You see, back in seventh grade, the Future Spartans team she played on -- which had current seniors Gabe Johnson, Leah Seitz, Kayla Laney and Karly Laney on the team -- a North Albany team that had Hartman on the roster, won a close championship game.
In that game a North Albany player -- Redberg swears it was Hartman -- hit a halfcourt shot to the end the first quarter. North Albany won the game by three.
So when Hartman drained the shot on her home court to tie the game at 36 on Wednesday, Redberg was a bit upset.
"I was like come on," Redberg said. "I'm pretty sure she was the one that hit the halfcourt shot in our seventh-grade game. Come on, no deja vu. This is not going to happen."
Redberg made sure the outcome would be different than the one some five years ago.
With the Spartans down 39-38 and the final minute ticking away in overtime, Redberg took a pass from Karly Laney and calmly sank a three of her own to put the Spartans up 41-39.
This time, Hartman and the Bulldogs didn't have an answer as the fourth-ranked Spartans earned their 20th win of the season and finished the Mid-Willamette Conference season with a 13-1 record.
"I looked and I saw three girls collapse on me and I thought, not smart and I looked up and saw Z wide open and passed it to her," Laney said. "I knew it was going in because I don't know, I could just tell. As soon as she grabbed it she was determined to make it."
Determined maybe, but it had been less than a stellar offense game for Redberg or her teammates. The Spartans struggled from the floor and the free-throw line all game, and Redberg was scoreless until hitting the game-winner.
That after Redberg spent time during her off block shooting. She was pretty much on fire thorughout, she said.
Despite the lack of success in the game, Redberg was determined.
"When it came down to it, I'm not letting my team lose," she said. "I just focsed somehow."
"What a way to finish your last regular season game," coach Williamson said as he gave her a congratulatory hug while being interviewed.
The players began to show some emotion after Redberg's shot. And een though the Spartans had only pride to play for after wrapping up the MWC title on Monday, the game meant a lot to them.
"I was really proud of Z and I was really glad for Z because she wasn't hitting anything and for her to hit that big of a shot, it's a confidence boost right there," Johnson said. "After that shot she was like OK let's go. Everyone was pumped. It was good."
While the Spartans had their playoff berth wrapped up, West Albany could have finished second with a win and thus only needed to win one playoff game to make the 5A quarterfinals. Instead, the Bulldogs will now have to win two games on the road to reach the quarters.
Knocking the Bulldogs to third was a good motivator as well for the Spartans.
"It just shows our character and it shows how much we want to win and what it means to us," Redberg siad. "We wanted to beat West Albany on their floor, even though it didn't really affect us in league. It doesn't matter, we will still play hard no matter what."
The Spartans struggled mightly in the first half and trailed 21-14. They received a huge scare late in the first quarter when Johnson, likely the player of the year in the conference after sharing that honor last year, fell hard to the floor and stayed down for a minute or two.
She had to be helped off the floor and did not return in the first half.
It was an anxious moment for her teammates.
"Yeah, she never lays on the floor," Laney said. "I actually thought something was up because she's never on the ground and pops back up. She might be a little sore but she's good. It scared me."
Johnson said she had a dead leg and that she hit her knee cap on the floor.
At the half, Johnson said she wanted to play in the third quarter. She warmed up a little and came in midway through the third quarter.
"It was a little stiff but I know Joe was telling me this game quote un quote doesn't matter but every game I play matters and I know Joe hates losing and everyone else hates losing," Johnson said. "I just don't think it would feel right if we had lost this game. It's just not proper to lose on your last game."
The Spartans took a 24-22 lead on Kayla Laney's steal and layup with 2:25 left in the third, but the Bulldogs managed to lead 26-24 after three.
Corvallis led by three on several occassions in the fourth, the last on Katie Schrock's layup after breaking the press with 13 seconds left.
But then a breakdown allowed Hartman to hit the tying three.
"I didn't even know she hit that," Karly Laney said of Hartman. "I didn't know who hit that I just know we had a miscommunication. I had no clue who hit it I didn't even know it was a three."
But the Spartans didn't let the disappointment linger and Johnson's rebound basket put CHS up 38-36. A three by West gave the Bulldogs the lead with 1:48 left but Redberg had the final say in the outcome.
The Spartans overcame the loss of Johnson and severe foul trouble to earn the win against the Bulldogs, ranked ninth in the AP poll and 11th in the coaches poll. Schrock, filling in at the point for Johnson, picked up her fourh foul early in the third, and Kayla Laney fouled out on a very late call with just under seven minutes left in regulation.
"It shows we can overcome any faults or anything," Karly Laney said of the win. "Gabe was out, Kayla fouled out then I was in foul trouble and I was scared to foul. Oh, and we were playing against the refs for sure. It was seven on five the entire time. They didn't give us a break. I don't know, it just shows we can do anything and preparing us for playoffs and state. Hopefully that will show through."
The last time the Spartans had to play with Johnson on the bench was when she picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter against Silverton. The Spatans were down 22-10 after the first quarter and were never able to recover. Coincidentally, that is the last time the Spartans lost.
"I was really, really, really proud of them," Johnson said. "I know when we played Silverton and I came out and that kind of went downhill and from there we kind of all talked about it to step up and be leaders and I think the team did. Especially Karly, what 16 rebounds, amazing."
Now it's time to sit back, rest and get focused for what the Spartans hope are four more wins and a state championship. They open the playoffs on Feb. 28 at home.
Corvallis 41, West Albany 39 (OT)
CORVALLIS 7 7 10 12 5 -- 41
WEST ALBANY 11 10 5 10 3 -- 39
Corvallis: Gabe Johnson 9, Syree Gerner 9, Kar. Laney 6, Adams 5, Kay. Laney 5, Schrock 4, M. Redberg 3, W. Redberg, Seitz
West Albany: Jaclyn Silsby 17, Harman 8, Barawis 5, Kastrava 3, Kuntz 2, Dixon 2, Jamison 2, Grebner, Siegner, Martin
JV: West Albany 57, Corvallis 45
Frosh: West Albany won
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