Unadilla Valley boys rout Newfield to advance to Class C championship game

CORTLAND – Newfield’s 7-0 run to close out the second quarter didn’t sit well with Unadilla Valley, who bludgeoned ninth-seeded Trojans in an 18-4 third quarter en route to a 65-42 victory in a Section Four Class C boys’ basketball semifinal Thursday night at SUNY-Cortland.

Fourth-seeded and defending Class C champion Unadilla Valley (18-5) advances to Saturday’s championship game against third-seeded Lansing (16-5) at 3 p.m. at SUNY Cortland. Lansing is seeking its first sectional title since 1977 after downing second-seeded Moravia, 50-45, in the nightcap of the Class C doubleheader.

Do-everything senior Andrew Jackson scored 32 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals for the Storm.

“He’s just an outstanding player,” Unadilla Valley coach Matt Osborne said.

Jackson’s three-point play with 1:09 before halftime gave Unadilla Valley a 35-17 lead, but a 3-pointer by Jalen Hardison and back-to-back UV turnovers that resulted in consecutive DaeJahd Leckey layups over the final 52 seconds trimmed it to 35-24 at intermission, giving Newfield (13-8) renewed hope.

It didn’t last long.

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Jackson and Grey opened the third quarter with buckets at the block. After Newfield’s Joshua Wood made a pair of free throws, Unadilla Valley scored eight straight, started by Jackson’s pull-up jumper after a blocked shot by Rifanburg on the other end. Grey followed with a 3-pointer from the left wing and a free throw on consecutive trips before Caleb Parker capped the run with a coast-to-coast sprint that culminated with a layup and 47-26 lead with 1:43 left in the quarter.

By the time the quarter ended, the Storm enjoyed a 53-28 lead.

“Our defense is our strong point and we clamped down on ‘D’ in the third quarter and limited them to one (or no) shots,” coach Osborne said.

Jackson’s backdoor layup off a Wyatt Grey assist with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter gave the Storm its biggest lead, 63-33. About a minute later, both teams cleared their respective benches.

Jackson scored 12 points in the opening quarter, even while doing his best in getting his teammates involved in the offense early. He drained a pair of three –pointers and had a pair of assists in the 20-11 opening-quarter getaway.

Jackson’s unselfishness has its merits…at times, according to his coach.