BAKER GIRLS BASKETBALL: Bulldogs pull away from Vale in second half

Jan. 18—The top-ranked Baker Bulldogs were in town and the Vale Vikings seemed poised, trailing just 26-24 at halftime, to claim a major upset.

Baker quickly ruined that storyline.

The Bulldogs scored the first 11 points of the second half to take control, and the veteran team then repelled a final Viking rally to win 48-38 and improve to 12-1.

Macey Moore had a game-high 22 points, including a perfect 11 for 11 from the free throw line.

"Macey had a great game," Baker coach Jason Ramos said.

Ramos expected a tough game from the Class 3A Vikings, who beat Burns, a perennial 3A powerhouse, on Jan. 12.

"They're a scrappy team," Ramos said. "They shot the ball a little better than I expected. Vale's always a tough place to play. We knew we were going to have to execute to win the game."

Baker had a strong first quarter, leading by as much as nine points as Moore had 12 of the Bulldogs' 20 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

"I thought the girls came out with a lot of energy," Ramos said. "We had been off for a while and we came in with fresh legs."

Baker was playing for the first time in six days.

The Bulldogs led 22-12 early in the second quarter on Rylee Elms' 15-foot jumper, but Vale then scored nine straight points to get within 22-21.

Baker scored just six points in the second quarter. The Bulldogs committed several turnovers, including a Vale steal on an inbounds pass following a basket, which gave the Vikings four points in just a few seconds.

"As good a first quarter as we had, it was the total opposite in the second," Ramos said.

During halftime, he said he told the Bulldogs that they needed to settle down, take care of the ball and run their offense.

They did just that.

The third quarter was a dramatic departure from the second as the Bulldogs dominated the first five minutes on both sides of the court.

Jozie Ramos scored the first three baskets, and her third hoop, with 4:50 left in the

third quarter, boosted Baker's lead to 32-24.

On the defensive side, Baker contested every Vale shot and had several steals or deflected passes. Baker's defensive rebounding was also stellar, rarely giving the Vikings any second chances after a missed shot.

Jason Ramos said he emphasized rebounding during his halftime talk.

"Vale was beating us to some rebounds and loose balls," he said.

After Ramos' three baskets, Sydnee Pierce drove the lane for a tough lay-in. Baker led 34-24 with 4:20 left, and Vale coach Randy Seals called timeout.

Baker's game-changing run wasn't quite over, though.

After the break, Moore banked in a tough shot in the key, drew a foul and made the free throw. Baker had its biggest lead, 37-24, with 3:10 left in the third quarter.

Vale ended the streak with a 3-pointer 11 seconds later.

The Vikings scored the final six points of the quarter to trim Baker's lead to 39-33 entering the fourth quarter.

But Baker again started a quarter with a flourish, scoring the first six points to double its lead to a dozen points, at 45-33 with 4:20 left in the game.

Vale never got closer than seven points after that.

Moore started the run by taking a pass from Emma Llaurado and drawing a foul. Moore made both free throws.

Llaurado then stole the ball and assisted Ramos on a basket.

Ramos then rebounded her own miss and was fouled, making both free throws.

Jason Ramos said Baker's runs to start the third and fourth quarters, following the struggles in the second quarter and late in the third, reflect the team's experience, with five senior starters.

"A veteran team is going to be able to weather those situations," Ramos said. "We never really get too concerned."

That said, he said he would like to see Baker play more consistently.Ramos had 14 points. Baker, led by Moore's 11-for-11 performance, made 13 of 16 free throws.

Baker resumes its Greater Oregon League schedule on Friday, Jan. 20, traveling to Ontario for a 2 p.m. PST tipoff. Baker returns home for another league game, against Pendleton, on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m.

BAKER (48)

Elms 2 1-2 5, Dalton 1 0-0 2, Llaurado 0 0-0 0, Pierce 1 0-1 2, Ramos 6 2-2 14, Jaca 1 0-0 2, Robb 0 0-0 0, Moore 4 11-11 22, Whitford 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 13-16 48.

VALE (38)

Meisinger 3 2-3 11, Johnson 4 1-2 11, Cleaver 2 1-2 5, Peterson 2 0-0 4, Stapleton 3 0-0 6, E. Jacobs 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 4-7 38.

Baker 20 6 13 9 — 48

Vale 14 10 9 5 — 38