VALE – Down by one at the half, the Baker boys’ basketball team used a big third quarter and a full court press to leave Vale victorious, 73-66.
It was the Viking defense putting the first points on the board as two steals resulted in points by Vale senior Brayden Gregory and freshman Brooks Haueter. Baker senior Gabe Gambleton found the first Bulldogs points with just over a minute into the game.
Related: Photo Gallery Vale v Baker – Randy Seals
The two teams swapped the lead throughout the first quarter with the Bulldogs leading, 17-14 as the first quarter came to an end.
The trading of the lead continued in the second quarter with the Vikings heading into the locker room with a single point lead, 33-32.
Baker scored the first six points to start the second half. The young Vikings, playing numerous times with four freshmen on the floor, struggled with the full court press of the Bulldogs. Baker outscored Vale 22-12 in the third and had a 55-44 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
Vale was able to make a small run in the final minutes of the game and outscored Baker 22-18, but Baker was able to continue to force turnovers and leave Vale with the victory.
The Bulldogs were led by Gambleton’s 20 points. Hudson Spike added 17 points and Paul Hobson ended the game with 11 points.
In the loss, Gregory finished the night with 27 points including three 3-pointers. Freshman Luke McGourty put in 12 points for Vale.
The Vikings will continue short handed for upcoming games as juniors Adam Diaz and John Wolfe remain injured.
The win over Vale started a three-night push for the Bulldogs as Baker hosts Powder Valley on Wednesday before hosting Ontario on Thursday.
Vale has a few days off before hosting Ontario on Friday.