A quick start and a solid win

Kayla Laney had a pretty good seat the first time the Corvallis High girls basketball team took on crosstown rival Crescent Valley.

The only problem for the senior was she would have much rather been in the game than in her seat.

Laney was whistled for two fouls in the first two minutes of the game and found herself watching more than playing in her final home game against the Raiders.

So when she was whistled for a foul early on Wednesday night in the rematch at CV, there was a little fear of a possible repeat performance.

"I got my first foul and I was so scared coach was going to sit me," Laney said. "It was scary, but I just kept my arms up."

Laney made sure not to pick up a second foul and played a key role with 12 of her team-high 14 points coming in the first half as the Spartans swept the season series with a 56-47 win to remain tied with Silverton for the Mid-Willamette Conference lead with three games left.

Corvallis (17-3, 10-1) also clinched a playoff berth with the win. The Spartans hold a four-game lead over Dallas (6-5), which upset West Albany (8-3) at home 42-40 on Wednesday.

Silverton (10-1) knocked off South Albany (2-9) to remain tied with Corvallis. Silverton, which suffered its only loss at West Albany, hosts the Bulldogs on Friday. Corvallis hosts Lebanon on Friday.

Laney scored eight of Corvallis' 18 second-quarter points, as the Spartans were able to hit from the baseline on several occassions to keep the Raiders at bay.

The Spartans had spent time in practice working on that very shot and it paid off on Wednesday.

"It helps a lot especially because we always run that set and always run that shot," Laney said. "It was just like practice."

Corvallis bolted out to a 16-2 lead late in the first quarter before CV senior Molly Doran drained a 3 to end the quarter and then hit another to start the second to make it 16-8.

"They are definitely going to go hard because it's a rivalry game and anyone can win on any given day," Laney said.

The Spartans kept Doran scoreless for the first 7:54, but then she scored 14 of CV's next 22 points as the Raiders (6-14, 5-6) trailed 34-24 at the half.

"Molly's a good player," CHS senior point guard Gabe Johnson said. "We've played with her all the way since Future Spartans and (coach Joe Williamson) told us, 'Molly can shoot 3s, she can shoot 3s,' so you've got to respect that."

Doran led the Raiders with a game-high 21 points. She scored 39 in the two games against the Spartans.

CV managed to cut the Spartans lead to six in the first half but, Laney and Syree Gerner seemed to have an answer each time. Gerner hit two 3s in the quarter, including one with 36 seconds left to put the Spartans up 10.

"We always get up by a lot but then we kind of mentally coast for a little bit," Laney admitted. "We are definitely getting better at getting back in the game and having our third quarter being strong."

The third wasn't as strong as CHS may have liked, but the Spartans were able to weather another CV storm.

Doran's fifth 3 of the game brought the Raiders within 40-37 with 1:16 left in the third and capped a 9-0 CV run that spanned just over three minutes.

But Johnson hit two free throws and rebounded one of her own missed free throws and put it in to help CHS take a 43-37 lead into the fourth.

"I just think we just have to calm down and run our game," Johnson said. "I think a lot of times we think, 'Oh no, we've got to hurry,' but when we play our game, it's unstoppable."

After CV scored to open the fourth, Alaina Adams canned a 3 and Johnson hit an 8-footer to regain control at 49-39. CV never got closer than seven after that.

Laney finished with 14 points and Johnson had 10 of her 12 in the second half for Corvallis. McKenzie Redberg chipped in eight and played strong despite recovering from a fever, and Katie Schrock and Gerner each finished with seven.

Corvallis is home against Lebanon on Friday and then closes out the regular season next Monday at home against Silverton and at West Albany on Wednesday.

There is still a lot of work to be done, and the players know it.

"We definitely don't want to get overconfident like the last time around," Laney said.

That attitude began on Wednesday night against the Raiders. It was more than just a rivalry game, Johnson said.

"Personally, I don't look at it as a rivalry any more," she said. "The last three games we have to win so they are all the same and I treat them all the same."

Corvallis 56, Crescent Valley 47
CORVALLIS 16 18 13 12 -- 56
CRESCENT VALLEY 5 19 13 10 -- 47
Corvallis: Kayla Laney 14, Johnson 12, M. Redberg 8, Schrock 7, Gerner 7, Adams 6, Kar. Laney 2, Hendrickson, W. Redberg
Crescent Valley: Molly Doran 21, H. Doran 9, Barnes 7, Rausch 4, S. Waite 3, Walsh 3, DeMaris
JV: Corvallis 40, Crescent Valley 32
Frosh: Corvallis won