Storm returns to regional final with revenge in the forecast
Frank Speziale Photo
BINGHAMTON – After being in this same spot one year ago, the Unadilla Valley Storm are back with vengeance. Falling to Tully last year at SRC Arena, the Storm made it their goal to get back to this exact game this season with an eye to move into the New York State Championship final four a week from now.
“We are a year more mature and we know what it is all about this year,” said UV head coach Matt Osborne. “We used the expression in the sectional championship game that we had been there before and it showed. Our experience in a game like that was important, we were down four early on and never panicked.”
Osborne contributes that to the senior leadership he has this year with Andrew Jackson, Wyatt Grey and Levi Rifanburg. On top of the seniors that are the forefront of the team, the Storm have many guys on the squad that have played a lot of basketball and Osborne stated it helps “...when the going gets tough.”
“These guys are a cohesive group,” said the Storm’s head coach. “They trust each other, they care about each other and we have one main goal and that is to go out and compete at the highest level each game.”
On Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Floyd L. Maines Arena, located in Binghamton, the Unadilla Valley Storm will take a one a familiar opponent in the Cooperstown Hawkeyes.
The Storm and the Hawkeyes battled on the court back in the December, the early part of the season. Cooperstown came out as the victors by a slim margin of three points.
“We played good defense against [Cooperstown] back in December,” said Osborne. “We held [Jack] Lambert to six points, and we kept [John] Kennedy off the boards.
“We, however, struggled with our offense that night as we did not pass the ball well and we did not get the ball inside. Those are things we are looking to improve on.”
The Cooperstown Hawkeyes
Osborne said if the Storm can contain Jack Lambert, the Hawkeyes leading scorer this season who average 22.8 points per game, and if they do a good defensive job covering Noah Lifgren, his team should have a good chance to advance.
Lifgren, a fundamentally sound player that can do the little things inside to score, can rebound the ball as well. He has an average of 11.1 points per game and pulls down almost eight rebounds in each outing.
“Lambert is a very good player,” said the UV head coach. “He can shoot, get to the basket, and get his teammates involved.
“We need to stay out on him so he does not get hot from the 3-point line and when he drives we need to have help in position to stop him.”
Kennedy, who Osborne mentioned from their first meeting this season, is a 6-foot-8 sophomore who averages 7.8 rebounds per game as he can clean up the glass on both ends of the floor.. He also registers almost seven points in the scoring column every game as well.
Lansing is a shooter for the Hawkeyes and has scored 7 points per game. Calvin Sandler is also one who can put up numbers on a consistent basis for Cooperstown, scoring 6.7 points per game.
Sweet revenge
Cooperstown has just two losses this season while the Storm have a record of 16-5. Osborne has said that as a team, they have talked about some of their early losses (like to Greene and Cooperstown back in December). “We want a little revenge,” said Osborne. “We were disappointed in the way we played in Cooperstown that night. We just did not have any rhythm on offense but we have grown up a lot since early December.”
Balanced Scoring
The leading scorer for most of the season on the Storm has been Jackson, who averages 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Rifanburg is up there as well. The senior forward in the middle for UV has scored an average of 14 points while nearly pulling down a double-double, averaging nine rebounds per game.
However, while teams know what the duo are capable of, the Storm scoring output has surprised teams. “In the last seven games, we have had other guys step up and score and look to score,” said Osborne. “That really helps our offense when everyone is a threat to score and confident when they have the basketball.
“We look to hit ahead or find the open guy all the time. We believe in team basketball and that is what has gotten us this far. These guys share the ball and look for the open guy and trust that they will make the right decision.”
Cooperstown’s defensive scheme
Osborne said in their first meeting this season, Cooperstown played 2-3 zone for the entire game except one possession. The reason being is because the head coach said the Hawkeyes have a hard time matching up with the Storm’s size. As far as what Osborne thinks UV might see this time around, “I would expect them to do the same, but we will be prepared for whatever they throw at us.”
What does Unadilla Valley need to do in order to come away with the win?
In the last three games the Storm have played, they have gone in with a game plan of limiting other teams to a single shot. Osborne said his guys have done a good job of that in each of the last three games but he said that the effort will need be even higher against Cooperstown. “Everyone needs to box out and everyone needs to rebound,” said Osborne. “We can control the inside game by playing fundamental basketball.
“We also need to take care of the ball on offense and not turn the ball over. We need to look to get it inside when we can and hit the open shot when we get it.
“Defensively, we need to contain their perimeter guys and not let any of them get hot from the 3-point line. Spencer Lewis hit three 3’s for them in December, as did [Jesse] Furnari and [Ryan] Lansing and the couple of guys that can come off the bench and can really shoot the ball.”
Looking back on the season...
“I am just very proud of what this group has accomplished this season,” said Osborne. “They were able to win the sectional championship last year and I told them at the beginning of the year that we would have a target on our backs because of that.
“They have stayed focused, worked hard, and played some really tough games early on. We have been in every game this season and have competed with Seton Catholic (lost by two), New Paltz (lost by four) and Vestal, a Class AA school in the section. We have been playing well as of late and this senior class is focused and confident that we can move on to the semifinals.”
“We are a year more mature and we know what it is all about this year,” said UV head coach Matt Osborne. “We used the expression in the sectional championship game that we had been there before and it showed. Our experience in a game like that was important, we were down four early on and never panicked.”
Osborne contributes that to the senior leadership he has this year with Andrew Jackson, Wyatt Grey and Levi Rifanburg. On top of the seniors that are the forefront of the team, the Storm have many guys on the squad that have played a lot of basketball and Osborne stated it helps “...when the going gets tough.”
“These guys are a cohesive group,” said the Storm’s head coach. “They trust each other, they care about each other and we have one main goal and that is to go out and compete at the highest level each game.”
On Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Floyd L. Maines Arena, located in Binghamton, the Unadilla Valley Storm will take a one a familiar opponent in the Cooperstown Hawkeyes.
The Storm and the Hawkeyes battled on the court back in the December, the early part of the season. Cooperstown came out as the victors by a slim margin of three points.
“We played good defense against [Cooperstown] back in December,” said Osborne. “We held [Jack] Lambert to six points, and we kept [John] Kennedy off the boards.
“We, however, struggled with our offense that night as we did not pass the ball well and we did not get the ball inside. Those are things we are looking to improve on.”
The Cooperstown Hawkeyes
Osborne said if the Storm can contain Jack Lambert, the Hawkeyes leading scorer this season who average 22.8 points per game, and if they do a good defensive job covering Noah Lifgren, his team should have a good chance to advance.
Lifgren, a fundamentally sound player that can do the little things inside to score, can rebound the ball as well. He has an average of 11.1 points per game and pulls down almost eight rebounds in each outing.
“Lambert is a very good player,” said the UV head coach. “He can shoot, get to the basket, and get his teammates involved.
“We need to stay out on him so he does not get hot from the 3-point line and when he drives we need to have help in position to stop him.”
Kennedy, who Osborne mentioned from their first meeting this season, is a 6-foot-8 sophomore who averages 7.8 rebounds per game as he can clean up the glass on both ends of the floor.. He also registers almost seven points in the scoring column every game as well.
Lansing is a shooter for the Hawkeyes and has scored 7 points per game. Calvin Sandler is also one who can put up numbers on a consistent basis for Cooperstown, scoring 6.7 points per game.
Sweet revenge
Cooperstown has just two losses this season while the Storm have a record of 16-5. Osborne has said that as a team, they have talked about some of their early losses (like to Greene and Cooperstown back in December). “We want a little revenge,” said Osborne. “We were disappointed in the way we played in Cooperstown that night. We just did not have any rhythm on offense but we have grown up a lot since early December.”
Balanced Scoring
The leading scorer for most of the season on the Storm has been Jackson, who averages 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists per game. Rifanburg is up there as well. The senior forward in the middle for UV has scored an average of 14 points while nearly pulling down a double-double, averaging nine rebounds per game.
However, while teams know what the duo are capable of, the Storm scoring output has surprised teams. “In the last seven games, we have had other guys step up and score and look to score,” said Osborne. “That really helps our offense when everyone is a threat to score and confident when they have the basketball.
“We look to hit ahead or find the open guy all the time. We believe in team basketball and that is what has gotten us this far. These guys share the ball and look for the open guy and trust that they will make the right decision.”
Cooperstown’s defensive scheme
Osborne said in their first meeting this season, Cooperstown played 2-3 zone for the entire game except one possession. The reason being is because the head coach said the Hawkeyes have a hard time matching up with the Storm’s size. As far as what Osborne thinks UV might see this time around, “I would expect them to do the same, but we will be prepared for whatever they throw at us.”
What does Unadilla Valley need to do in order to come away with the win?
In the last three games the Storm have played, they have gone in with a game plan of limiting other teams to a single shot. Osborne said his guys have done a good job of that in each of the last three games but he said that the effort will need be even higher against Cooperstown. “Everyone needs to box out and everyone needs to rebound,” said Osborne. “We can control the inside game by playing fundamental basketball.
“We also need to take care of the ball on offense and not turn the ball over. We need to look to get it inside when we can and hit the open shot when we get it.
“Defensively, we need to contain their perimeter guys and not let any of them get hot from the 3-point line. Spencer Lewis hit three 3’s for them in December, as did [Jesse] Furnari and [Ryan] Lansing and the couple of guys that can come off the bench and can really shoot the ball.”
Looking back on the season...
“I am just very proud of what this group has accomplished this season,” said Osborne. “They were able to win the sectional championship last year and I told them at the beginning of the year that we would have a target on our backs because of that.
“They have stayed focused, worked hard, and played some really tough games early on. We have been in every game this season and have competed with Seton Catholic (lost by two), New Paltz (lost by four) and Vestal, a Class AA school in the section. We have been playing well as of late and this senior class is focused and confident that we can move on to the semifinals.”
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