Ontario ends Baker girls’ win streak at 12

Baker entered Tuesday’s Greater Oregon League girls basketball game at Ontario needing one win to clinch the league championship.

The Bulldogs were riding a 12-game winning streak, were undefeated in league play, and had beaten Ontario twice earlier this season.

All that ended Tuesday. Ontario broke the game open in the second half and went on to post a 53-38 victory. Baker now sits at 6-1 in GOL play, and Ontario improves to 5-2.

Baker still needs one win, or one Ontario loss, to clinch the league title. The Bulldogs travel to winless Mac-Hi Thursday.

“We didn’t come out ready to play and they did,” said Baker coach Tim Smith about the Ontario game.

“We didn’t execute. We were a little impatient on offense and we were out of sorts on defense.”

“It’s a good thing we don’t have a long time to fret about the loss,” Smith said. “We have to move on. We have to use the loss as a little motivational tool.”

Baker trailed just 23-21 at halftime, then was outscored 30-17 in the second half.

Ontario trailed the Bulldogs 21-17 with about a minute left in the first half, then went on a 14-0 run to take a 31-21 advantage three minutes into the second half.

Baker battled back by outscoring the Tigers 11-6 the final four minutes of the third quarter, including five points from Aly Ogan off the bench, to pull within 37-32 entering the fourth quarter.

But the Bulldogs then went scoreless for more than six minutes. When Whitney Phillips hit a free throw with 1:40 left in the game, the Bulldogs trailed 43-33. That was as close as Baker would get the rest of the way.

Tara Talbott scored five of her team-high 11 points in the first quarter as Baker edged ahead 11-9 at the break.

Baskets by Mackenzie Warner, Dallas Defrees and Savannah Daly, and a three-pointer by Talbott helped the Bulldogs forge their 21-17 lead late in the second period. Then Ontario took control.

Baker    11    10    11    6    — 38

Ontario    9    14    14    16    — 53

Baker (38) — Warner 2 0-0 4, Defrees 2 1-4 5, Ward, Shively, Phillips 3 1-2 8, Daly 2 0-0 4,  Harlow, Hoopes 0 1-2 1, Talbott 4 2-5 11, Ogan 2 0-0 5. Totals 15 5-13 38.

Ontario (53) — Boyd 1 5-7 7, Contreras, A. Babij 1 1-2 3, Schram 1 0-0 2, Yano 2 2-4 6, C. Babij 6 11-14 23, Babcock, Lopez 3 1-3 7. Totals 16 21-29 53.

Three-point goals — Phillips, Talbott, Ogan. Fouled out — none. Total fouls — Baker 23, Ontario 14. Technicals — none.