NEW BERLIN – Trailing by as many as five points late in the third quarter, the Unadilla Valley boys basketball team needed a spark to turn things in their favor. It came from senior Levi Rifanburg when he slammed home a two-handed putback dunk following a teammate’s miss.

After Rifanburg’s highlight play, the Storm rallied back to tie the game and eventually the 50-44 victory in the Class C quarterfinals Saturday evening.

“We responded well after being down five late in the third,” said UV head coach Matt Osborne. “Our defense was outstanding and Levi, Cam, and Andrew really controlled the rebounding for us. We could have given up once they took the lead, but we dug deep, kept our composure and responded to the challenge.”

Andrew Jackson, another UV senior, hit a driving bank shot from eight feet out to give UV a four point lead with less than two minutes left in the game. Jackson then went on to shoot 6-for-9 at the free throw line to seal the deal for the home team.

The Storm held a three point lead after the first quarter and extended the margin to seven points by halftime.

Pacing UV to their growing lead was Caleb Parker who scored six points in the second quarter.

In the third, Delhi came out of the locker room in a full-court pressuring defense, forcing Unadilla Valley into several turnovers. It was then the Bulldogs were able to overcome the first half deficit and take the lead.

Delhi’s Alex Haight pushed Delhi’s offensive attack, scoring 11 of the team’s 18 points in the third quarter.

However, after Rifanburg’s throwdown, the Storm were able to comeback and tie the game at 36-36. The final eight minutes saw UV took the lead in the early portion of the quarter and cling

Unadilla Valley then went on a 14-8 run to close out the game in the fourth, securing a spot in the sectional semifinals.

Jackson scored a game-high 17 points and recorded yet another double-double this season with 14 rebounds. He added six assists to his statline for the contest.