INSTITUTE – Buckhannon-Upshur used an 11-0 run in the second half to blow a close game wide open against the Ripley Vikings on Tuesday afternoon in the Par Mar Shootout at West Virginia State University.

The Bucs were nursing a 28-27 lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter, but used that 11-0 run, getting six points at the free throw, to open a 39-27 advantage after Jerin Westfall capped off the run to start the fourth quarter with a three-pointer.

The Par Mar Shootout is played over four days and brings some of the best teams in West Virginia for the state to see.

“We have a good team, and we have excellent young men and I want the state to see that,” remarked Buckhannon-Upshur head coach Jason Westfall. “The Par Mar Shootout puts our states best on display with the exposure the event attracts. I am pleased to earn the win. We won in our usual style of grinding and banging it out. We want to have a good week and it started with Ripley.”

The Bucs had a trio of players reach double digits as Ian Strader and Jerin Westfall both had 12 points and Jaden Westfall added 11.

“Our offense is designed to find the match-up that gives us the best advantage,” stated coach Westfall. “Throughout the game, those advantages change and modify. Our players take what they get are and are unselfish in that way. Our only goal as a team is simply to win. Individual stats are a product of winning, We have shown when we get three players in double figures, we are hard to handle.”

The game was tied at 7-7 before Jaden Westfall went on his own personal 8-0 crusade over the first and  second quarters to treat the Bucs to a 15-7 lead 45 seconds into the second quarter.

A three-pointer from Jerin Westfall gave the Bucs a 20-13 advantage with 2:33 remaining in the half.

Ripley closed the half with a 7-2 run making it a 22-20 contest in favor of the Bucs at the intermission.

With the game tied at 24-24, Jaden Westfall scored from underneath and Ian Strader scored on a putback to give B-U a 28-24 lead with 3:21 left in the third quarter.

Blake Justice hit a trey for Ripley pulling them to within one, at 28-27, before the Bucs went on their 11-0 run getting two free throws from Strader, four free throws from Nathaniel Ringer and a lay-up and a trey from Jerin Westfall.

A dunk from Strader put the Bucs up 13, at 46-33, with 2:32 left to play.

The closest Ripley could get the rest of the way was six points, at 50-44, following a three-pointer from Justice with 18 seconds remaining.

Ripley, who dropped to 6-10 with the loss, was led by Cade Goode who scored 14 points and Connor Casto who contributed 10.

The Bucs won the rebounding battle by a 40-31 margin with Carter Zuliani pulling down a game-high 10 for the Bucs.

Buckhannon-Upshur improved to 11-5 on the year heading into Wednesday’s battle with Lewis County.

They will return to action Friday at Elkins for a 7:30 p.m. start.