Another frustrating loss

For the second time in eight days, the Corvallis High girls basketball team had to head back to the locker room and endure a frustrating loss.

Last Friday it was a 58-54 loss at West Albany that dropped the Spartans into a tie for first in the Mid-Willamette Conference with the Bulldogs.

This Friday, it was another close loss as Silverton moved into a tie with the Spartans for second with a 42-39 win at home. West Albany defeated Dallas to move into first alone. west Albany is at Silvertoon on Tuesday.

Friday night Silverton's senior-laden team made the plays it needed to down the stretch to pull out the win.

While coach Joe Williamson doesn't ever enjoy a loss or even like to stomach one, Friday's wasn't as bad as the loss to West Albany a week earlier. In that game, Williamson wasn't happy with the effort the Spartans put out. Friday was a different story.

"They came to play much better," Williamson said before getting on the bus for the long ride home. "It just came down to some execution at the end, free throws at the end that got us. It's a tough place to play. When you play on the road in a tough environment like this you have to execute and you have to hit free throws."

While the Spartans were told they played better, it doesn't soften the sting of another close loss.

"I think our effort was much better here than it was against West," senior Taylor Westly said. "I think it also makes it harder because we tried harder for that goal and we failed and I think that it hurts a little more."

The Spartans (16-6, 9-3) did take a 36-31 lead a minute into the fourth quarter on a free throw by Westly. The free throw capped a 12-3 run over a seven-minute span of the third and fourth quarters.

But the Foxes were able to get some good looks down low either in the post or on cuts to the basket and regained the lead.

Missed free throws kept the Spartans from cutting into the lead, yet they still kept coming but just couldn't get a break. Gabe Johnson's two free throws with 1:02 to play made it 40-39, and just when it looked like the Spartans defense had forced a five-second call on the inbounds, the Silverton player was awarded a time out at the last second.

Then it was McKenzie Redberg nearly securing a steal but the Spartans were whistled for a foul going after the lose ball. Silverton's Bryanna St. Paul hit two free throws to put Silverton up 42-39.

After the Spartans missed a 3-point attempt, Julianne Bazzi was fouled. She missed the front-end of a 1-and-1 free throw chance to give CHS one last chance.

But the Spartans weren't able to get a shot as the ball went out of bounds with one second left.

While the loss was tough and there were a few miscues down the stretch, the Spartans did hold a team that was predicted to be a front-runner for the MWC title in check most of the night.

"We played an excellent defensive game, our posts definitely stepped up and kept them off the boards," Westly said. "I think we also will realize that free throws are again important and we need to make them."

The Spartans struggled from the outside, hitting just 3 of 15 3-point attempts. They also went just 6 of 12 from the free-throw line.

"That's another thing," Westly said. "Our coaches want us to take less threes and drive the ball more which will get us to the free-throw line which will then open up the threes."

It may not have felt like it after the game or on the ride home, but the Spartans still have a chance to be the No. 1 seed into the playoffs. But they have to take care of business and have Silverton beat West Albany on Tuesday, to make that a possibility. If that happens, a three-way tie is likely and a drawing of cards will be used to determine seeds.

"We get Dallas on Tuesday," Williamson said. "This is not an end all. West Albany has to come here to play Silverton. We have to take care of Dallas and Lebanon and then it's however the ball drops."

Silverton 42, Corvallis 39
CORVALLIS 10 11 14 4 -- 39
SILVERTON 15 9 7 11 -- 42
Corvallis; Gabe Johnson 11, Adams 8, M.Redberg 6, Kar. Laney 4, Schrock 3, Westly 3, Gerner 2, Kay. Laney 2, Seitz
Silverton: Bryanna St. Paul 16, Bazzi 9, Palmer 8, Morgan 3, Stadeli 2, Milliron 2, Mosher 2, Cox
JV: Silverton 66, Corvallis 42
Frosh: Corvallis 50, Silverton 28