In a girls basketball showdown Sunday afternoon at the Spartan Holiday Showcase in Corvallis, top teams from 5A and 4A squared off to fight for the tournament title. The larger school won with Crater defeating Philomath, 76-52.
The Comets, last season’s 5A state champions, took control early on the strength of a scoring outburst by sisters Taylor Young and Brynlee Young.
Senior Taylor Young, who signed to play college ball at Oregon State and was last season’s 5A player of the year, scored 14 of her 37 points in the first quarter. Freshman Brynlee Young buried three 3-pointers in the opening frame and finished the game with 25 points.
Crater led 31-15 at the end of the first and 46-32 at halftime. Philomath trailed by 10 to 15 points most of the game until Crater had a final big push over the game’s final four minutes to win by 24.
Free throws were somewhat of a factor in the contest with the Comets successful on 22 of 29 (75%) and Philomath on 7 of 19 (36%). Taylor Young alone was good on 13 of 14.
Juniors Annaleise Brown and Reagan Heiken each scored 15 to lead the Warriors.
Crater (6-3) was ranked No. 3 in the most-recent OSAAtoday Class 5A coaches poll behind South Albany and Springfield. Philomath’s other loss this season came to South Albany. The Warriors (4-2) were ranked No. 2 in the 4A poll behind Stayton.
The 76 points allowed were the most given up by a Philomath team during coach Ben Silva’s eight-year run as head coach and the most in a decade since Estacada beat the Warriors, 78-51, during the 2015-16 season.
Philomath will get another shot at Crater on Jan. 6 at Central Point, which is located just north of Medford. The Warriors will next see the court at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Junction City.
Crater 76, Philomath 52
Sunday, Dec. 21, at Corvallis HS
PHILOMATH (52)
Reagan Nuño 3 1-2 7, Annaleise Brown 6 3-5 15, Shaylee May 2 1-2 6, Jordyn Hood 2 0-2 4, Reagan Heiken 7 1-4 15, Libby Kramer 1 0-0 2, Isabelle Muir 1 1-4 3, Khali Toombs 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 7-19 52.
CRATER (76)
Autumn Jackson 0 0-0 0, Jazmine Fernandez 1 1-2 4, Brynlee Young 7 8-11 25, Haley Plankenhorn 3 0-2 8, Taylor Young 12 13-14 37, Addison Griffin 1 0-0 2, Jaylynn Ontiveros 0 0-0 0, Taylor Niemann 0 0-0 0, McKenna Hyatt 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 22-29 76.
Team 1 2 3 4 F Philomath (4-2) 15 17 10 10 52 Crater (6-3) 31 15 10 20 76
3-Point Goals—Philomath 1 (May), Crater 6 (Young 3, Plankenhorn 2, Fernandez). Fouled Out—Plankenhorn, T. Young, Brown. Total Fouls—Philomath 20, Crater 21. Technicals—None.