Leslie Robinson and the Spartans weren’t going to be denied another shot at Willamette.

The senior, who is the daughter of Oregon State men’s basketball coach Craig Robinson, scored 20 points and grabbed 18 rebounds to lead Corvallis to a dominant 48-28 victory over Hermiston in the Class 5A girls basketball semifinals on Friday night at Matthew Knight Arena.

The second-seeded Spartans (22-4) will play the Wolverines (25-1) in tonight’s championship game. Willamette defeated Corvallis in last year’s semifinals and by 22 points earlier this season.

“I’ve been waiting for this day all year,” Robinson said. “And we’ve worked so hard for it.”

The Bulldogs (20-6) beat Corvallis in the third-place game last season. They ran into a much-improved defensive team this year: Hermiston was held to only seven field goals and 16.3 percent shooting.

“There are times when we are limited offensively, so it’s probably a good thing our girls have really bought into our defensive philosophy,” Corvallis coach Greg Garrison said. “It’s something we’re taking a lot of pride in right now.”

Robinson scored to complete a 12-0 run dating back to the first half, which gave Corvallis a 28-10 lead with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter. The Princeton recruit’s basket on an offensive rebound helped extend the margin to 39-16 entering the fourth quarter.

“She was outstanding,” Garrison said. “In addition to her points and rebounds, it’s her leadership and energy she gives us that might be the biggest attributes.”

Robinson outscored Hermiston 11-10 in the first half to lead the Spartans to a 21-10 advantage at the intermission.

“In the first three minutes, I’ve been doing this long enough to know that it didn’t feel right,” Hermiston coach Steve Hoffert said. “You hope that feeling changes, but it just didn’t get any better. It just didn’t feel like our night.”

Robinson made a blind shot with her back to the basket while being fouled. The circus three-point play gave her team a 16-5 lead. She finished 8-for-12 from the field.

Now Corvallis, which has never played for a state title before, is hoping it has saved its best for last.

“There’s a reason why they’re ranked No. 1 and defending state champions,” Garrison said of Willamette. “They’re really well-coached and they’re skilled and athletic. We’re certainly going to have to play our best game.”

Follow Ryan on Twitter @rgduckfootball.