Fredonia, inbounding from half-court, drew up a play for senior guard Kaleb Rybij down by two points with 7.8 seconds left. The ball started in the hands of Nick Whitfield, who drove off a screen by Tyler Putney. Whitfield then found Rybij in the corner for an open 3-pointer, but the shot just didn’t fall. Both teams scrambled for the rebound as time expired.

“We got exactly what we wanted. Unfortunately, that one just did not go through the cylinder,” said Fredonia coach Nick Bertrando. “I couldn’t have drawn it up any better, the kids couldn’t have executed it any better. Sometimes, the ball just doesn’t bounce your way.”

Though the season ended at the same stage as a year prior, with the same result to a team that Fredonia lost twice to already this season in Allegany-Limestone, this time it just felt different. Contrary to a year ago, Fredonia was not a Cinderella story this time — these Hillbillies belonged in the game in everyone’s eyes, and they lived up to the billing. Fredonia (17-5, 3-seed) played with Allegany-Limestone (18-4, 2-seed) the entire way.

In the end, it came down to the final possession for each team. Allegany-Limestone’s potential game-winner went through the net, while Fredonia’s did not.

Fredonia’s Kaleb Rybij (2) drives into the lane during Tuesday’s Section VI, Class B2 boys basketball semifinal game against Allegany-Limestone at Buffalo State College.

After Fredonia led 13-12 after the first quarter and 21-17 at halftime, the defensive battle of the top two teams in the CCAA West 1 Division during the regular season remained a battle through the second half. The score was tied at four separate marks in the third quarter — at 21-21, 23-23, 25-25 and 28-28. Allegany-Limestone closed the third quarter on an 8-0 run over the final two minutes to take a 33-28 lead into the final period.

“Early on, the shots were falling. Then, we got a little hesitant after they drew a couple charges on us, and we started second-guessing ourselves. … We sort of eased off the pedal,” said Bertrando.

The Gators extended the lead to nine points, 39-30, with just under two minutes to play. With the largest Allegany-Limestone lead at any point in the game, the Hillbillies seemed to be well within the grasp of the defending Sectional Champion Gators.

Until they weren’t.

Fredonia stormed back over the next 1:16 with a 10-0 run to take a one-point lead, 40-39, with 30.8 seconds left to play. The Fredonia crowd went wild as the Hillbillies proved how lethal they can be in such a short spurt, sparked by what Bertrando has preached all season long: Fredonia defense.

Fredonia’s Patrick Reading (23) releases a shot over Allegany-Limestone’s Casey Curran during Tuesday’s Section VI, Class B2 boys basketball semifinal game at Buffalo State College.

The Hillbillies secured a pair of defensive rebounds after Allegany-Limestone twice missed the front half of a one-and-one free-throw scenario. Fredonia also came up with a pair of steals from the press after trapping the Gators in bad positions. Fredonia converted both opportunities into points and took the lead after a layup by Tyler Putney.

“Being with these guys over these last four years, I know what they bring to the table,” said Bertrando. “They have shown a ton of toughness and grit, the attitude not to give up. … I said ‘As long as there is still time up there, we’re still going to keep playing hard.’ … Those guys really embraced that and really got after it.”

Four different starters scored during the run — Alec Schrader, Rybij, Whitfield and Putney. The run consisted of 10 straight points from 1:46 left to play until 30.8 remained.

“Right before that run, in the huddle, we all said we’re not going to lose,” said Putney.

As it turned out, each team had one possession left. The Gators managed to cash in, while the Hillbillies did not.

Allegany-Limestone took its time down by a point on its turn for glory. As the clock ticked down into the final 10 seconds, Gators senior Casey Curran pulled up from well beyond the arc and drilled a go-ahead 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds left to play. Only down a point before the shot, it gave Allegany-Limestone a two-point lead, 42-40.

“That 3 was nuts. Clutch,” Putney said of Curran’s shot.

“Give the credit to him,” said Bertrando. “He stepped up with ice in his veins on a big-time shot and stuck it.”

Fredonia then drew up the play for Rybij, but the shot didn’t fall.

The loss ends the season for Fredonia in the first game at Buffalo State College in back-to-back years, while Allegany-Limestone now advances to the Section VI, Class B2 Final a year after winning the honor, before falling to Olean in the B1/B2 Crossover game last year.

“This time, we came in like it was a business trip. We knew we had to get a win or else it’s over,” said Putney after the game. “We fought until the very end, we just came up a little short. … Yeah, this hurts.”

Though three of Fredonia’s five starters are seniors — Patrick Reading, Kaleb Rybij and Alec Schrader — the top two scorers on the roster, Whitfield and Putney, will return next season.

“Next year, with me and Nick [Whitfield] coming back, we’re winning it. Watch out. We’re winning it,” Putney said with a smile.

STATS: Rybij led Fredonia with 13 points, while Putney added 11 points. Schrader had 8 points, Whitfield was held to six points and Reading had two points. … Putney led Fredonia with nine rebounds and four blocks, while Whitfield had eight rebounds and two blocks. … Ben Giardini led Allegany-Limestone with 13 points, while Casey Curran had 11 points and Michael Wolfgang has 10 points.