 81.

KNOCH 64Scott Muska 7 4-5 20, Jordan Shoop 10 3-4 24, Bill Elliott 2 2-5 6, Rob Briggs 5 4-7 14, Paul Hancheck 0 0-0 0, Joel Berger 0 0-0 0, D'Ante Natili 0 0-0 0, Alex Whisler 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 13-21 64.

3-point goals: Muska 2, Shoop; Jaicks 2, Frye 2, Herold.

JV: Knoch 51-42