It wasn’t pretty, and it took almost all evening Friday before Baker defeated Ambrose, Idaho, 61-32 in a nonleague girls basketball game at BHS.

The game was scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Baker time, but only the Bulldogs, the game officials and several Baker fans were in the gym at that point.

Tim Smith, Baker’s athletic director, placed a call to the Meridian school and found that the Archers were just then leaving town. Their schedule had the game time at 7 p.m. Mountain time.

So everybody took a 3-hour break to await the Archers’ arrival.

Once the game started, Baker bolted to a 7-0 lead behind a pair of baskets from Desi Davis and a three-pointer by Gracie Huggins.

Then Baker’s offense went silent.

Ambrose scored the final eight points of the first quarter to lead 8-7 at the break.

The Archers completed a 13-0 run early in the second quarter before Baker scored again.

Baker then answered with a 7-0 run — four by Huggins — to regain a 14-13 lead with 2:47 left in the first half.

A pair of baskets from Sydney Younger helped Baker take a 19-15 halftime lead.

“We didn’t show up after we took that break,” said Baker coach Mat Sand.

“Everybody went home, maybe had something to eat, and didn’t have our speed when we came back in the first half.”

Sand said he made some halftime adjustments and the Bulldogs began playing with more energy in the second half.

Jayme Ramos scored seven points in the third period to help the Bulldogs build a 33-25 edge entering the fourth quarter.

That’s when the Bulldogs really found their energy.

Baker tallied 28 points in the fourth quarter, led by eight points from Huggins. Seven Bulldogs scored in the final quarter.

“It was just part of our maturing process,” Sand said.

Huggins finished with 17 points, and Davis 11.

Baker (1-1) hosts Fruitland Tuesday.

AMBROSE (32)

Good 2 1-3 5, Roberts 3 1-3 7, West 0 0-2 0, Smith, Mathis 0 0-4 0, Caven 6 0-0 13, Roehling 1 1-2 3, Cicero 0 2-2 2, Skinner 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 5-16 32.

BAKER (61) –

Bruce, Huggins 7 0-2 17, Ward 2 0-0 5, Davis 4 3-3 11, Younger 3 1-2 7, Nemec, Ramos 2 5-6 9, Elms, Carter 2 0-0 6, Flanagan 3 0-0 6. Totals 23 9-13 61.

Ambrose – 8 7 10 7 — 32

Baker – 7 8 14 28 — 61

Three-point baskets — Caven, Huggins 3, Carter 2, Ward. Fouled out — none. Total fouls — Ambrose 16, Baker 16. Technicals — none.