Baker Bulldogs boys travel to No. 3 Molalla, girls host The Dalles

The Baker boys basketball team traveled to Molalla on Friday, March 6, for a Class 4A first-round playoff game, tipping at 7:00 p.m., with Baker seeded 14th at 12-12 and Molalla seeded third at 19-5. Baker enters the matchup as the two-time defending state champions and their most recent meeting with Molalla was Dec. 30 at a Stayton tournament, a 68-62 loss to the Bearcats.

Baker’s girls, seeded No. 2 at 21-4, host The Dalles at the Baker gym on Saturday, March 7, at 4:00 p.m. The Bulldogs finished the regular season on an eight-game winning streak and beat The Dalles 65-50 on Feb. 14 at Baker gym. In that Feb. 14 game Eli Long led all scorers with 22 points, Hayden Churchfield had 13, Quin Wellman scored 12 and Talon Gyllenberg added 10. Baker’s last regular-season loss came Jan. 20, a 47-44 defeat at La Grande.

Baker’s boys season has had its ups and downs: the Bulldogs lost 63-46 to Marist Catholic on Jan. 24 at Marist and did not face Astoria during the regular season. If Baker had upset Molalla, the Bulldogs’ state-tournament opener would have been scheduled for March 12 at 6:30 p.m. against the winner of the Astoria versus Marist Catholic first-round game. All boys playoff games were played on Friday.

Molalla’s 19-5 record reflects a slate that includes two losses to Madras, and single losses to Estacada, Astoria and Tillamook, while Molalla beat La Grande and Pendleton earlier in the season. Those results help explain Molalla’s No. 3 seeding and set up a challenging hostile-court environment for Baker supporters traveling from Baker City.

Regionally, La Grande enters the bracket as the eighth seed and will host Marshfield, while Pendleton, the 13th seed, travels to No. 4 Madras. The winners of the first-round playoff games advance to the Class 4A state tournament March 12-14 at Forest Grove High School.

A passage in a published game recap states, "Baker led by as many as six points in the third quarter, and the Bulldogs led 61-60 with less than 2 minutes left," language that does not align with the Feb. 14 65-50 final and requires clarification. With state-tournament berths on the line, Baker’s split postseason weekend — a road test at Molalla and a home game against The Dalles — will determine whether either Bulldog squad moves on to Forest Grove.