THE DALLES — Host Baker High ended The Dalles High School’s girls basketball season with a 52-27 win over the Riverhawks in the first round of the OSAA Class 4A state playoffs.
The Riverhawks (11-14) were one of three Tri-Valley Conference teams to qualify for the 16-team playoffs, earning the No. 16 seed into the postseason. Second-seeded Baker (22-4) advanced to the eight-team state tourney, March 12-14 at Forest Grove High School.
The two teams had played a non-league game, also in Baker, on Feb. 14, when the Bulldogs won by a 15-point margin. The playoff rematch came down to the host team’s efficiency on offense, which helped it build a 29-9 halftime lead. The Dalles would get no closer than 29-11, when senior Hailey Johnston opened the second half scoring with one of her five field goals.
Johnston, the team’s lone senior who added four rebounds and a steal, finished with 10 points in her final game as a Riverhawk — the past two seasons with Coach Ronni Blodgett at the helm. The young team benefited from a tough schedule where the Riverhawks played 11 teams that ended up qualifying for the OSAA playoffs.
Baker raced to a 7-0 lead and was ahead 16-5 after the first period. The Dalles was hurt by 12 first half turnovers — five in the opening period when they also shot 2-for-12 from the field. The Dalles finally warmed up from the field in the third quarter, connecting on six of its 13 shots. But by that time, Baker had built a 46-23 lead.
Sophomore guard Bryce Newby added seven points for The Dalles, which also lost in the first round of the 2024-25 state playoffs (at La Grande).
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