JEFFERSON TWP - The Knoch boys basketball team got a hard lesson in Murphy's Law 101 Friday.

Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong.

Rebounds fell into the wrong hands, shots rimmed out, free throws missed the mark.

But it wasn't always like that for the Knights against Hampton. Knoch held double-digit leads three times and the Knights were poised to close out the game and stay unbeaten in the section on each of those occasions.

They couldn't do it as things went terribly awry.

When Knoch point guard Jordan Shoop stumbled and slid on the floor as the final second ticked off the clock, the Knights were stuck with a 63-61 double overtime loss against Hampton.

Not a good way to head into the weekend, to be sure.

"It happens," said Knoch center Ryan Hollihan. "It hurts to lose. It hurts the team to lose. I know I hate losing. But it happens."

Losing was the last thing on the Knights' minds as early as the second quarter, when they took a 19-9 lead.

Losing wasn't even in the realm of thought when Knoch (13-4, 7-1) built a 38-28 advantage in the third quarter and cultivated it to a 14-point bulge with less than two minutes remaining in the period.

But Hampton, relentless on defense and in attack mode on offense, chipped away at that 14-point deficit and tied the game at 52 with a minute remaining in regulation to send the game into its first overtime period.

Knoch led by three in the first overtime, but Hampton's Brian Dandrea hit a 3-pointer with 45 seconds remaining and the Knights couldn't answer, leading another four-minute period.

"We missed opportunities," said Knoch coach Les Shoop. "When we had a 14-point lead, we could have taken it to 20 and then they don't have a chance to come back."

Poor foul shooting and rebounding sabotaged Knoch's chances to keep the lead big and comfortable and to ice the game in the first overtime.

The Knights were just 7-of-17 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and the two overtime periods. With a three-point lead in the first overtime, the Knights missed the front end of two one-and-one situations.

The Talbots (12-6, 7-2) also had numerous second- and third-chance opportunities in the fourth quarter and overtime.

"We have no one to blame but ourselves," Shoop said. "We didn't make foul shots and we didn't rebound."

Ryan Ziacik was his usual deadly self from behind the arc, hitting five 3-pointers for a team-high 17 points.

But Hampton neutralized him and the 6-foot-7 Hollihan late in regulation and in OT.

Hollihan didn't attempt a shot in the fourth quarter and Ziacik didn't jack one up from beyond the arc after the third period.

"We ran some special plays for (Ziacik)," Shoop said. "(Hampton) played well on defense."

Each time the Talbots fell behind, they started pressuring Knoch. That led to turnovers and a distinct shift of momentum.

Hampton also started attacking the basket, especially with Bob Bartley, who finished with 18 points.

In overtime, Bartley ran isolation plays designed to get him one-on-one with a defender as the rest of the team gathered on the wings.

"We had trouble with their penetration," Shoop said. "You have to give them credit for being able to come back the way they did."

Hollihan finished with 13 points and 15 rebounds, and Jordan Shoop also had 13 points for Knoch.

Even with the tough loss, the Knights remain in first place in the section - and still have a rather large target on their backs.

"Being in first place has its price," Hollihan said. "Everyone wants to beat you."

That was the message Shoop sent to his team in a quiet post-game locker room: the Knights are still atop the standings.

"I told them, 'As far as I know, we're still in first place in the section.'" Shoop said. "We still only have one loss and we're one game ahead. You're not going to win every time."

HAMPTON 63

Joe Cangilla 0-0 0-0 0, Brian Dandrea 5-15 2-2 13, John Ward 5-13 1-2 15, Asa Braxton 0-0 0-0 0, Bob Bartley 7-12 4-4 18, Steve Paskorz 2-7 0-1 4, Mike Bittner 4-11 2-2 10, Zach Ingoldsby 1-9 1-3 3. Totals: 24-67 10-14 63

KNOCH 61

Scott Muska 3-4 1-2 9, Jordan Shoop 5-14 1-5 13, Ryan Ziacik 6-10 0-0 17, Bill Elliott 0-0 0-0 0, Eric Czech 3-11 3-5 9, Ryan Hollihan 4-12 5-8 13. Totals: 21-51 10-20 61

3-point goals:

Dandrea, Ward 4, Shoop 2, Ziacik 5, Muska 2

JV:

Knoch 50-41

Tuesday:

Knoch @ Deer Lakes

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