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Instead, the No. 6-seeded Wolves ensured there would be a new state champion in Class C this year by defeating the No. 3 Blue Devils, 46-38, in the Section IV quarterfinals at Moravia High School on Saturday.Ìý

With Union Springs getting over the hump that had thwarted it this season, head coach Andy Kalet hopes Saturday's win will give his team more self-assurance in its journey ahead.

"It's a confidence booster for our team," he told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "We knew we were right there, but hats off to them. The last couple years they've gotten us, and they're a really good basketball team. Moravia outworked us the first two games, but I think it was more even tonight for work ethic."

The Blue Devils looked to outwork Union Springs at the start, as it came out crisp on both sides of the court. Moravia went on a 10-2 run over the first three minutes of the contest, which was capped off by a Caraline Wasileski 3-pointer.

However, after Union Springs called a timeout with under five minutes left, things would begin to click for the Wolves. They outscored Moravia 12-6 to end the quarter, cutting their deficit to 2 going into the second. From there, the Wolves would go on one of their most important runs of the season.

They scored 16 unanswered points in the first seven minutes of the period, propelling them to a 30-20 halftime lead. With how the first few minutes of the game played out, Kalet was proud of how his team weathered the storm.

"I was very, very happy with the way they handled that (start)," he said. "That's some adversity. In a crowd and an environment like this, to go down 10, they definitely responded in a big way. I was very proud of them for that. That showed me growth for this team."

The second half would be more of a defensive showcase, as neither team netted double-digit points in either quarter.

While the Blue Devils held the Wolves to 16 second-half points, they were unable to slow down Jennifer Daum. The junior scored 6 points each in the third and fourth quarter to shoulder the offensive workload. After being held to 5 points by Moravia in the last matchup between the two teams on Feb. 11, Daum knew she needed to adjust her approach.

"I think it was all my mindset," she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "I was coming into those games timid, and I came into this game knowing that I have to be aggressive.Ìý

"I learned to play harder. When I think I'm tired, go that little extra mile  because that adds up when all your team is doing that. It just adds so much more, and it showed it tonight."

Even though Union Springs had issues scoring, it did not affect its defense. The Wolves forced Moravia to 18 total points in the second half, with 9 of them coming from Jessalyn Jones.Ìý

The Blue Devils were able to cut their deficit to 8 with under two minutes remaining in the fourth, but Daum helped clinch the win by pulling down an offensive rebound that led to 2 points and quieted the home crowd.Ìý

Daum finished the win with a game-high 22 points. Allie Parker and Madison Kalet dropped in 10 and 7 points, respectively.Ìý

For the Blue Devils, Jessalyn Jones scored a team-high 14 points. Caraline Wasileski concluded with 11 points while Olivia Genson had 7. Moravia ends the season at 15-4.

With the victory, Union Springs will now take on No. 10 Delaware Academy in the sectional semifinals on Wednesday at Tompkins Cortland Community College.Ìý

Going into the Wolves' next matchup, they have allowed just 33 points per game in their last seven contests. Kalet believes his team will need to keep up that effort if it wants to capture its second section title in three seasons.

"We got to stay aggressive," he said. "Defense is going to win the game. Period. End of story. You look at any good quality sports team, defense is what wins. So we've got to make sure that's our key component and then the defense will help our offense."