BAKER GIRLS BASKETBALL: Bulldogs start fast, turn back Pendleton rally to win

Jan. 25—Baker needed four seconds to score the first points.

And the Bulldogs required only a bit more time to take control of the game.

Baker scored the first 15 points, then withstood a bout of second-quarter doldrums to handle Pendleton 55-36 in a girls basketball game Tuesday night, Jan. 24 in the Baker gym.

The Bulldogs, the top-ranked Class 4A team in the state, improved to 14-1 overall, and 3-0 in the Greater Oregon League.

Baker was playing without two senior starters. Makenzie Flanagan has been out since late December due to a knee injury. Rylee Elms was ill on Tuesday, but Baker coach Jason Ramos said he expects Elms will return for the Thursday, Jan. 26 home game against Nyssa.

The roster shortfall certainly didn't affect the Bulldogs early.

"We want to come out and have a good start," Ramos said. "We talk about trying to force an early timeout. We had a lot of good energy. It was a perfect first quarter."

Senior Jozie Ramos, who was honored before the game for reaching 1,000 points in her career, won the opening tip and whipped a pass to Emma Llaurado, who started in Elms' place, for a lay-in.

(Ramos reached the 1,000-point milestone during the state tournament last March, achieving that goal despite playing just 12 games during her pandemic-shortened sophomore season.)

Macey Moore made two free throws, and Sydnee Pierce scored off a feed from Llaurado after a steal, and the Bulldogs led 6-0 just 85 seconds into the game.

Then Ramos took over.

She scored nine straight points, including a 3-pointer, and Baker led 15-0 after three minutes.

Jozie Ramos said that with Elms on the bench, it was important to play well from the beginning.

"Other people have to pick up the slack, and we had a great start," she said.

Teamwork was also vital given that Baker was playing the first of three games in a four-day span, Ramos said.

"We know we're going to be playing a lot of minutes," she said.

After Baker led 19-2, Pendleton scored eight straight points to get within 19-10 on Maddy Schumacher's two free throws with 1:24 left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs closed the quarter with the same sort of flourish they had at the start.

Ashlyn Dalton scored inside to end the Pendleton run, and Brooklyn Jaca swished a 3-pointer with six seconds left to give Baker a 24-10 lead.

The Buckaroos didn't flinch.

Pendleton opened the second quarter with a 9-2 spurt to cut Baker's lead to 26-19 with 3:52 left in first half.

Jason Ramos said the Bulldogs were a bit tired in the second quarter, and that was reflected in particular on defense.

"Plays we made in the first quarter, we were a step slow in the second quarter," he said. "(Pendleton) got good looks, and they made the shots. We lost our momentum."

But not for long.

After Pendleton closed to within 26-19, Baker scored five straight points — three by Dalton — and the Bulldogs' cushion was back to a dozen points, at 31-19.

Baker led 35-24 at halftime.

"We don't like to give up 24 points in a half," Jason Ramos said.

The Bulldogs allowed only half as many in the second.

Pendleton did have one final run, scoring two straight baskets to get within 37-28 with 6:15 left in the third quarter.

But Baker regained control with a quick 5-0 run, capped by Llaurado's steal and lay-in, and the Bulldogs led 42-28.

Baker wasn't threatened thereafter, its lead ballooning to as much as 20 points in the fourth quarter.

"Kudos to the defense in the second half," Ramos said. "They gutted it out."

Jozie Ramos led all scorers with 23 points. Moore added 11, and Jaca had eight.

Baker will have a rematch against Nyssa on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. in the Baker gym.

Baker rallied from a 31-30 deficit to beat Nyssa 57-37 at Nyssa on Jan. 11.

Baker then travels to La Grande on Friday, Jan. 27 for a GOL game against the Tigers that could decide the league champion. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. La Grande is in second place in the league with a 2-1 record, their lone league loss coming to Baker on Jan. 10.

Baker beat Pendleton in the JV game, 47-33.

PENDLETON (36)

Murphy 1 2-6 4, Schumacher 1 2-4 5, Boatman 2 0-0 4, Schmidt 2 3-4 8, Spratling 3 0-0 6, Edmond 2 1-2 5, Thorne 0 0-0 0 , Wilson 0 0-0 0, Elrod 0 0-0 0, Jenness 1 0-0 2, Medrano 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-16 36.

BAKER (55)

Dalton 2 1-2 5, Llaurado 2 0-0 4, Pierce 2 0-0 4, Ramos 10 2-2 23, Jaca 3 1-3 8, Robb 0 0-0 0, Rabourne 0 0-0 0, Moore 2 7-8 11, Whitford 0 0-0 0, Myer 0 0-0 0, Rasmussen 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 11-15 55.

Pendleton 10 14 8 4 — 36

Baker 24 11 13 7 — 55