Baker girls top Mac-Hi

By GERRY STEELE

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Baker started strong, went into a lull then finished on a high note Friday at Milton-Freewater.

The Bulldogs rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat Mac-Hi 42-28 in the Greater Oregon League girls basketbal finale for both teams.

Baker (3-6 in the GOL, 6-616 overall) jumped out to a 9-0 lead after one period. Marley Robb led the way with four points. Michelle Freese added three.

Then the Bulldogs went cold. Mac-Hi (0-9 in GOL, 1-19 overall) rode nine points from Makia Carlson to pull within 13-11 of the Bulldogs at halftime.

"It was a little bit rough in the first half," said Baker coach Tim Smith.

"We were cold. We got decent shots, but they just weren't falling."

Smith said he was pleased with the way the Bulldogs responded in the second half.

Both teams scored nine points in the third quarter. Shasta Overton scored seven of Baker's points as the Bulldogs maintained a 22-20 edge entering the final eight minutes.

Freese, who led the Bulldogs with 11 points, scord the first basket of the fourth quarter completing a 7-0 Baker run.

Then, after a Mac-Hi hoop, the Bulldogs ran off 10 straight points to break the game open. Freese and Emily Smith each scored four points to lead the way.

"The game was physical, as they always are at Mac-Hi," Coach Smith said.

"I was happy with the way the girls responded in the second half. We just steadily built the lead.

"We got good games from Michelle Freese and Shasta Overton, and I thoughth we handled the ball pretty well," Smith said.

Baker's cause was helped in the fourth quarter by the fact the Bulldogs were 10-of-r14 from the free throw line.

"We did a good job of getting to the line, and making our free throws," Smith said.

Baker now awaits their opponent for a Feb. 24 Class 4A state playin game. The Bulldogs will travel for that game against an opponent yet to be determined.

BAKER (42)

   Robb 3 1-4 7, Freese 5 0-0 11, Trees 0 3-4 3, Birkmaier, Bachman 0 1-2 1, Kercheski, Smith 1 6-11 8, Overton 3 2-2 9, Duman 1 1-1 3. Totals 13 14-24 42.

MAC-HI (28) ­ 

   Fite, Correa, Erm 3 0- 09, Brannan, Kessler 4 0-2 8, Wells 1 0-0 2, Ureno, Vaughan, Carlson 4 1-1 9. Totals 12 1-3 28.

Baker             9

   4
   9
  20 — 42
 11
   9
    8 — 28

Mac-Hi         ­  0

  Three-point baskets — Freese, Overton, Erm 3. Fouled out —Brannan, Kessler, Carlson. Total fouls —Baker 12, Mac-Hi 22. Techincals —none.