Baker boys split pair of weekend basketball games

Playing without leading scorer Derek Blankenship, who was playing baseball in Arizona, the Bulldogs dropped a 49-46 Greater Oregon League contest at La Grande Friday. Baker then rebounded to top Fruitland, Idaho, 53-45 Saturday at Fruitland.

“We learned a lot about ourselves,” said Baker coach Craig Woods. “I was proud of the kids. They hustled and played hard.

“We would have liked to get the win at La Grande, but a couple of bounces just didn’t go our way. I was thinking afterwards that we’re disappointed but knowing how well the other kids stepped up with Derek gone was just great basketball. We just have to take the positives from it.”

Friday’s game was a typical Baker-La Grande battle.

Dekker Smith’s basket with 1:40 left in the game tied the game at 43-43. But, La Grande made 4-of-6 free throws during the next minute, and grabbed the rebound on the two missed shots to thwart Baker.

Smith’s three-point play with 29.4 seconds left pulled Baker to within 47-46. Then, after stopping the Tigers, Baker’s B.J. Quintana drove toward the Baker basket. La Grande’s Terrance Chandler stepped in front of Quintana knocking the ball loose. Chandler could have been called for a blocking foul. But, no call was made, turning the ball over to the Tigers.

“That was one of those plays where a call could have been made, but there was no call,” Woods said. “That was a key play in the game, but we had several other times earlier that we could have done some damage. And, we had a hard time late in the game grabbing a rebound.”

La Grande built a 13-10 lead after one period on the back of nine points from Ryan Tooke. Baker stayed close thanks to five points from Jesse Brown.

Brown and Tooke continued to square off in the second quarter. Brown finished the period with nine points, and Tooke seven as La Grande clung to a 27-25 halftime edge.

Tooke added a pair of three-point baskets in the third period as La Grande remained on top at 35-34 at the break.

Zach Nice’s three-point, an a basket by Chandler to start the fourth quarter completed a 10-0 La Grande run that gave the Tigers a 40-34 lead two minutes into the fourth period.

Then, two baskets by Smith, a three-pointer by Brown and a basket by Trace Richardson pulled Baker even at 43-43 with 1:40 left in the game.

Brown finished with 20 points, and Smith 11. Tooke led all scorers with 26.

“Jesse had a great night,” Woods said. “The ball bounces the right way in one or two cases and it’s a different game.”

Late rally lifts Bulldogs

Saturday’s game was just as close.

Baker trailed 45-44 with 3.5 minutes left in the game then went on a 14-0 rally to take the lead for good.

Richardson hit a pair of three-pointers to spark the rally. Tayler McEnroe, Brown and Smith also chipped in points.

“The kids stepped it up and hit some big shots,” Woods said.

“We had a lot of steals and quite a few easy putbacks.”

Smith led the Bulldogs with 17 points. Richardson added 14.

Baker (1-1 in the GOL) travels to Milton-Freewater Saturday.

Friday game

Baker    10    15    9    12    — 46

La Grande    13    14    8    14    — 49

Baker (46) — Brown 7 1-2 20, Everson 2 2-2 6, Curtis, McEnroe, Richardson 2 0-0 5, Quintana 2 0-0 4, Lay, Smith 5 1-2 11. Totals 18 4-6 46.

La Grande (49) — Nice 2 0-0 5, Atilla 1 3-4 6, Yundt 0 1-2 1, Tooke 8 7-9 26, Mills, Chandler 4 0-2 8, Aldrich, Townsend 1 1-3 3, Miller. Totals 16 12-20 49.

Three-point goals — Brown 5, Richardson, Nice, Atilla, Tooke 3. Fouled out — none. Total fouls — Baker 18, La Grande 11. Technicals — none.

Saturday game

Baker    13    10    11    19    — 53

Fruitland    9    7    19    10    — 45

Baker (53) — Brown 2 2-8 6, Everson 2 0-0 5, McEnroe 1 1-2 3, Richardson 4 2-2 14, Quintana 2 2-2 6, Lay 1 0-1 2, Smith 6 5-7 17. Totals 18 12-22 53.

Fruitland (45) — Rayo 0 1-2 1, Holt 1 0-0 2, VanPatten 1 1-2 3, Livingston 1 0-0 2, Olinger 5 0-0 11, Johnson 1 2-6 4, Graves 2 0-0 4, Dahle 1 4-4 6, Crim 6 0-0 12, Martarano, Wright. Totals 18 8-14 45.

Three-point goals — Everson, Richardson 4, Olinger. Fouled out — none. Total fouls — Baker 15, Fruitland 18. Technicals — none.