Girls’ Basketball

Harpursville 53, Unadilla Valley 51

NEW BERLIN – Just how brutal is the Section IV Class C girls’ basketball tournament this year? Harpursville, a club that won four of the last five MAC titles was rated as a sixth seed with a 13-3 record.

The Hornets, looking every bit like a Section IV title contender, ousted 2013 MAC champion Unadilla Valley in a thrilling finish Friday evening.

The Hornets delivered one apparent knockout punch after another in the final two minutes, but had to survive a missed UV put-back basket to tie the game as the final horn sounded. “We knew this was going to be a great game,” said Harpursville coach Kurt Ehrensbeck. “I think we brought out the best in each other tonight.”

Harpursville used a 9-0 midway through the fourth quarter to take a 47-41 with 1:41 to play. Sophomore Shelby Medovich had back-to-back baskets during the spurt, the latter a dagger of a three, and reserve Tatiana Sosnowsky nailed a spot-up 15-footer from the corner of the foul line to raise the lead to six and prompt a UV timeout.

“We made that run and I thought we were okay, but the next thing you know, they cut it back to one,” Ehrensbeck said.

In less than 40 seconds, that six-point margin was sliced to two. Amanda Off, who poured in a game-high 25 points for UV, scored on a layup, and UV got the ball back right away after a long Medovich miss.