As Hooper Academy built their lead to 6 points midway through the fourth quarter Morgan Academy’s Senators couldn’t have thrown it into the ocean from the shore.

But with some tough defense and hard work on the offensive glass, they stayed close enough to give themselves a chance.

Finally with under a minute to play, Reid Buster found his touch again and drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer.

Morgan hit their free throws down the stretch and held on for the 65-60 win.

For long stretches of their win, the Senators struggled to score. But despite their struggles, they still managed to put 65 points on the board, in large part thanks to Buster.

Buster hit for a game-high 27, including 16 in the first half for Morgan.

Reid Tolar added 12 points and 10 rebounds while Eric Pilcher had 10 points, including a buzzer-beating 3 from half court.

Allen Callaway added 8 points and 9 rebounds and he and Tolar combined to hold Hooper’s big man Brandon McQueen in check. Tolar had a key block on McQueen in the final minute.

Ben Callaway and Blake South added 4 points each.

Jeremy Smith added 2 points.

Walker also praised the defense of Allen Pitts and Seth Welch.

McQueen finished with 11 points and Josh Pierce led the Colts with 13 points and 16 rebounds.

Jordan Travis scored 12 in the losing effort.

Tolar started the game hot for the Senators.

He scored on a pretty reverse to open the game, then hit a put back for 2.

Morgan jumped out to an 7-4 lead but the Colts fought back and took the lead at 11-10.

Allen Callaway drove for 2 just before the buzzer and Morgan led by a point after a quarter.

Buster got hot in the second quarter.

He lit the Colts up for 12 points in the frame to lead Morgan to a 30-26 lead at the half-time break.

The Colts fought back in the third and took a lead as Kevin Hamm and Marshall Overman did some damage inside.

As time wound down on the quarter, Pilcher fired a shot from half court that touched nothing but the bottom of the net.

The shot gave the Senators a 42-41 lead going into the fourth quarter.

McQueen came off the bench in the fourth quarter and scored 7 points.

Pierce added 7 as well and the Colts took a lead that ballooned to 6 points.

Morgan wasn’t sharp for most of the quarter.

They did enough on defense, on the offensive board and at the line to stay close.

Finally with 51 seconds left on the clock, Buster drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to give Morgan the lead.

After Tolar blocked McQueen’s baby hook, Pilcher hit a pair of freebies from the charity stripe.

After a missed 3, Tolar added two more free throws.

McQueen scored inside to cut the lead to 3, but Buster hit the two final free throws of the game and Morgan walked away with the area win.