Baker’s Greater Oregon League playoff game at Pendleton on Thursday, Feb. 15 could hardly have started better.

The ending couldn’t have been worse.

After scoring the first 10 points and leading for most of the game, including 29-21 entering the fourth quarter after another 10-0 run, the Bulldogs went scoreless in the final eight minutes.

Despite the offensive doldrums, Baker clung to the lead until Pendleton’s Hailey Schmidt, who led all scorers with 17 points, scored two straight baskets in a 20-second span late in the game.

The first, a 15-foot jumper after an offensive rebound, tied the score at 29 with 2:33 left.

Then, after a Pendleton steal, Schmidt drove the lane for a bank shot that gave the Buckaroos the lead for good, at 31-29, with 2:13 left.

Baker had chances to cut the lead, but the Bulldogs missed five shots and two free throws in the final two minutes, and had one turnover.

Pendleton’s Josie Jenness made two free throws with 1:16 left for the final margin.

“You can’t go scoreless in the fourth quarter and expect to win a playoff game,” Baker coach Jason Ramos said. “It just didn’t happen for us unfortunately down the stretch.”

He said that although he felt Baker forced a couple shots in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs also had several open shots, a couple of which made a pretty thorough tour of the rim before popping out.

Although Baker had already clinched a postseason berth by routing Ontario 73-15 on Feb. 13 in the Baker gym, the game at Pendleton had major implications for the Bulldogs’ bid to return to the Class 4A state tournament to defend their 2023 state championship.

At stake Thursday was a berth in the state playoffs.

By winning, Pendleton earned a bye in the play-in round, meaning the Buckaroos need to win only one playoff game to advance to the 8-team state tournament March 7-9 at Forest Grove High School.

Baker will have to win a play-in game to advance to the playoffs. The opponent, date, time and place will be announced later. Ramos said that based on Baker’s ranking, it’s very likely that the Bulldogs will have their play-in game at home, either Friday, Feb. 23 or Saturday, Feb. 24.

Pendleton won both regular season games over Baker, 50-48 on Jan. 31 at Pendleton and 49-42 on Feb. 8 at Baker, and for most of the rematch on Thursday it appeared that the adage — that it’s hard for one team to beat another three times in the same season — would prove prescient.

Baker dominated the first quarter.

Five Bulldogs had a basket in the 10-0 start — Gracie Spike, Ashlyn Dalton, Kyndal Chandler, Jayden Whitford and Emy Myer. Myer’s 12-footer gave Baker a 10-0 lead with 1:33 left in the first quarter.

Baker’s offense was efficient, with crisp passing leading to open shots on each of the first five baskets.

“The girls came out and played with a lot of good energy,” Ramos said. “That gave us a peek into what the potential is. We just have to be more consistent.”

Baker led 10-3 after the first quarter, and after the Bulldogs took a 15-7 lead on Spike’s 3-pointer with 3:13 left in the half, Pendleton scored the final two baskets to get within 15-11 at halftime.

The Buckaroos rallied in the third quarter with an 8-0 run capped by Melanie Boatman’s inside basket that gave Pendleton its first lead, 21-19, with 3:28 left in the first quarter.

Baker responded immediately.

Kathryn Gentry scored two straight baskets in 37 seconds, the second on a nifty pass from Spike, and Baker regained the lead at 23-21.

Dalton made two free throws and Whitford one of two to boost the lead to 26-21. Myer capped Baker’s second 10-0 run of the game with a 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the quarter to give the Bulldogs the 29-21 lead they would take into the final quarter.

The 10-0 run after Pendleton grabbed the lead was, like the 10-point spurt to open the game, a glimpse at Baker’s potential, Ramos said.

“For the girls to respond that way shows what we’re capable of,” he said. “As disappointed as we were in the outcome, there were some good things that happened.”

Defense, for instance.

After giving up 50 and 49 points in the first two games against Pendleton, Baker held the Buckaroos to just 33.

“We played really good defense for three and a half quarters,” Ramos said.

That was a testament in part to the Bulldogs being more aggressive in going after loose balls and rebounds.

After watching video of the first two games, Ramos said he emphasized to the Bulldogs that they needed to improve in both areas in the rematch.

Baker had no players in double figures. Gentry and Dalton had six points each. Spike and Myer had five each.

Pendleton, which relied heavily on 3-pointers in its two earlier wins over Baker, had none in the playoff game.

Both teams struggled from the three throw line. Baker made 3 of 13, Pendleton 5 of 18.

PENDLETON 33, Baker 29

BAKER (29)

Gentry 3 0-7 6, Spike 2 0-0 5, Dalton 2 2-2 6, Whitford 2 1-2 5, Chandler 1 0-2 2, Myer 2 0-0 5, Rasmussen 0 0-0 0, Robb 0 0-0 0, Gulick 0 0-0 0, Schwartz 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 3-13 29.

PENDLETON (33)

Schumacher 0 1-2 1, Boatman 2 0-3 4, Schmidt 8 1-3 17, Krigbaum 0 0-0 0, Spratling 1 0-0 2, Neveau 0 0-2 0, Wilson 2 0-2 4, Flerchinger 0 0-0 0, Jenes 1 3-6 5. Totals 14 5-18 33.

Baker 10 5 14 0 — 29

Pendleton 3 8 10 12 — 33

Feb. 13: Baker 73, Ontario 15

The Baker girls basketball team advanced in the Greater Oregon League playoffs with a routine rout of Ontario on Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the Baker gym.

The 73-15 win was Baker’s third of the season over the Tigers, following 59-14 and 50-9 victories during the regular season.

On Feb. 13 at Baker, the Bulldogs dominated after a relatively competitive start.

Ashlyn Dalton, who led all scorers with 21 points, scored the first two baskets. Ontario trailed just 6-4 about midway through the first quarter, but Baker then scored the last 17 points of the first quarter to lead 23-4.

Seven Bulldogs scored in the first quarter.

Baker outscored Ontario 18-2 in the second quarter, and the Tigers never got closer than 35 points in the second half.

Emy Myer had 13 points for Baker, including two 3-pointers. Kyndal Chandler had nine points, and Kathryn Gentry and Gracie Spike eight points each.

Baker had one of its best offensive performances overall, particularly at the free throw line, where the Bulldogs made 12 of 16 shots.

BAKER 73, ONTARIO 15

ONTARIO (15)

Stone-Mendez 0 0-0 0, Rodriguez 2 0-2 5, Rocha 1 0-0 2, Mireles 1 1-2 3, Hart 0 0-0 0, Covarrubias 1 0-0 2, Gutierrez 1 1-6 3, Lopez 0 0-0 0. Totals 6 2-10 15.

BAKER (73)

Gentry 3 2-4 8, Spike 2 4-4 8, Dalton 9 2-2 21, Whitford 2 0-0 4, Chandler 3 3-4 9, Myer 5 1-2 13, Rasmussen 2 0-0 4, Robb 1 0-0 2, Gulick 1 0-0 2, Ramos 1 0-0 2, Ruiz 0 0-0 0, Schwartz 0 0-0 0. Totals 29 12-16 73.

Ontario 4 2 6 3 — 15

Baker 23 18 24 8 — 73