Silverton girls basketball crushes Ridgeview, reaches OSAA state semifinals

CORVALLIS — With last season’s disappointment fresh on their minds, the Silverton girls basketball team quickly took care of business Tuesday at the state tournament.

The Foxes had five players score in double digits, and they shot 10-of-18 from long range to cruise past Ridgeview 73-26 in the OSAA Class 5A state quarterfinals.

“I did not see that coming, watching video of them. They looked good, hard-fought battlers,” Silverton coach Tal Wold said. “We just came out on fire and got momentum. The girls did a great job. I thought we defended really well.”

Silverton next will play at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in the state semifinals against Crater, which beat Churchill 48-46 on Tuesday in the quarterfinals.

Lilly Horner, who made 4 of 5 from long range, finished with 15 points off the bench to lead the Foxes. Riley Traeger and Ellie Schmitz each scored 13 points, and Truitt Reilly and Chloe O’Connor each scored 12 points.

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“It was crucial for us to come out and play our best," said Schmitz, who also had two assists and two rebounds. "I know that we were all really nervous, it’s always pretty natural. But once we were playing, we felt pretty good. We’re confident. We’re ready for the battles.”

Last season, Silverton lost both of its games at the state tournament and did not bring home a trophy. With the win Tuesday, the Foxes are guaranteed a top-five trophy this season.

“A really big thing for us this year was to bring home a trophy,” Riley Traeger said. “To get our nerves out in that game was really big for us.”

Silverton is 23-3 this season, with just one loss against a team from Oregon.

That one setback was a Mid-Willamette Conference road game at Lebanon, 47-42, on Feb. 14.

The loss to Lebanon snapped the Foxes’ 13-game winning streak, and they have won six games since.

That loss helped Silverton on Tuesday, when the Foxes fell behind 12-6 early. They then went on a 19-0 run to take a 25-12 lead in the second quarter and grab control of the game.

“Even though it was a loss, I think it was really beneficial to our team,” Riley Traeger said. “It definitely helped us today when we were down early.”

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On Wednesday the 5A tournament shifts to the boys quarterfinals, which will include the Silverton boys team against Willamette at 8:15 p.m.

Wold said the team will balance a light practice with rest and enjoying their time together.

“We’ll get to a gym, get some shots up. We’ll eat lunch and eat dinner,” said Wold, who coached the Foxes to the 2016 state championship. “We’ll come watch the boys and be fans. This is supposed to be fun, too. I don’t want to have it where they’re on lockdown. I want them to enjoy the tournament.”

Contact reporter Pete Martini at pmartini@statesmanjournal.com or (503) 399-6730, or follow him on Twitter at @PeteMartiniSJ

OSAA basketball results and pairings

CLASS 5A GIRLS

STATE TOURNAMENT

(GILL COLISEUM, CORVALLIS)

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Silverton 73, Ridgeview 26

Crater 48, Churchill 46

Lebanon vs. Wilsonville, late

Corvallis vs. La Salle, late

WEDNESDAY’S CONSOLATION

Ridgeview vs. Churchill

Lebanon/Wilsonville loser vs. Corvallis/La Salle loser

THURSDAY’S SEMIFINALS

Silverton vs. Crater

Lebanon/Wilsonville winner vs. Corvallis/La Salle winner