HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Baker and Powder Valley boys, girls all in action Friday evening

Published 3:21 pm Friday, December 27, 2024

The Baker and Powder Valley boys and girls basketball teams will be on the court Friday evening.

Baker boys

The defending Class 4A state champions, 6-1 on the season, will face probably their most challenging competition of the season, and without their leading scorer.

Senior Isaiah Jones had an unexpected appendectomy on Dec. 22 and won’t be able to play as the Bulldogs compete in the prestigious Les Schwab Invitational tournament this weekend at Portland State University, said coach Jebron Jones, who is Isaiah’s dad.

Baker opens play Friday at 7:30 p.m. against La Lumiere High School of La Porte, Indiana. La Lumiere is one of the nation’s top high school teams, and its roster includes players who rank ninth, 18th and 93rd on ESPN’s list of top college prospects.

Baker girls

The Bulldogs will play the host team, Stayton, on Friday at 6 p.m. in the semifinals of the SCTC Holiday Classic tournament. Baker routed Heritage, Washington, 68-25 on Thursday, while Stayton dispatched Klamath Union, 52-20. The Eagles are 8-0 and ranked third in the state. Baker is 6-4.

Powder Valley

The Badger boys and girls are both at home Friday to take on Imbler. The girls game is set for 6 p.m., the boys for about 7:30 p.m.

In the girls game, Imbler nipped the Badgers, 33-32.

Imbler won the boys game, 52-39.

Baker girls vs. Stayton

The Bulldogs struggled with Stayton’s size on both ends of the court, as the Eagles blocked multiple shots and also scored several baskets in the key in the first quarter. Stayton scored the first 12 points, and Baker managed only a pair of free throws by Ashlyn Dalton with 2:54 left as the Eagles led 16-2 after the first quarter.

Baker’s offensive woes continued into the second quarter, with Gracie Spike’s two free throws the Bulldogs’ only points through almost the first half of the second quarter.

But trailing 25-4, Baker scored seven straight points, including Molly Rasmussen’s layin with 4:04 left that was Baker’s first field goal. She was fouled on the shot and made the free throw. Molly Rasmussen beat a defender to the baseline for a reverse layin, and her sister, Gwen Rasmussen, scored inside on an assist from Lily Logsdon to cut the Stayton lead to 25-11.

Stayton’s Kathryn Samek had a conventional three-point play and the Eagles led 28-12 at halftime.

Baker started well in the second half, deploying a fullcourt press that forced two quick turnovers. Gwen Rasmussen scored two baskets inside, and she was fouled on the second shot and made the free throw to cut the lead to 28-17 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.

But the Eagles then scored nine straight points to take control. Stayton led 44-26 after three quarters and went on to win, 52-36.

Molly Rasmussen led Baker with 10 points. Dalton added eight and Gwen Rasmussen seven.

Baker didn’t make a 3-pointer, while Stayton had five.

Stayton’s Kathryn Samek led all scorers with 19 points, most of those on inside baskets.

Baker will play Cottage Grove in the third-place game Saturday, Dec. 28, at 3 p.m.

BAKER (36)

Gentry 1 0-0 2, Logsdon 1 1-2 3, Schwartz 1 0-2 2, Spike 0 2-2 2, Dalton 2 4-5 8, Whitford 0 0-0 0, Myer 0 0-0 0, G. Rasmussen 3 1-1 7, M. Rasmussen 3 4-4 10, Ramos 1 0-0 2, Morgan 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 12-16 36.

STAYTON (52)

Ko. Samek 3 0-0 7, Morley 0 2-2 2, Butenschoen 2 0-0 4, Comstock 0 0-0 0, Schacher 1 0-0 3, Anderson 0 0-0 0, Hampton 4 3-4 14 Ka. Samek 8 2-3 19, Schmidt 1 0-0 2, Hollenbeck 0 1-2 1. Totals 19 8-11 52.

Baker       2     10    14    10   —36

Stayton    16   12    16      8   — 52

Baker boys vs. La Lumiere

The Bulldogs, despite missing their leading scorer in Isaiah Jones, weren’t intimidated by one of the nation’s top high school squads.

Rasean Jones and Jaxon Logsdon opened with 3-pointers and Baker led 6-0 early.

La Lumiere took the lead with a 6-0 run that included consecutive breakaway slam dunks, but Rasean Jones made another 3-pointer in the final seven seconds to cut the lead to 13-11 after one quarter.

After La Lumiere extended its lead to 19-13, Logsdon made 3-pointers on consecutive possessions and the Bulldogs were within 21-19.

But La Lumiere closed the half with an 11-0 run, mostly on inside baskets and rebounds, to lead 32-19 at the break.

Baker had five 3-pointers in the half, La Lumiere none.

Second half

Rasean Jones scored two straight baskets, the first on a rebound and then on a 12-footer, to cut the lead to 32-23. Eli Long then had consecutive baskets to get Baker to within 34-27. But La Lumiere had another strong close to a quarter, ending the third on a 9-2 run to lead 43-29.

The game was never a runaway, though, as Baker got within 10 points, 43-33, on Logsdon’s 15-footer early in the fourth quarter.

But La Lumiere had another scoring run, this time 14-2, and the Lakers went on to win 57-35.

Baker will play Roosevelt, a Class 6A team from Portland, on Saturday, Dec. 28, at 1:30 p.m.

BAKER (35)

Gambleton 0 0-0 0, Churchfield 0 0-0 0, Long 3 0-0 6, R. Jones 5 0-0 12, Logsdon 5 0-0 13, Chandler 1 0-0 2, Clark 0 0-0 0, Heriza 0 0-0 0, Wellman 0 0-0 0, Holden 1 0-0 2, Joseph 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 0-0 35.

LA LUMIERE (57)

Adams 3 0-0 6, Bell Jr. 4 0-0 8, Love III 1 2-2 5, Haralson 4 2-4 10; Strelnikov 8 0-0 16, Murray 1 0-0 3, Bennett 1 0-0 2, Smith 3 0-0 7. Totals 25 4-6 57.

Baker             11    8    10    6  —35

La Lumiere     13   19    11  14 — 57