Baker's Lily Logsdon dribbles against Burns in the season opening game on Dec. 4, 2024.

The importance of the 3-pointer is rarely illustrated as dramatically as it was during the Baker girls game against Crook County on Friday, Dec. 6.

After the Cowgirls missed their first several long balls, making only one in the first half and falling behind by as many as 13 points, Crook County made four 3-pointers in the third quarter, including three in a row in a 90-second span, to take control.

The Cowgirls went on a 30-6 run that spanned most of the third quarter and the first half of the final period en route to a 59-50 win in a semifinal game at the Crook County Tip Off tournament in Prineville.

Baker fell to 2-1 on the season after opening the season with a 38-24 win over Burns on Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Baker gym, and beating Seaside 51-45 in a quarterfinal game at the tournament Thursday evening.

Crook County, which beat Marshfield 39-24 on Thursday, improved to 2-0.

Baker will play in the third-place game Saturday morning.

Crook County’s surge against Baker started late in the second quarter.

After Macey Morgan’s basket inside gave Baker its biggest lead, 28-15 with just over a minute left in the first half, Crook County concluded the half with a 7-2 run that included the Cowgirls’ first 3-pointer, by Emily Henderson.

But Crook County didn’t really get its shooting going until the third quarter.

After Gwen Rasmussen’s two free throws boosted Baker’s lead to 32-24 with 6:40 left in the quarter, Crook County scored 15 straight points over three minutes, including two 3-pointers by Henderson and one by Hayden Decker.

Crook County took its first lead, 34-32, on Decker’s 3-pointer with 4:48 left. Baker’s Lily Logsdon made a 3-pointer that would have regained the lead, but the shot was nullified by a 3-second call.

Crook County, though, continued its torrid outside shooting as Henderson made another 3-pointer, the Cowgirls’ third straight, for a 37-32 lead with 4:04 left.

Baker ended the 15-point scoring run when Logsdon assisted Jaxyn Ramos for an easy basket, but Crook County’s Chloe McKenzie scored inside to make it 41-34 with 2:50 left in the quarter.

Another 3-pointer by McKenzie, and Kacy Wiederholt’s basket at the buzzer, gave Crook County its biggest lead, 49-36, after three quarters. The Cowgirls outscored Baker 27-6 in the third quarter.

Crook County extended the scoring run into the fourth quarter, scoring five straight points to take its biggest lead at 54-36.

Gracie Spike’s free throw with 4:13 left in the game was Baker’s first point of the fourth quarter, and by then the deficit was too big.

Baker had several open shots, including 3-pointers, but unlike in the first half the Bulldogs weren’t making many.

Emy Myer swished a pair of 3-pointers in the final 2:30, the second cutting the lead to 58-48.

Molly Rasmussen then scored off a steal to get Baker to within 58-50 with 59.5 seconds left.

Crook County’s Taytum Bundy closed the scoring with a free throw for the final margin.

First quarter

Playing its third game in as many days, Baker showed no signs of fatigue early, racing to a 9-0 lead in less than three minutes.

Ashlyn Dalton made four of four free throws, Logsdon hit a 3-pointer from the corner, and Molly Rasmussen had a rebound basket after two offensive rebounds.

Crook County, which missed its first three 3-pointers, scored consecutive baskets to get within 11-4, but Mary Schwartz drove the length of the court for a layin to make it 13-4.

Baker led 15-9 after the first quarter.

Second quarter

The Cowgirls got within 15-11, but Baker continued to dominate down low, grabbing more than 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, several of which led to second-chance (or third- or fourth-chance) baskets.

That included a 3-pointer by Jayden Whitford that boosted Baker’s lead to 22-14 with 4:40 left in the first half.

Baker also handled Crook County’s fullcourt press with aplomb.

Ten Bulldogs scored at least two points in the first half.