For the Gazette-Times

SALEM - Santiam Christian did a lot of extras in practice this season with the idea it would help the team toward a state championship.

That additional time finally showed its reward Friday night, as the top-ranked Eagles pulled away from No. 4 Rainier in the second half for a 48-33 win in a Class 3A girls basketball state semifinal at Willamette University.

SC advances to play No. 2 Burns in the championship at 6:30 p.m. today. The Eagles (26-1) will be chasing the program's second title after winning it in 1997.

"We've done extra lines (running), extra layups, extra everything," said SC senior guard Tayla Woods, who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. "To be in it and see all the hard word pay off is just unreal."

Woods carried the Eagles after Rainier (23-6), the defending state champion, took its first lead at 24-23 on a Mollee Schwegler steal and basket with 2:13 remaining in the third period. Schwegler, last year's state player of the year, scored all nine of Rainier's third-quarter points.

Woods provided the answer, scoring the last nine points of the period to put the Eagles back ahead 32-24.

"She pushes and drives herself, there's no doubt about it," said SC coach Melissa McLain, who was a senior the last time the Eagles won the title.

Woods added, of giving her team a jumpstart: "My team voted me captain and I think that's one of the responsibilities. My team rallied around me and helped me through that."

SC scored the first five points of the fourth quarter on two free throws by Rachel Kubler and a 3-pointer by Quincey Davis. It put the Eagles up 13, and Rainier got no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

Kubler had 10 points for the Eagles. Ashley Boersma added a game-high 11 rebounds.

SC shook off the nerves of their opening game Thursday (a 55-52 victory against No. 8 Vale) and turned up the defensive pressure on Schwegler and the Columbians.

The Eagles paid special attention to Schwegler, a lightning-quick guard who has shown the ability to take anyone off the dribble.

SC held Schwegler to 21 points on 7 of 21 shooting from the floor. The Eagles rotated players on Schwegler throughout the game and looked to help when needed.

McLain said her team has handled the pressure of their own expectations and those of others well this season. The Eagles spent most of the season as the number-one team in the 3A coaches poll, bringing added attention.

Now SC is one game away from its season's goal of winning it all.

Burns, a dominant program the past decade, defeated fifth-ranked Warrenton 46-32 in Friday's earlier semifinal.

McLain, who is more than seven months pregnant, said her team's focus is good.

"For the most part my girls have an eye on a prize, and it's not who is in their way," she said. "They've gotta do what they've gotta do to get to the next step."

Santiam Christian 48, Rainier 33

RAINIER 4 11 9 9 - 33

SANTIAM CHRISTIAN 10 8 14 16 - 48

Rainier: Mollee Schwegler 21, A. Schwegler 5, Nagunst 5, Harkleroad 2, Minium, Murphy, Hinkle, Sutfin, Vankirk, Crape.

Santiam Christian: Tayla Woods 20, Barton 3, Kubler 10, Boersma 5, Kummer, D. Woods 3, Land, Davis 6, Waite, Herrold, Chambers.