BAKER GIRLS BASKETBALL: Late 3-pointer lifts Vale past Bulldogs, 42-39

Published 7:30 pm Thursday, January 16, 2025

For the second time this season, the Baker girls basketball team seemed poised to beat Vale in the final minute.

But for the second time the Vikings escaped with a win.

Vale, the second-ranked Class 3A team, broke a 39-39 tie on Brynlee Hartley’s 3-pointer with 1:05 left and the Vikings held on for a 42-39 win Thursday night, Jan. 16, at Vale.

The game was reminiscent of the Vikings’ 54-48 win in overtime on Dec. 10 in Baker.

In the first meeting, the Bulldogs rallied from a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to take a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

In Thursday’s rematch, the Vikings led by as many as five points early in the fourth quarter, but Baker’s Kathryn Gentry scored the Bulldogs’ last six points, including a basket inside with 1:40 left that tied it at 39.

Vale improved to 13-1. The Vikings’ only loss was at La Grande, Baker’s Greater Oregon League rival, 40-28 on Dec. 17.

Vale won the rematch, downing La Grande 48-34, on the Vikings’ home court on Jan. 11.

Baker had its four-game winning streak end. The Bulldogs are 10-6 overall, 1-0 in the Greater Oregon League after beating Pendleton 43-32 on Jan. 14 in Baker, and ranked 11th in Class 4A.

Foul trouble plagued Baker throughout. Gwen Rasmussen was whistled for her fourth foul early in the fourth quarter.

Molly Rasmussen also missed much of the first half with two fouls. She went to the bench with 4:30 left in the game after a Vale defender collided with her when she was driving to the basket.

Gentry and Lily Logsdon had nine points each to lead Baker.

Vale won the JV game, 31-29.

First quarter

Vale’s zone defense clogged the key, preventing entry passes to Baker’s leading scorer, Molly Rasmussen.

But Baker took advantage of their outside opportunities, as Logsdon and Gracie Spike each had a 3-pointer. Spike had another basket, and the score was tied at 8 after one quarter.

Second quarter

Logsdon stole a pass and went the length of the floor for a layin, then she passed to Ashlyn Dalton cutting along the baseline for a conventional three-point play that gave Baker a 15-12 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

Vale took its first lead, at 19-17, with 2:15 left, but Mary Schwartz banked in a 3-pointer from the wing to make it 20-19.

Vale scored in the final five seconds to take the halftime lead, 21-20.

Both Molly Rasmussen and Gwen Rasmussen had to miss significant portions of the half after each drawing two fouls.

Third quarter

Baker could scarcely have scripted a better start to the half, as Logsdon drove the lane for a difficult runner and then passed to Molly Rasmussen inside for her first basket, and Baker led 24-21 just 40 seconds into the half.

Vale responded with a 7-3 run to regain the lead.

After Molly Rasmussen went to the bench with her third foul with 3:11 left, a Vale 3-pointer gave the Vikings a 31-28 lead. But Myer matched it with a 3-pointer of her own a few seconds later to tie it at 31.

Vale led 35-32 entering the fourth quarter.

Fourth quarter

Vale took its biggest lead, 37-32, with two free throws in the first minute, but Baker responded quickly.

Dalton made a free throw, and Gentry had two baskets, sandwiched around a Vale bucket, to get Baker to within 39-37. Gentry then scored again in the lane on a pass from Dalton to tie it at 39 with 1:40 left.

Hartley swished a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:05 left, and although Baker got the ball back with 30 seconds left, the Bulldogs couldn’t get a 3-pointer to fall for the tie. 

Vale’s Kesley Stepleton led all scorers with 13 points. Hartley had 12.

BAKER (39)

Gentry 4 1-2 9, Logsdon 4 0-0 9, Schwartz 1 0-0 3, Spike 2 0-0 5, Dalton 2 2-3 6, Whitford 0 0-0 0, Myer 2 0-0 5, G. Rasmussen 0 0-0 0, M. Rasmussen 1 0-1 2, Ramos 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 3-6 39.

VALE (42)

B. Johnson 1 0-0 2, Hartley 5 0-0 12, Crane 1 0-0 2, Blake 1 0-0 2, Jacobs 4 0-0 7, Stepleton 4 5-5 13, B. Maag 0 0-0 0, I. Maag 0 2-2 2, C. Johnson 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 7-7 42.

Baker 8 12 12 7 — 39

Vale   8 13 14 7 — 42

Other high school basketball scores from Thursday, Jan. 17:

Girls

Adrian 50, Huntington 37

Boys

Adrian 64, Huntington 43