TENNERTON – A massive rally came up just short for the Buckhannon-Upshur Buccaneers in their home contest with the Philip Barbour Colts Thursday night.

Down 16 after one-quarter of play, the Bucs took a 56-54 lead after a Zach Calef-Boring basket with 2:39 left in the game, but the Bucs couldn’t hang on to that lead and dropped a 65-61 decision.

Philip Barbour’s Kaden Humphrey made four three-pointers in the first quarter while the Bucs managed just six points, four from Jaden Westfall and two from Calef-Boring as they dug themselves into a 22-6 deficit after one quarter of action.

Down 24-6, Ian Strader scored five straight points for the Bucs making it a 24-11 game 2:30 into the second quarter.

With the Bucs trailing 31-15, they went on a 5-0 run with two baskets from Jaden Westfall and a free throw by Carter Zuliani closing the gap down to 11, at 31-20.

The Bucs went into the half down 33-22.

B-U kept whittling away at the Philip Barbour lead in the third quarter.

Down 37-27, Zuliani scored on a putback and Jaden Westfall hit consecutive baskets for a 6-0 run drawing the Bucs to within four, at 37-33, with 5:08 left in the third quarter.

Another 6-0 run by B-U capped off by a Jaden Westfall jumper brought the Bucs to within one, at 42-41, with 90 seconds left in the half but Philip Barbour scored the final two baskets of the period taking a 45-41 lead into the final quarter.

Philip Barbour built their lead back to seven, at 50-43, but Calef-Boring nailed two three-pointers to make it a 50-49 contest with 4:50 remaining in the game.

The Bucs took their first lead on Calef-Boring’s lay-up at 56-54 with 2:39 left in the contest.

Philip Barbour’s Deshawn Webster turned in an old-fashioned three-point play returning the lead to the Colts at 57-56, and after a free throw by Strader that tied the game at 57-57, Humphreys hit a three-pointer and then a jumper in the paint to give the Colts a 62-57 aadvantage with 90 seconds remaining.

Strader dropped in a pair of free throws and Calef-Boring scored a lay-up to trim the Colt lead down to one, at 62-61 with 46 seconds remaining.

The Colts put the game away with three free throws in the final 30 seconds for the 65-61 win.

Calef-Boring led the Bucs in scoring with 19 points while Jaden Westfall had 18 and Strader added 13.

Humphrey’s led all scorers for the Colts with 26 points while TD Bodkins added 18 and Webster contributed 11.

The loss left the Bucs with a 5-9 mark heading into Saturday night’s outing at Wheeling Park.

They will be back in action Tuesday hosting Bridgeport at 7:30 p.m.