Four minutes of misery became eight minutes of suffering.
That feeling eventually transformed into 12 minutes of pain.
The North Catholic boys basketball team was left red-faced but absorbed the shock that came with three overtimes to vanquish Knoch, 77-69, during the second round of the PIAA Class 4A playoffs Tuesday night at Plum High School.
Even in victory, Trojans coach Jim Rocco expects his agony to last well through the night.
“My sleep score tonight is going to be about 15 out of 100,” Rocco said. “After we beat Sharon, it was 25.”
In what was most assuredly the last meeting between the two Section 1 rivals, the Trojans (21-6) had the last laugh in a series that swung between both sides.
Knoch and North Catholic shared the section title after splitting in the regular season. The Knights embarrassed the Trojans with a 24-point win in the WPIAL semifinals on their way to a first district championship.
The Trojans will play Carver Engineering and Science, the fifth-place team from District 12, in the quarterfinals Friday.
“I just think it’s the best high school game around,” said North Catholic guard Jason Fredericks, who scored a game-high 30 points. “It’s the best game I’ve ever played in. Obviously, Knoch and us were the best two teams in the WPIAL. That’s all.”
Knights coach Joe Lafko knew this game would be different. He was also emphatically proud of how Knoch (23-5) delivered the best season in program history.
“I told those kids I was so proud of them,” Lafko said. “I felt like this was going to be a battle of attrition. It kind of played out that way.”
Knoch had a two-point lead, 35-33, entering the fourth quarter. However, the Trojans started to knock down key 3-pointers.
The Knights kicked off the real craziness once they trailed by five, 46-41, following a free throw from Fredericks. Knoch forced a few turnovers and scored five unanswered, including a free throw from Teegan Finucan, who scored a team-high 26 points.
North Catholic went back ahead following two free throws from Jude Rottmann, who finished with 18 points before fouling out.
Rocco said he had questioned his team’s toughness after a loss to the Knights earlier this season. How North Catholic responded to the collapse late in regulation showed how the Trojans changed.
“I’m just so proud of the fight,” Rocco said. “I questioned our toughness after the first time we played them. I really did. We wanted this to be a street fight.”
Liam Avon converted a layup in the final 20 seconds to even the game 48-48 and force overtime. Neither team was able to build more than a two-point lead in the first two overtimes.
Fredericks flipped the game on its head by making a 3-pointer from well behind the line to open the third overtime.
“It was getting late. I need to end it,” Fredericks said.
Vinnie DeFelice made a layup to cut the lead back to one, but North Catholic forced Knoch to foul. After two free throws from Fredericks, Tom Rottmann forced a turnover and found a wide-open Brandon Pickett.
Pickett, who finished with 12 points, hammered in a dunk that was part of a 6-0 run that stretched North Catholic’s lead to seven and put a memorable stamp on the two games played between the rivals this season.
“They are a good team, and they play a style you don’t often see,” Lafko said. “They have a lot of firepower. They had a lot of guys who stepped up and made shots tonight.”