The Lancers almost came back from an early deficit, but couldn’t finish against visiting Section 1-AA foe Riverside in a 66-60 overtime setback.

Riverside opened the game up with a 14-4 lead but, with each passing quarter, Neshannock (8-3, 13-5) was able to tie the game at 56 and send it into overtime.

The Panthers (7-4, 10-8), Jason Gould in particular, outscored the playoff-bound Lancers 10-4 in the extra quarter.

“From the tip, they played with way more energy than us,” Neshannock coach John Corey said. “For whatever reason, we weren’t ready to play. They’re in a situation where they need to win to continue their season. They definitely played with more energy and efficiency.

“I don’t know if we shook that, but we were able to battle back and push it to overtime. Gould played fabulous, he had six points in overtime.”

Gould finished with a game-high 34 points, hitting 15 of his 16 free-throw attempts.

“Gould’s such a good player, does a good job of using his body,” Corey said. “He’s done the same thing to us the past couple of years. That’s just who is, a really good player.”

Jake Rylott paced Neshannock with 20 points, followed by Ethan Moose’s 19-point performance.