Baker will host North Bend Tuesday in the first round of the Class 4A boys basketball playoffs.

Baker (17-7) enters the game as the Greater Oregon League runnerup. North Bend (12-12) enters the playoffs as the Far West League third-place team.

Baker’s Greater Oregon League champion girls basketball team will have to wait until Wednesday to find out who they will play in the second round of the Class 4A state playoffs.

Pine-Eagle’s Kyle Dennis, shown earlier in the season, placed second at the Class 2A/1A state tournament Saturday. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

Dennis took second at 171 pounds when he lost 5-4 to three-time defending champion Caleb Cardwell of Lowell in the title match.

“It was quite a championship match,” said Pine-Eagle coach Blake Dennis.

Powder Valley’s Trenton Dixon looked to make a move around a Nixyaawii defender during Friday’s Class 1A state playoff boys basketball game at North Powder. Powder Valley defeated the Eagles to advance to this week’s 1A tournament in Baker City. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

The saying found meaning Friday night at the Powder Valley High School gymnasium.

On paper the No. 1 Powder Valley boys basketball team looks much better than Nixyaawii.

Baker’s “Fabulous Five” wrestlers got off to a strong start Thursday at the Class 4A state wrestling tournament at Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

Four of the five advanced to today’s quarterfinals, and the other is still active in consolation action.

Dallas Defrees scored 7 points Tuesday as Baker beat La Grande to win the Greater Oregon League title. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

The Baker girls had just defeated La Grande 51-31 to claim their first Greater Oregon League championship since 2000.

“This means a lot,” said senior Tara Talbott.

Baker’s Kennan Richards goes up for a shot against a La Grande defender Tuesday. Richards led the Bulldogs with 17 points, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Tigers from winning, 64-47, and claiming a share of the league title with the Bulldogs. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

The Tigers defeated Baker 64-47 in the Baker gym to share the GOL crown with the Bulldogs. The win also gave La Grande the GOL’s No. 1 seed into next week’s Class 4A state playoffs. The Tigers will host a second-round game March 6. Baker will host a first-round game March 3.

A quintet of Baker wrestlers will make the trek to Memorial Coliseum Thursday through Saturday for the Class 4A state wrestling tournament.

Andrew Porter (130 pounds), Andrew Gettle (145), Anthony Constantine (152), Ted Shaw (189) and Jake Shukle (215) will compete at state.

“Our Fabulous Five is headed to state,” said Baker coach Dee Gorrell.

“We were in the ball park as to what we figured we’d do at district. Overall, we wrestled really good,” he said.

Wallowa and Imbler claimed the girls and boys third-place trophies and berths in this week’s Class 1A state playoffs Saturday at the District 7-1A basketball tournaments at Baker High School.

Wallowa’s Ayesha Wortman scored a basket with 39.5 seconds left, then added two free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining to lift the Cougars past Cove 31-28 in the girls game.

All Baker hoop fans asked to wear purple and gold for La Grande games

The Greater Oregon League championships will be on the line during both varsity games at BHS.