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
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