Midway through the third quarter, seniors Gabe Johnson and McKenzie Redberg were able to put their shooting shirts back on and watch the players who will be charged with keeping the Corvallis High girls basketball program at the top of the Mid-Willamette Conference in the years to come.
The two seniors and the other three starters had done their jobs early and had a chance to watch as sophomores Whitney Redberg and Jessica McGowan and others closed out what turned out to be a 59-13 victory over Woodburn on Friday night.
It was a much different feeling than the one Johnson, Redberg and their teammates felt after a frustrating 63-55 loss at Silverton that dropped the Spartans (13-3, 7-1) into a tie with the Foxes for first in the conference.
Silverton held off Dallas at Dallas (4-4) on Friday to win by three and remain in a tie with the Spartans at 7-1. West Albany topped South Albany by four to remain a game back at 6-2 and Crescent Valley routed Lebanon to move back into a playoff berth in fourth place at 5-3.
There was little doubt the Spartans would be able to rebound from Wednesday's tough loss against the only winless team in the conference.
And when Woodburn's top scorer, Katie Kalugin, wasn't in the linup, it became even easier. She scored 19 in the first meeting with the Spartans.
Katie Schrock shook off her recent scoring slump by opening the game with a three, the Spartans first in three games. They didn't hit a single three against West Albany or Silverton.
A free throw by Schrock, a three by McKenzie Redberg a drive by Johnson and another three by Schrock and just like that it was 12-0.
The Spartans then got a layup by Schrock, Johnson and another by Schrock before Redberg's 12-footer. Karly Laney had two baskets around Schrock's third 3 of the quarter and it was 27-0 after the first quarter.
CHS scored the first 29 points and led 39-5 at the half.
The starters played the first four minutes of the third quarter before Johnson, Redberg and Schrock were finished for the game. Starters Kayla Laney and Alaina Adams only played a bit in the fourth to give posts Karly Laney and Syree Gerner a breather.
Part was to allow the likes of McGowan and Whitney Redberg more experience at the varsity level in the future as well as to rest for Saturday night's home makeup game against Barlow.
Schrock's 14 first-quarter points was more than Woodburn scored for the entire game. She finished with 16 points. Johnson and Karly Laney each finished with eight.
After Saturday's game against Barlow, the Spartans are home against upstart Dallas, which has to be smarting from the close loss to Silverton on Friday and an earlier 21-point loss at home to the Spartans.
Corvallis finishes the week at home against South Albany on Friday before a rematch with crosstown rival Crescent Valley on Feb. 11.
Corvallis 59, Woodburn 13
CORVALLIS 27 12 10 10 — 59
WOODBURN 0 5 3 5 — 13
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 16, Johnson 8, Kar. Laney 8, M. Redberg 7, Adams 6, Kay. Laney 6, Gerner 4, Seitz 2, W. Redberg 2, Hendrickson, McGowan
Woodburn: Lindsey Doman 7, Best 3, Maldanado 3, Ruiz, Robles, Kaufman, Armstrong, Biggs, Ivanov
JV: Corvallis 74, Woodburn 12
Frosh: Corvallis won
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Falling to Silverton
For the second straight game, the Corvallis High girls basketball team found itself trailing in the second half.
But unlike last Friday against West Albany, the Spartans weren't able to overcome the deficit for a win on Wednesday.
Silverton used a 16-4 run over a seven-minute span of the third and fourth quarters, built a 15-point lead and held off the Spartans for a 63-55 Mid-Willmette Conference win.
Silverton (14-2, 6-1) moved into a tie with the third-ranked Spartans (12-3, 6-1) at the halfway point of the season.
"We've just played two straight poor games where we haven't shot well, we haven't really defended well," CHS coach Joe Williamson said. "West Albany, we waited until the end and it worked there. We played hard at the end to make it close tonight."
The Spartans cut the deficit to 58-51 with 2:24 left, but missed shots didn't allow them to get any closer.
Silverton jumped out to a 22-10 lead after the first quarter with starters Gabe Johnson and Kayla Laney on the bench for most of the quarter after picking up two quick fouls each.
Both players had three by the half as the Spartans cut the score to 33-28.
Silverton pushed the halftime lead to 40-30 early in the third before Corvallis went on an 8-0 run to get within 40-38. But Silverton responded with the 16-4 run to go up 56-42 with 4:40 remaining.
The Spartans were in foul trouble throughout as they were whistled for 26 fouls to Silverton's 16. Johnson and Karly Laney both fouled out for Corvallis, and Alaina Adams, McKenzie Redberg, Kayla Laney and Syree Gerner each finished with four fouls.
"Every time we tried to be aggressive we were in foul trouble," Williamson said. "It did affect us a little bit but we're deep enough to be able to withstand that. We've done that before."
Silverton took advantage of the fouls by hitting 21 of 33 free throws.
Corvallis was 11 of 20 from the line and 22 of 55 from the field, including 0-for-8 from three.
"We can't do this," Williamson said. "We're not shooting well from the outside, we're missing layups and we're not rebounding. It's just a wakeup call to the girls that they need to be better and they need to be ready for these games."
Johnson finished with 19 points for the Spartans, while Adams added 12. Silverton had four players in double figures.
The Spartans are back in action at Woodburn on Friday and then home against Barlow in a makeup nonconference game on Saturday.
"It's OK if the girls will actually go, 'wow, we need to get better,' " Williamson said of Wednesday's loss. "Right now it's up to them to make the game a learning experience."
Silverton 63, Corvallis 55
CORVALLIS 10 18 14 13 -- 55
SILVERTON 22 11 16 14 -- 63
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 19, Adams 12, M. Redberg 8, Schrock 5, Kay. Laney 5, Gerner 4, Kar. laney 2, W. Redberg.
Silverton: Hannah Tschiegg 12, Ashley Milliron 12, Kuenzi 10, Sprauer 10, Stadeli 9, Ousterhout 8, Hibbs 2, Whitaker, King
JV: Corvallis 58, Silverton 52; Frosh: Silevrton won.
But unlike last Friday against West Albany, the Spartans weren't able to overcome the deficit for a win on Wednesday.
Silverton used a 16-4 run over a seven-minute span of the third and fourth quarters, built a 15-point lead and held off the Spartans for a 63-55 Mid-Willmette Conference win.
Silverton (14-2, 6-1) moved into a tie with the third-ranked Spartans (12-3, 6-1) at the halfway point of the season.
"We've just played two straight poor games where we haven't shot well, we haven't really defended well," CHS coach Joe Williamson said. "West Albany, we waited until the end and it worked there. We played hard at the end to make it close tonight."
The Spartans cut the deficit to 58-51 with 2:24 left, but missed shots didn't allow them to get any closer.
Silverton jumped out to a 22-10 lead after the first quarter with starters Gabe Johnson and Kayla Laney on the bench for most of the quarter after picking up two quick fouls each.
Both players had three by the half as the Spartans cut the score to 33-28.
Silverton pushed the halftime lead to 40-30 early in the third before Corvallis went on an 8-0 run to get within 40-38. But Silverton responded with the 16-4 run to go up 56-42 with 4:40 remaining.
The Spartans were in foul trouble throughout as they were whistled for 26 fouls to Silverton's 16. Johnson and Karly Laney both fouled out for Corvallis, and Alaina Adams, McKenzie Redberg, Kayla Laney and Syree Gerner each finished with four fouls.
"Every time we tried to be aggressive we were in foul trouble," Williamson said. "It did affect us a little bit but we're deep enough to be able to withstand that. We've done that before."
Silverton took advantage of the fouls by hitting 21 of 33 free throws.
Corvallis was 11 of 20 from the line and 22 of 55 from the field, including 0-for-8 from three.
"We can't do this," Williamson said. "We're not shooting well from the outside, we're missing layups and we're not rebounding. It's just a wakeup call to the girls that they need to be better and they need to be ready for these games."
Johnson finished with 19 points for the Spartans, while Adams added 12. Silverton had four players in double figures.
The Spartans are back in action at Woodburn on Friday and then home against Barlow in a makeup nonconference game on Saturday.
"It's OK if the girls will actually go, 'wow, we need to get better,' " Williamson said of Wednesday's loss. "Right now it's up to them to make the game a learning experience."
Silverton 63, Corvallis 55
CORVALLIS 10 18 14 13 -- 55
SILVERTON 22 11 16 14 -- 63
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 19, Adams 12, M. Redberg 8, Schrock 5, Kay. Laney 5, Gerner 4, Kar. laney 2, W. Redberg.
Silverton: Hannah Tschiegg 12, Ashley Milliron 12, Kuenzi 10, Sprauer 10, Stadeli 9, Ousterhout 8, Hibbs 2, Whitaker, King
JV: Corvallis 58, Silverton 52; Frosh: Silevrton won.
Monday, January 26, 2009
A learning experience
If anything, the Corvallis High girls basketball team got a bit of a wake-up call on Friday night.
The third-ranked Spartans ran into a West Albany team that went toe-to-toe with them for the first 24 minutes, before they were finally able to pull away for a 45-36 win that kept them in first place in the Mid-Willamette Conference.
With the exception of the Crescent Valley game, the Spartans hadn’t really been tested in conference for more than a quarter or so, and were coming off a 52-point thrashing of Lebanon.
But when you are on top, you better be ready to go from the start, especially against teams that feel they have a chance to beat you.
And when you are on top, sometimes you can feel a little bit like you are entitled to close calls or that you will win even if you don’t play your best. That by simply showing up the other team will roll over and let you win.
The Spartans shared the MWC title last year with West Albany and Wednesday night’s opponent, Silverton.
This year, the Spartans want that title all to themselves.
“We have the mentally that we are going to be first in league and we are going to win,” senior Karly Laney said after Friday’s game. “And what our coach said is we have to win it (emphasis on win). We don’t deserve it, we have to work for it and that’s totally true and we need to step it up and this game was a great game going in hopefully to state that we will be able to pull through in the close games.”
Pulling through in close games has been difficult for the Spartans the past two years.
Last year, the Spartans lost six games by a combined 21 points.
So far this season, the Spartans have lost two games by nine points, including one in double overtime in California.
They did manage to hang on in the fourth quarter against Hermiston back in December, a day after losing by two to Willamette.
But until that game, the Spartans had struggled down the stretch of close games.
Friday night’s win may have done more than just keep the Spartans in first, it may have given them that belief that down the stretch they can execute and win.
Like when Whitney Redberg found Katie Schrock open with a nice pass for a layup to put the Spartans back up eight with just over three minutes to play.
Or by running more than 1:30 off the clock the next trip down and all but causing West Albany to call off the dogs (pardon the pun) and accept the loss.
“We finally just calmed down,” McKenzie Redberg said. “It took a while but we got it done when we needed to.”
As coach Joe Williamson said afterward, it was good for the Spartans to be challenged, but more important that they were challenged and won.
Now the Spartans just need to continue to build off that win on Wednesday.
A win and the Spartans hold a two-game lead over Silverton and West Albany entering the second half of the conference season.
“After coming off a really close game and a tough game, we’ll be more prepared than just killing everybody,” McKenzie Redberg said. “This builds up to that.”
The third-ranked Spartans ran into a West Albany team that went toe-to-toe with them for the first 24 minutes, before they were finally able to pull away for a 45-36 win that kept them in first place in the Mid-Willamette Conference.
With the exception of the Crescent Valley game, the Spartans hadn’t really been tested in conference for more than a quarter or so, and were coming off a 52-point thrashing of Lebanon.
But when you are on top, you better be ready to go from the start, especially against teams that feel they have a chance to beat you.
And when you are on top, sometimes you can feel a little bit like you are entitled to close calls or that you will win even if you don’t play your best. That by simply showing up the other team will roll over and let you win.
The Spartans shared the MWC title last year with West Albany and Wednesday night’s opponent, Silverton.
This year, the Spartans want that title all to themselves.
“We have the mentally that we are going to be first in league and we are going to win,” senior Karly Laney said after Friday’s game. “And what our coach said is we have to win it (emphasis on win). We don’t deserve it, we have to work for it and that’s totally true and we need to step it up and this game was a great game going in hopefully to state that we will be able to pull through in the close games.”
Pulling through in close games has been difficult for the Spartans the past two years.
Last year, the Spartans lost six games by a combined 21 points.
So far this season, the Spartans have lost two games by nine points, including one in double overtime in California.
They did manage to hang on in the fourth quarter against Hermiston back in December, a day after losing by two to Willamette.
But until that game, the Spartans had struggled down the stretch of close games.
Friday night’s win may have done more than just keep the Spartans in first, it may have given them that belief that down the stretch they can execute and win.
Like when Whitney Redberg found Katie Schrock open with a nice pass for a layup to put the Spartans back up eight with just over three minutes to play.
Or by running more than 1:30 off the clock the next trip down and all but causing West Albany to call off the dogs (pardon the pun) and accept the loss.
“We finally just calmed down,” McKenzie Redberg said. “It took a while but we got it done when we needed to.”
As coach Joe Williamson said afterward, it was good for the Spartans to be challenged, but more important that they were challenged and won.
Now the Spartans just need to continue to build off that win on Wednesday.
A win and the Spartans hold a two-game lead over Silverton and West Albany entering the second half of the conference season.
“After coming off a really close game and a tough game, we’ll be more prepared than just killing everybody,” McKenzie Redberg said. “This builds up to that.”
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Executing a victory over West Albany
After watching his team struggle running a play in practice on Thursday night, Corvallis High girls basketball coach Joe Williamson reminded his players of the importance of practicing like they would play in a game.
Don’t go half speed, don’t make lazy passes and most of all, prepare for that game situation because you never know when it will be needed.
Turns out Williamson knew just what it was going to take to get a win on Friday night against Mid-Willamette Conference rival West Albany.
The Spartans brought a 5-0 MWC record into the game against a 4-1 West Albany team that was coming off a 55-44 win over previously conference unbeaten Silverton on Monday.
Turns out the Bulldogs gave Corvallis all it wanted and then some through three quarters.
West Albany was beating the Spartans to loose ballsand on the boards.
But a pattented defensive performance early in the fourth quarter helped the Spartans break out to an eight-point advantage.
It was time to run Carolina, a play designed to run clock or get an easy basket, depending on the situation.
It was the same play that the Spartans struggled to execute on Thursday night.
They weren’t setting good screens and weren’t popping out right or not hitting the girl on the way up.
(Part of it was the defense knew exactly what was coming.)
There was no trouble making it look like a thing of beauty on Friday night.
The Spartans made prefect passes, set solid screens and ran more than 1:30 off the clock before West Albany coach Craig Swanson finally ordered his team to begin fouling.
And even though they didn’t score on the possession, the Spartans used that play to seal a victory as West Albany turned the ball over and Swanson told his players not to foul even though there was still 1:08 to play in and eight-point game.
The result was a crucial 45-36 victory over the Bulldogs that keeps the Spartans (12-2, 6-0) a game ahead of Silverton (13-2, 5-1), who they play on the road on Wednesday to end the first half of the MWC schedule.
The players were a bit frustrated on Thursday with running the play over and over, but not on Friday.
“In practice we struggled with it but then we came out here and actually ran it and we did it correct so it was worth it,” McKenzie Redberg said.
Added Karly Laney: “I personally thought it was tight because they broke down physically and mentally. The (West) girls were just sagging into the key and if we wanted to run it to get points we would have gotten the points. The key was wide open. They were confused, they didn’t know what to do, their coach was frustrated, they broke down and that’s how we took the game from them.”
The game was nip-and-tuck throughout the first three quarters as West Albany’s largest lead was four and the Spartans largest lead was three.
Corvallis closed the third quarter with three straight points to tie it at 32, then scored the first eight points of the fourth to take the eight-point advantage and change the complexion of the game with 5:44 left.
“We made it a lot more difficult than it needed to be,” Redberg said. “If we would have just executed and come out hard from the beginning and focused from the beginning it would have been a completely different game.
“We finally just calmed down. It took a while but we got it done when we needed to.”
Added Laney: “I think we all just found the desire to do it. I knew when coach was yelling at us I knew he was so right.”
Gabe Johnson led the Spartans with 13 points as all 13 came either on layups or from the free-throw line.
“You guys need to give Gabe a pat on the back,” assistant coach Tom Cox said in the locker room. “She’s a good point guard, one of the best in the state, and she’s taking it to the hole so hard and getting fouled, or not (getting) calls. You know how frustrating it is to get fouled and never get a call? She kept going and kept going. You need to give her a pat on the back.”
Alaina Adams added 10 points for the Spartans. And Whitney Redberg came off the bench and grabbed a few rebounds and made a crisp pass to a wide-open Katie Schrock for a layup to put the Spartans back up eight with 3:26 to play.
“All of their players just watched as the pass went through,” Williamson said.
That allowed the Spartans to be able to run Carolina on their next possession and put the victory away.
Corvallis 45, West Albany 36
WEST ALBANY 11 12 9 4 — 36
CORVALLIS 12 11 9 13 — 45
West Albany: Lacey Dixon 10, Barawis 8, Kastrava 6, Siegner 4, Jamison 4, Silsby 2, Kuntz 2, Hartman, Greber, Martin
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 13, Adams 10, Gerner 6, Schrock 4, Kar. Laney 4, Kay. Laney 4, M. Redberg 3, W. Redberg 1
JV: West Albany 70, Corvallis 67
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
What a first-half run
Each time the Corvallis High girls basketball team takes to the court this season, they expect to get the best shot from their opponent.
That comes with the territory after finishing fourth at the state tournament last year and being ranked in the top 5 in the polls.
That has been the case the past three Mid-Willamette Conference games.
First, Dallas gave the Spartans a run in the first quarter, then South Albany was within three points in the second quarter and finally arch-rival Crescent Valley bolted out to an early lead last Thursday.
In each of those games, the Spartans regrouped and won rather handily.
So when Lebanon used two banked 3-pointers in the first two minutes to take a 10-5 lead, the Spartans knew exactly what to do.
Corvallis clamped down on defense and used their athleticism and speed to swarm the Warriors the rest of the way for a convincing 86-34 rout on Tuesday night.
Because of the experience over the last three games, the Spartans weren't too concerned, and besides, "banked threes aren't going to stop us," senior post Kayla Laney said with a smile.
"Joe (coach Joe Williamson) preps us for it," Laney said of the opening shot the Spartans receive. "It happened against CV, it happened against Dallas. Teams will jump out on us but then I have faith in our team that we'll come back because I know that we're a good team."
At 5-0 in the MWC and 11-2 overall, the Spartans are a good team for sure, and one that could end up being great if they continue to progress as they have the past season and a half.
And if they continue to put together scoring runs that border on the obscene.
The Spartans had an 18-2 run against Dallas to break an 11-11 tie and led 44-21 at the half. At one point they were up 67-33.
Up just 25-22 with 3:29 left in the first half against South Albany, the Spartans closed on a 13-4 run, then scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and 17 of the first 20 for a 55-29 lead.
On Tuesday against Lebanon, the Spartans used a 20-1 run to close the final 6:03 of the first quarter, then outscored Lebanon 25-4 in the second for a 50-15 lead.
All told, the Spartans outscored Lebanon 45-5 over the final 14:03 of the half. That inlcuded a 9:03 stretch where Lebanon dind't score a single point.
Asked about the offensive outburst on Tuesday and Laney dind't have much of an explanation for it: "We just play," she said.
And play Laney was able to do for a change. She was whistled for two quick fouls in Thursday's game against CV and finished with just five points after missing more than 15 minutes of the first half.
Sitting on the bench was motivation enough for Laney.
"It was definitely an eye-opener because I realize how much I can't foul and it definitely really sucks being on the bench for almost the entire first half so I came out tonight promisinig myself I wasn't going to foul anymore," she said.
She kept the promise and was an offensive spark in the first half, scoring 11 of her 13 points. Gabe Johnson also had 11 of her 13 points in the first half and Katie Schrock added nine.
So what was the difference for Laney?
"I guess I just played smarter," she said. "I saw the person and was aware of where they were (and) instead of trying to go through them I got in front of them and just worked that much harder to get around them."
Up 50-15 at the half, Williamson didn't have much to complain about in the locker room. Returning to the school he used to coach at will always be a game where he wants his team to play well and make a statement.
They did that in the first half.
And they kept it up in the third quarter, even without pressing. Katie Schrock scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the third, and throughout the game made the right decision of when to drive to the basket and when to take the open 3-pointer, something Williamson has been looking for Schrock to do.
That ability by Schrock, Johnson and McKenzie Redberg to penetrate leads to either layups, free throws or easy dishes for layups to the posts.
And the post have done a better job this season of being ready for those dishes, Laney said.
The Spartans were 23 of 33 from the free-throw line for the game.
Corvallis can expect another early shot on Friday when West Albany comes to Spartan Gym for a crucial MWC game. West Albany is 4-1 in conference play and is coming off a 55-44 win over Silverton (4-1) on Monday.
"I'm excited, especially from our loss to them last year to get revenge on our home court," Laney said.
Corvallis 86, Lebanon 34
CORVALLIS 25 25 20 16 -- 86
LEBANON 11 4 10 9 -- 34
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 19, Adams 14, Johnson 13, Kay. Laney 13, Gerner 7, Kar. Laney 7, McGowan 5, Clark 4, M. Redberg 4, Hendrickson, W. Redberg
Lebanon: Steward 9, Parks 6, Kirby 5, Nelson 4, Gabel 4, Luton 3, Duerr 2, Benedict 1, Hudson, Gerson, Newton, King
JV: Corvallis 62-18.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Closing the deal at home
The final 30 seconds of regulation in last year's game at home against crosstown rival Crescent Valley are a moment everyone associated with the Corvallis High girls basketball program would like to wipe out of their memories.
The Raiders rallied from six down to force overtime and eventually walked off the floor at Spartan Gym with a victory.
So when CV's Molly Doran hit a 3-pointer with 2:27 to play that brought the Raiders within 55-50 on Thursday night, a feeling of deja vu may have been experienced by some in attendance.
But the Spartans remained poised and Katie Schrock found Karly Laney open for a layup with 1:56 left and enough order had been restored for the Spartans to avoid another heart-breaking ending.
"We knew coming in they weren't just going to roll over dead," senior McKenzie Redberg said. "We had to play our game.
"We just knew last year we let up, we made too many mental mistakes and we said that was not going to happen this year."
And the Spartans didn't just settle. Kayla Laney's steal led to Gabe Johnson's drive to the basket for two on the next possession before Karly Laney grabbed a rebound and scored to put CHS up 61-50 with just over a minute to play.
The Spartans wrapped up their fourth straight Mid-Willamette Conference win a minute later as they held off the Raiders 64-52.
"Last year we were just kind of giving them the ball and giving them the game and we kind of started doing that," Johnson said. "But we realized we were ahead, the clock was in our favor so we kind of slowed it up and got the good pass on offense."
Johnson led the Spartans with 18 points and Redberg added 14. Karly Laney had a strong game all around as she finished with 14 points and played extended minutes with foul trouble to fellow posts Alaina Adams and Kayla Laney.
"She looked really aggressive on defense and on offense dribbling up the floor and dishing off and going up for layups," Redberg said of Karly Laney, who got the start in place of Adams on Thursday. "She was really aggressive."
The ability for players to step up lately has been a key for the Spartans. On Tuesday, Adams was whistled for two quick fouls and had to sit most of the first half. On Thursday it was Kayla Laney out in the first minute of the game.
"I think it just says that we're one," Johnson said of the Spartans having differnt players step up when needed. "Tonight it was Karly who said. 'I'm going to do this.' Everyone has that attitude. I really like that about our team."
It was the first close game of the conference season for the Spartans, who had won the first three games by an average of 29 points.
They struggled a bit at times as Doran hit two 3s early for a 6-2 lead and Kayla Laney was forced to the bench with the early fouls. Five combined fouls were called in the first two minutes of the quarter.
But the Spartans regrouped, and when Schrock scored with 2:03 left in the first quarter they led 10-8. It was a lead they would never relinquish.
They led by as many as nine at 19-10 in the first half, but CV closed the score to 25-22. The Spartans scored the final five points for a 30-22 lead at the break.
"It was tougher than we all thought it was (going to be)," Johnson said. "In the first half we were pretty messy and sloppy and we had to clean it up."
Corvallis pushed the lead to 11 only to see CV come back. The Raiders were down 41-36 after a three-point play by Sammie Waite.
But Karly Laney forced a turnover and Johnson hit a jumper, then was fouled on a drive to the basket. The three-point play put CHS up 46-36.
After a bucket by Doran, giving her eight points in the quarter, Redberg drilled a three with 5 seconds left after the Spartans purposefully ran down the clock.
Redberg collected a steal and nearly scored at the buzzer but the Spartans led 49-38.
Corvallis was able to keep the advantage close to double digits most of the quarter until Doran's three brought them within five.
But there would be no comeback for the Raiders on this night.
In fact, the Spartans were able to get senior Leah Seitz into the game. Seitz has missed the season recovering from a knee injury she suffered during soccer.
And to make it even better, Seitz was fouled and hit a free throw, much to the delight of her teammates and the crowd.
"That was amazing," Redberg said. "I didn't know what was going on. I was looking for my man and (there was) Leah. She got in, got fouled and was able to make a point in the CV game. That was more than she wanted."
As big of a win as Thursday was, the Spartans are still only a half-game ahead of Silverton in the standings. The Silver Foxes, who won at CV on Tuesday, host South Albany tonight.
The Spartans are at Lebanon next Tuesday. And they know they need to keep heading forward.
"We need not to take anything for granted and keep grinding and keep working hard in practice," Redberg said. "The harder we work, the more special we will be.
Corvallis 64, Crescent Valley 52
CRESCENT VALLEY 10 12 16 14 -- 52
CORVALLIS 16 14 19 15 -- 64
Crescent Valley: Molly Doran 18, S. Waite 11, Rausch 10, H. Doran 5, T. Waite 2, Walsh 2, Barnes 2, Kauffman 2
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 18, Kar. Laney 14, M. Redberg 14, Kay. Laney 5, Schrock 4, Gerner 4, Adams 2, W. Redberg 2, Seitz 1
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Fighting through foul trouble
First there was a whistle.
Then another.
Then yet another.
It seemed like every other trip down the floor there was a whistle and a foul call.
Just ask Corvallis High's Alaina Adams. She heard two whistles in the first 1:12 of the game and just like that she was on the bench.
When she returned in the second quarter, it wasn't for long as she quickly picked up her third foul before she could even break a sweat. She played only two minutes, 48 seconds in the first half.
Oh and Kayla Laney also heard that whistle three times in the first half, while sister Karly heard it twice.
In fact, the Spartans were called for seven fouls in the first quarter of their Mid-Willamette Conference contest against South Albany on Tuesday night.
South Albany took full advantage of the foul calls by going to the free-throw line 12 times in the half, hitting 11. That helped the Rebels remain close.
The Rebels, who trailed 22-8 early in the second, cut the deficit to 25-22 with 3:29 to play in the half and looked like they might give the third-ranked Spartans an unexpected battle.
But the Spartans showed their depth and experience, shook off the foul trouble and blitzed the Rebels from that point for a comfortable 80-45 victory to push their MWC record to 3-0 with a showdown with crosstown rival Crescent Valley on Thursday. The Raiders (2-1) lost a tough game to Silverton (3-0) 63-59 on Tuesday.
"We started out pretty good but then we got in foul trouble and the girls started playing careful and we're not a team that plays careful," coach Joe Williamson said, alluding to the defensive pressure, or lack thereof, in the first half. "We play aggressive so that was the biggest thing.
"We rallied them at halftime and said South Albany always plays tough, especially the first half, in my experience, and to come out and bring it to them again (in the second half) and we did."
That they did as the Spartans scored the first 10 points of the third quarter, and 17 of the first 20, to push a 38-26 halftime advantage to 55-29.
"We were hitting all of our shots, we were penetrating, we were dishing," Karly Laney said. "We did everything that coach wanted."
Corvallis used the 27-9 advantage in the third to lead 65-35.
The return to the defensive pressure helped key the early run and the success in the quarter.
While he would never like to have a similar situation when it comes to fouls, Williamson said it was a good experience.
"It's always good to be challeneged," he said. "As long as the results are like this, it's good for us."
Added Karly Laney: "I think it was a good experience for the future in case that ever happens we will have the mentallity to pick it up."
Gabe Johnson led the Spartans with 18 points while Katie Schrock added 17 and Syree Gerner 14. Adams had nine points, all in the second half, to help the Spartans remain undefeated in conference play.
Like she did last Friday against Dallas, Johnson was more active driving to the basket when the opportunity presented itself.
"I'm really starting to try to do that at the beginning of the game and throughout the game and not just the end of the game," she said.
Every Corvallis player who played except for Jessica McGowan scored, but she did have an assist on Jamie Clark's first basket.
Now comes a quick turnaround as the Spartans have just one day to prepare for the Raiders. Not much needed to be said in the locker room about the next opponent.
They know what's on the line.
Corvallis 80, South Albany 45
CORVALLIS 20 18 27 15 -- 80
SOUTH ALBANY 8 18 9 10 -- 45
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 18, Schrock 17, Gerner 14, Adams 9, Kar. Laney 6, Clark 4, Kay. Laney 4, Hendrickson 3, M. Redberg 3, W. Redberg 2, McGowan
South Albany: Ellen Calderon 10, Miner 7, Swartzendruber 6, Hortsch 6, Bethards 5, Mitchell 4, A. Trower 4, Sherman 2, Rogers 1, C. Trower, Prince, Managan
JV: Corvallis 50, South Albany 44
Freshman: Corvallis won
Friday, January 9, 2009
Making a statement
Now that was more like it.
The Corvallis High girls basketball team showed Friday night why it has to be considered the favorites to win the Mid-Willamette Conference title this season with an impressive 72-51 road victory over Dallas.
The Spartans led by as many as 34 in the fourth quarter before Dallas made a run late to get the score reasonable.
The Spartans showed the kind of effort and intensity it will take on a nightly basis to be at the top of the standings come the end of February.
"The girls really came out and established an aggressive mentallity that we knew we would have to have to get a win against a good Dallas team," CHS coach Joe Williamson said. "We're really happy for our first road league game to play as well as we did."
Unlike last year when they shared the conference title with Silverton and West Albany, the Spartans want this year's title all to themselves.
Heading into Friday night's game, Dallas had to feel pretty good about its start to the season. The Dragons entered at 5-2 and were coming off a tough 55-48 loss at Silverton on Tuesday.
Corvallis was coming off a sluggish performance in a 68-37 win over Woodburn on Monday, a game that point guard Gabe Johnson sat out and starter Katie Schrock battled through despite being sick. She missed practice on Tuesday and was still not at full strength on Wednesday.
Friday's game was deadlocked at 11-11 late in the first quarter until the Spartans took control.
Johnson gave the Spartans (8-2, 2-0) a lead they would never relinquish with a layup, then hit three free throws and scored off a steal and layup all in the span of 28 seconds.
Just like that it was 18-11 Corvallis. Throw in McKenzie Redberg's three with 12 seconds left in the quarter and CHS led 21-11.
"We really needed to go out at the start and send a message because we didn't do that against Woodburn," Redberg said. "It makes a statement saying to the rest of the league that we're Corvallis and we're still tough and they should be worried about us."
It was nice for Johnson just to be back on the court. She was held out of the Woodburn game to allow her more time to rest after taking a pounding while at the tournament in Malibu, Calif.
Johnson looked rested, and took advantage of her ability to drive to the basket. In the third quarter alone, Johnson outscored Dallas 10-8 and twice converted three-point plays on drives to the basket.
"Coach said you know drive more and penetrate," Johnson said of Williamson's message to the whole team before the game. "If the three is open shoot it because a lot of us, we like shooting threes of course, but we did really well and I am really proud."
What was also nice for Johnson was she hit all seven of her free throws after struggling at the end of the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam.
The Spartans hit 19 of 24 free throws as a team for the game.
Johnson and Redberg each finished with 19 points, while Syree Gerner continued to provide an offensive punch off the pench with 17 points.
"We just did everything as a team," Johnson said. "Like I said, we were all on the same page and we shot shots that were open."
But while the players who score always seem to get the accolades, the players who didn't score much also provided strong play.
Kayla Laney and Karly Laney combined to score just one point, but were effective playing defense in the post, rebounded, came up with loose balls and forced Dallas into turnovers.
It was the kind of play the Spartans need each night if they hope to accomplish their goals.
"To win a championship you need to have effort," Redberg said. "Effort is what wins games. If we don't give effort we're not going to win games."
What was also nice was that unlike some games this season, the Spartans didn't play a sluggish third quarter after a solid first half.
On Friday, the Spartans outscored Dalls 20-8 to put the game away.
"It was real nice and it takes a lot of stress off, like OK, get it done," Redberg said. "After that, the game isn't over but it allows other players a chance to get to play."
The Spartans know they will get the best of each team from here on out. Friday's game sent a bit of a message.
"It just establishes that we are the team to beat in league and I'm excited," Johnson said. "I hope everyone is ready for us."
Corvallis 72, Dallas 51
CORVALLIS 21 23 20 8 -- 72
DALLAS 11 10 8 22 -- 51
Corvallis: Gabe Jonson 19, McKenzie Redberg 19, Gerner 17, Adams 9, Schrock 4, W. Redberg 2, Clark 1, Kay. Laney 1, Hendrickson, McGowan, Kar. Laney
Dallas: Hannah Frederick 13, Lily Prince 13, Mitchell 10, Kutzer 8, Bridges 5, Pola 2, Phelps, Mitchell
JV: Corvallis 64, Dallas 20. Freshman: Dallas won
The Corvallis High girls basketball team showed Friday night why it has to be considered the favorites to win the Mid-Willamette Conference title this season with an impressive 72-51 road victory over Dallas.
The Spartans led by as many as 34 in the fourth quarter before Dallas made a run late to get the score reasonable.
The Spartans showed the kind of effort and intensity it will take on a nightly basis to be at the top of the standings come the end of February.
"The girls really came out and established an aggressive mentallity that we knew we would have to have to get a win against a good Dallas team," CHS coach Joe Williamson said. "We're really happy for our first road league game to play as well as we did."
Unlike last year when they shared the conference title with Silverton and West Albany, the Spartans want this year's title all to themselves.
Heading into Friday night's game, Dallas had to feel pretty good about its start to the season. The Dragons entered at 5-2 and were coming off a tough 55-48 loss at Silverton on Tuesday.
Corvallis was coming off a sluggish performance in a 68-37 win over Woodburn on Monday, a game that point guard Gabe Johnson sat out and starter Katie Schrock battled through despite being sick. She missed practice on Tuesday and was still not at full strength on Wednesday.
Friday's game was deadlocked at 11-11 late in the first quarter until the Spartans took control.
Johnson gave the Spartans (8-2, 2-0) a lead they would never relinquish with a layup, then hit three free throws and scored off a steal and layup all in the span of 28 seconds.
Just like that it was 18-11 Corvallis. Throw in McKenzie Redberg's three with 12 seconds left in the quarter and CHS led 21-11.
"We really needed to go out at the start and send a message because we didn't do that against Woodburn," Redberg said. "It makes a statement saying to the rest of the league that we're Corvallis and we're still tough and they should be worried about us."
It was nice for Johnson just to be back on the court. She was held out of the Woodburn game to allow her more time to rest after taking a pounding while at the tournament in Malibu, Calif.
Johnson looked rested, and took advantage of her ability to drive to the basket. In the third quarter alone, Johnson outscored Dallas 10-8 and twice converted three-point plays on drives to the basket.
"Coach said you know drive more and penetrate," Johnson said of Williamson's message to the whole team before the game. "If the three is open shoot it because a lot of us, we like shooting threes of course, but we did really well and I am really proud."
What was also nice for Johnson was she hit all seven of her free throws after struggling at the end of the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam.
The Spartans hit 19 of 24 free throws as a team for the game.
Johnson and Redberg each finished with 19 points, while Syree Gerner continued to provide an offensive punch off the pench with 17 points.
"We just did everything as a team," Johnson said. "Like I said, we were all on the same page and we shot shots that were open."
But while the players who score always seem to get the accolades, the players who didn't score much also provided strong play.
Kayla Laney and Karly Laney combined to score just one point, but were effective playing defense in the post, rebounded, came up with loose balls and forced Dallas into turnovers.
It was the kind of play the Spartans need each night if they hope to accomplish their goals.
"To win a championship you need to have effort," Redberg said. "Effort is what wins games. If we don't give effort we're not going to win games."
What was also nice was that unlike some games this season, the Spartans didn't play a sluggish third quarter after a solid first half.
On Friday, the Spartans outscored Dalls 20-8 to put the game away.
"It was real nice and it takes a lot of stress off, like OK, get it done," Redberg said. "After that, the game isn't over but it allows other players a chance to get to play."
The Spartans know they will get the best of each team from here on out. Friday's game sent a bit of a message.
"It just establishes that we are the team to beat in league and I'm excited," Johnson said. "I hope everyone is ready for us."
Corvallis 72, Dallas 51
CORVALLIS 21 23 20 8 -- 72
DALLAS 11 10 8 22 -- 51
Corvallis: Gabe Jonson 19, McKenzie Redberg 19, Gerner 17, Adams 9, Schrock 4, W. Redberg 2, Clark 1, Kay. Laney 1, Hendrickson, McGowan, Kar. Laney
Dallas: Hannah Frederick 13, Lily Prince 13, Mitchell 10, Kutzer 8, Bridges 5, Pola 2, Phelps, Mitchell
JV: Corvallis 64, Dallas 20. Freshman: Dallas won
Monday, January 5, 2009
A lackluster win
For as well as the Corvallis High girls basketball team played during it’s trip to California last week, Monday night must have seemed like something out of the Twilight Zone.
The Spartans lost a heartbreaker in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam last Wednesday. Still, for most of the game, the Spartans played extremely well and had numerous chances to win.
Prior to that game they had dominated three opponents, including a solid Sierra Canyon team 61-40 in the semifinals.
So when the Spartans took the court against an overmatched Woodburn team, there should have been little doubt about the outcome.
Maybe something similar to the 79-12 drubbing of Viewpoint (Calif.), or how about the 92-33 whipping of St. Genevieve (Calif.) the same day in the tournament.
In those two games the Spartans never let up and took it to their opponents from start to finish.
But on Monday night, that was not the case.
Sure, the Spartans won easily 68-37 in a game that was never in doubt, but the effort that was put forth was not close to what they will need against just about any other Mid-Willamette Conference team this season.
“If you play like that you lose four or five games in league,” coach Joe Williamson said in the postgame discussion.
The Spartans appeared rushed and a bit out of sync at times. Part of that could be the absence of point guard Gabe Johnson, who was held out after taking a pounding in California.
It wasn’t a bad start as Alaina Adams hit two technical free throws before the game even began for a 2-0 lead.
It was 9-2, and then 19-4 after back-to-back threes by McKenzie Redberg and Katie Schrock.
At the end of the first quarter CHS led 23-8. It was 29-11 with 5:09 to play in the second quarter when all of a sudden the Spartans couldn’t score.
In fact, they went 3:25 without changing the scoreboard, with Schrock’s three at the 1:44 mark breaking the scoreless streak.
Kayla Laney had back-to-back baskets in the final minute of the half as CHS headed to the locker room with a 36-11 lead.
Williamson told the players they needed to slow down and not rush the offense. Plays they ran perfectly in California were not nearly as fluid.
The offense was better in the third quarter as the Spartans scored 22 points and built a 58-24 advantage.
But one of the goals on the board in the team room was to hold Woodburn to 30 points. It looked like an attainable goal at the half, but 13 points in the third quarter meant the Spartans would have to hold Woodburn to six points or fewer in the fourth.
That didn’t happen as the Bulldogs reached the 30-point mark with just under four minutes to play.
Schrock led the Spartans with 17 points. Syree Gerner had her third consecutive solid offensive game with 15 points and Laney added 10. Redberg and Adams each had eight.
The Spartans have three days of practice, the first practices since Dec. 23, to get ready for a tough road game at Dallas. The Dragons open MWC play against Silverton on Tuesday.
Last year, the Spartans played a sluggish first half before taking the win at Dallas.
Corvallis 68, Woodburn 37
WOODBURN 8 3 13 13 — 37
CORVALLIS 23 13 22 10 — 68
Woodburn: Katie Kalugin 19, Doman 8, Ivanov 3, Ruiz 2, Armstrong 2, Maldonado 2, Best 1, Robles, Harrington
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 17, Gerner 15, Kay. Laney 10, Adams 8, M. Redberg 8, W. Redberg 4, Hendrickson 3, Kar. Laney 3, McGowan, Clark
JV: Corvallis 87, Woodburn 15; Freshmen: Corvallis won
The Spartans lost a heartbreaker in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam last Wednesday. Still, for most of the game, the Spartans played extremely well and had numerous chances to win.
Prior to that game they had dominated three opponents, including a solid Sierra Canyon team 61-40 in the semifinals.
So when the Spartans took the court against an overmatched Woodburn team, there should have been little doubt about the outcome.
Maybe something similar to the 79-12 drubbing of Viewpoint (Calif.), or how about the 92-33 whipping of St. Genevieve (Calif.) the same day in the tournament.
In those two games the Spartans never let up and took it to their opponents from start to finish.
But on Monday night, that was not the case.
Sure, the Spartans won easily 68-37 in a game that was never in doubt, but the effort that was put forth was not close to what they will need against just about any other Mid-Willamette Conference team this season.
“If you play like that you lose four or five games in league,” coach Joe Williamson said in the postgame discussion.
The Spartans appeared rushed and a bit out of sync at times. Part of that could be the absence of point guard Gabe Johnson, who was held out after taking a pounding in California.
It wasn’t a bad start as Alaina Adams hit two technical free throws before the game even began for a 2-0 lead.
It was 9-2, and then 19-4 after back-to-back threes by McKenzie Redberg and Katie Schrock.
At the end of the first quarter CHS led 23-8. It was 29-11 with 5:09 to play in the second quarter when all of a sudden the Spartans couldn’t score.
In fact, they went 3:25 without changing the scoreboard, with Schrock’s three at the 1:44 mark breaking the scoreless streak.
Kayla Laney had back-to-back baskets in the final minute of the half as CHS headed to the locker room with a 36-11 lead.
Williamson told the players they needed to slow down and not rush the offense. Plays they ran perfectly in California were not nearly as fluid.
The offense was better in the third quarter as the Spartans scored 22 points and built a 58-24 advantage.
But one of the goals on the board in the team room was to hold Woodburn to 30 points. It looked like an attainable goal at the half, but 13 points in the third quarter meant the Spartans would have to hold Woodburn to six points or fewer in the fourth.
That didn’t happen as the Bulldogs reached the 30-point mark with just under four minutes to play.
Schrock led the Spartans with 17 points. Syree Gerner had her third consecutive solid offensive game with 15 points and Laney added 10. Redberg and Adams each had eight.
The Spartans have three days of practice, the first practices since Dec. 23, to get ready for a tough road game at Dallas. The Dragons open MWC play against Silverton on Tuesday.
Last year, the Spartans played a sluggish first half before taking the win at Dallas.
Corvallis 68, Woodburn 37
WOODBURN 8 3 13 13 — 37
CORVALLIS 23 13 22 10 — 68
Woodburn: Katie Kalugin 19, Doman 8, Ivanov 3, Ruiz 2, Armstrong 2, Maldonado 2, Best 1, Robles, Harrington
Corvallis: Katie Schrock 17, Gerner 15, Kay. Laney 10, Adams 8, M. Redberg 8, W. Redberg 4, Hendrickson 3, Kar. Laney 3, McGowan, Clark
JV: Corvallis 87, Woodburn 15; Freshmen: Corvallis won
Tough championship loss
Editor's note: Sorry for sucha long delay in getting this up from last week. Had too much fun in California. Thanks for your patience.
McKenzie Redberg stood in the corner of the Van Nuys High School gym late last Wednesday night.
The frustration from a difficult 76-69 double-overtime loss to Oaks Christian (Calif.) in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam tournament evident on her face.
Redberg could only listen and relive the painful ending to a game the Spartans had all but won late in regulation and early in the first overtime.
But missed free throws and a failure to execute proved costly.
“It’s hard to look for the positives,” Redberg said just after the postgame talk ended that night. “I mean, we were up by seven (in regulation) and in both overtimes and we gave it away. It shows we could have put it away, but we need to execute and get better and calm down and settle down and run what we need to do.”
The Spartans led 58-51 with 2:22 left in regulation after Karly Laney’s strip at the free-throw line led to Redberg’s layup.
After Oaks Christian cut the lead to 58-54, Gabe Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw attempt and Katie Brooks’ basket made it 58-56.
Johnson missed another front end free throw with 22 seconds left and Oaks Christian had a chance to tie.
And Brooks made sure she had the ball and scored with six seconds left.
The Spartans missed a game-winning shot and went to OT.
Syree Gerner, who had a team-high 23 points in a breakout performance, drained a 3 and hit a 14-footer to put CHS up 63-58 in the first OT.
But Brooks, who scored 11 of her game-high 37 in the two overtimes, scored seven straight points to put Oaks Christian up 65-63.
Redberg then scored to tie the game and got a turnover on the inbounds play.
But the Spartans weren’t able to score and Oaks Christian had a chance to win.
However, the Lions failed to get a shot off and the game went to a second OT.
Redberg gave the Spartans the start they wanted with a 3, but Oaks Christian held the Spartans scoreless the next three minutes and pulled away for the win.
“We all make mistakes, we all learn from them but next time we’re in the state championship or like that we’ll know and think back to California and not let that happen,” Johnson said.
The Spartans opened with a 10-0 run and led 37-22 at the half and looked well on their way to another easy win in the tournament.
However, Oaks Christian used a 23-11 spurt in the third quarter to get right back into the game.
The game went back-and-forth with some physical play and intense moments throughout the fourth quarter and both overtimes.
Neither team backed down.
“It was a fun game all around,” Redberg said, with the exception of the outcome, of course. “It was intense. We haven’t really had a full intense game. It was good competition for what we need at state.”
It could be another one of those “learning” experiences for the Spartans.
Both losses this year have been games the Spartans could have won against tough competition — Willamette and Oaks Christian.
“Against Willamette that was a hard loss,” Johnson said. “I know this loss, we had some things we did wrong, we all take blame for what we did. It’s a game, we just have to keep playing.
“I think it was a good experience, but like Joe (Williamson) said we never really had an overtime experience yet this year. I think we all really wanted it but you know ...”
While the loss was difficult, it didn’t put a too much of a damper on an otherwise successful trip to California for the Spartans.
“It’s been good for our team chemistry,” Redberg said of the trip. “Even just being here for four days we’ve been able to click and do things a lot better on and off the court and it shows how close we are. It’s really fun down here.”
The trip is over and the Spartans open Mid-Willamette Conference play at 6-2 with Woodburn at home on Monday night.
Oaks Christian 76, Corvallis 69 (2OT)
CORVALLIS 16 21 11 10 7 4 — 69
OAKS CHRISTIAN 9 13 23 13 7 11 — 76
Corvallis: Syree Gerner 23, M. Redberg 15, Schrock 13, Johnson 6, Adams 5, Kay. Laney 4, W. Redberg 2, Kar. Laney 1
Oaks Christian: Katie Brooks 37, Owusu 14, Barrett 12, Roce 5, Au-Speakes 4, Landa 4, Cooper
McKenzie Redberg stood in the corner of the Van Nuys High School gym late last Wednesday night.
The frustration from a difficult 76-69 double-overtime loss to Oaks Christian (Calif.) in the championship game of the Winter Slam Jam tournament evident on her face.
Redberg could only listen and relive the painful ending to a game the Spartans had all but won late in regulation and early in the first overtime.
But missed free throws and a failure to execute proved costly.
“It’s hard to look for the positives,” Redberg said just after the postgame talk ended that night. “I mean, we were up by seven (in regulation) and in both overtimes and we gave it away. It shows we could have put it away, but we need to execute and get better and calm down and settle down and run what we need to do.”
The Spartans led 58-51 with 2:22 left in regulation after Karly Laney’s strip at the free-throw line led to Redberg’s layup.
After Oaks Christian cut the lead to 58-54, Gabe Johnson missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw attempt and Katie Brooks’ basket made it 58-56.
Johnson missed another front end free throw with 22 seconds left and Oaks Christian had a chance to tie.
And Brooks made sure she had the ball and scored with six seconds left.
The Spartans missed a game-winning shot and went to OT.
Syree Gerner, who had a team-high 23 points in a breakout performance, drained a 3 and hit a 14-footer to put CHS up 63-58 in the first OT.
But Brooks, who scored 11 of her game-high 37 in the two overtimes, scored seven straight points to put Oaks Christian up 65-63.
Redberg then scored to tie the game and got a turnover on the inbounds play.
But the Spartans weren’t able to score and Oaks Christian had a chance to win.
However, the Lions failed to get a shot off and the game went to a second OT.
Redberg gave the Spartans the start they wanted with a 3, but Oaks Christian held the Spartans scoreless the next three minutes and pulled away for the win.
“We all make mistakes, we all learn from them but next time we’re in the state championship or like that we’ll know and think back to California and not let that happen,” Johnson said.
The Spartans opened with a 10-0 run and led 37-22 at the half and looked well on their way to another easy win in the tournament.
However, Oaks Christian used a 23-11 spurt in the third quarter to get right back into the game.
The game went back-and-forth with some physical play and intense moments throughout the fourth quarter and both overtimes.
Neither team backed down.
“It was a fun game all around,” Redberg said, with the exception of the outcome, of course. “It was intense. We haven’t really had a full intense game. It was good competition for what we need at state.”
It could be another one of those “learning” experiences for the Spartans.
Both losses this year have been games the Spartans could have won against tough competition — Willamette and Oaks Christian.
“Against Willamette that was a hard loss,” Johnson said. “I know this loss, we had some things we did wrong, we all take blame for what we did. It’s a game, we just have to keep playing.
“I think it was a good experience, but like Joe (Williamson) said we never really had an overtime experience yet this year. I think we all really wanted it but you know ...”
While the loss was difficult, it didn’t put a too much of a damper on an otherwise successful trip to California for the Spartans.
“It’s been good for our team chemistry,” Redberg said of the trip. “Even just being here for four days we’ve been able to click and do things a lot better on and off the court and it shows how close we are. It’s really fun down here.”
The trip is over and the Spartans open Mid-Willamette Conference play at 6-2 with Woodburn at home on Monday night.
Oaks Christian 76, Corvallis 69 (2OT)
CORVALLIS 16 21 11 10 7 4 — 69
OAKS CHRISTIAN 9 13 23 13 7 11 — 76
Corvallis: Syree Gerner 23, M. Redberg 15, Schrock 13, Johnson 6, Adams 5, Kay. Laney 4, W. Redberg 2, Kar. Laney 1
Oaks Christian: Katie Brooks 37, Owusu 14, Barrett 12, Roce 5, Au-Speakes 4, Landa 4, Cooper
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
