Another fourth-quarter deficit, another Baker rally.

More importantly, another Baker win.

For the third time in the past four games, the Baker boys basketball team trailed in the final period.

And for the third time, the Bulldogs rallied for the win by making crucial shots and getting key stops on defense.

This time the Bulldogs rallied twice — in the fourth quarter and again in the four-minute overtime. 

The 71-66 victory over Hillcrest, Idaho, in the semifinals of the Pro Image Sports Holiday Classic tournament in Meridian, Idaho, on Friday, Dec. 13, was perhaps the most impressive of the three. Baker outscored Hillcrest 32-19 in the final 12 minutes.

Baker, which improved to 6-0 and has won 34 of its last 35 games, including the 2024 Class 4A state championship, trailed by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter against Hillcrest, which is in Ammon, Idaho, near Idaho Falls.

In a 59-58 win over Eagle, Idaho, on Thursday, Baker’s biggest deficit in the fourth quarter was six points. The Bulldogs also rallied from a smaller deficit to beat Crook County 63-57 on Dec. 7.

Baker will play Rocky Mountain, the host school, for the championship Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PST.

Hillcrest led 11-6 after the first quarter and took its biggest lead, 27-17, at halftime.

Baker chipped away at the lead immediately in the third quarter, getting as close as 36-33 on Isaiah Jones’ 3-pointer with 2:47 left. But Hillcrest’s Bridger Taylor swished a shot from just beyond halfcourt at the buzzer to make it 47-39 entering the final quarter.

Freshman Jake Holden had only one basket but it was a huge one, a 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:20 left in the overtime that gave Baker the lead for good.

Jaxon Logsdon played a key role in the comeback, scoring nine of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and adding a pair of free throws in overtime. Isaiah Jones had 22 points and Eli Long 16.

Fourth quarter

Trailing 47-39, Baker had a good start, as Logsdon converted a conventional three-point play to cut the lead to 47-42.

Hillcrest answered yet again, scoring on an inbounds play and getting a free throw to go up 50-42 with 6:01 left.

But Baker, as it always seems to do, responded to the challenge.

Long came off a screen to nail a 3-pointer to get Baker within 50-45 on the next possession. Baker then forced a turnover with its fullcourt trapping press.

After a Hillcrest free throw, Isaiah Jones made a tough bank shot against two defenders to cut the lead to 51-47.

Logsdon flashed on a screen and swished an open 3-pointer from the corner to get Baker within 51-50 with 3:39 left.

Baker took its first lead of the second half when Grant Gambleton stole the ball in the backcourt and passed to Logsdon for an easy basket with 2:38 left.

Hillcrest regained the lead with a pair of free throws with 2:23 left.

Isaiah Jones was fouled driving to the basket and made both free throws with 2:05 left and Baker led again, 54-53.

Hillcrest’s Titan Larsen then made a 3-pointer with 1:36 left to give the Knights the lead back at 56-54.

Baker missed two 3-pointers on the ensuing possession, and a foul gave Hillcrest two free throws with 1:07 left that increased the lead to 58-54.

Hillcrest regained possession after a Baker miss, but the Bulldogs forced another turnover and Long took advantage, swishing a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left to cut the lead to 58-57.

Baker fouled but Hillcrest’s Gage Blakeslee made only one of two free throws, meaning Baker could tie the score with a two-point basket.

On Baker’s possession, Logsdon rebounded a miss and whipped a pass over his shoulder to Isaiah Jones, who beat his defender on a cut and scored inside with 2.9 seconds left to tie the score at 59.

Rasean Jones intercepted the inbounds pass but his halfcourt shot at the buzzer was offline, and the teams went to a four-minute overtime.

Overtime

Hillcrest’s Mason Saunders opened the scoring with a pair of free throws 40 seconds into overtime.

But in a battle for a rebound with Gambleton, a Hillcrest player was called for a technical foul and a regular foul. Gambleton made one of two free throws for the technical, and Isaiah Jones made both free shots to give Baker a 62-61 lead.

After Blakeslee’s 3-point play regained the lead for Hillcrest at 65-64 with 1:35 left, Baker dominated the rest of the way.

The game-clinching run started when Holden swished a 3-pointer from the right corner to give Baker the lead for good at 67-65 with 1:20 left.

Logsdon was fouled, made the first free throw and rebounded his own miss on the second and was fouled again. He made one of two for a 69-65 lead.

Logsdon then stole a pass, and Hayden Churchfield scored inside to make it 71-65.

Second quarter

Eli Long had consecutive driving layins to cut the Hillcrest lead to 13-12.

Hillcrest then scored eight of the next nine points to push its lead to 21-14.

The Knights capped the half with a 3-pointer followed by a rebound basket just before the buzzer to take their largest lead, 27-17, at the break.

Third quarter

Baker came out with a fullcourt press that nearly forced a turnover after Jaxon Logsdon scored from the key on a set play.

Hillcrest scored on a rebound basket, and on Baker’s next possession Grant Gambleton just beat the 35-second shot clock with a contested jumper from 14 feet to cut the lead to 29-21.

Logsdon rebounded a missed Hillcrest 3-pointer and drove the length of the court for a layin to make it 29-23.

The Knights pushed the lead back to nine, at 34-25, but Baker answered with a 3-pointer by Long and Logsdon’s tip-in to cut the lead to 34-30. Baker then forced a 10-second violation.

Hillcrest answered the run with six of the next nine points to go up 40-33. Long’s two free throws cut the lead to 40-35 with 1:15 left.

Isaiah Jones beat the defense for a layin to make it 41-37, but Hillcrest converted a three-pointed play on a rebound basket with 6.6 seconds left to increase the lead to 44-37.

HILLCREST (66)

Lords 4 3-4 13, Larsen 2 3-6 9, Blakeselee 2 5-9 9, Dunnells 1 1-1 3, Taylor 3 0-0 8, Saunders 4 5-6 13, McCartney 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 20-30 66.

BAKER (71)

Gambleton 1 1-2 3, Churchfield 1 0-1 2, R. Jones 1 0-0 2, I Jones 7 6-6 22, Long 5 3-6 16, Logsdon 8 5-7 23, Holden 1 0-0 3, Joseph 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 15-22 71.

Hillcrest 11  16   20   12    7  — 66

Baker     6   11   22   20   12 — 71

 

In other local basketball action Friday:

Boys

Harper 59, Huntington 46

Imbler 39, Pine Eagle 34

Prairie City/Burnt River 49, Open Door Christian Academy 36

Girls

Harper 46, Huntington 45

Imbler 61, Pine Eagle 9

Prairie City/Burnt River 34, Open Door Christian Academy 25

Vale 40, Powder Valley 31

Saturday’s games

Girls

Powder Valley 57, Adrian 42

Prairie City/Burnt River 38, Pine Eagle 37

Huntington 54, Treasure Valley Christian Academy 29

Boys

Adrian 51, Powder Valley 45

Huntington 51, Vale JV 45