Basketball Game Preview: Baker Braves vs. Lone Pine Golden Eagles

Baker hasn't had much luck against Lone Pine recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Baker Braves will face off against the Lone Pine Golden Eagles at 6:30 p.m.

Baker easily dispatched Immanuel Christian on Friday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. Baker fell just short of Trona by a score of 49-46 on Monday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Braves have suffered since January 12, 2024.

Baker might have lost, but man, Anthony Ortiz was a machine: he went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 22 points and six boards. Ortiz's evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Anthony Ibarra was another key player, putting up seven points and five steals.

Meanwhile, Lone Pine came tearing into Monday's matchup with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 59 points) and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Mustangs 68-16. The Golden Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 15 games by 24 points or more this season.

Lone Pine pushed their record up to 18-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.6 points per game. As for Baker, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-8.

Baker took a serious blow against Lone Pine when the teams last played back in January, falling 69-38. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Lone Pine's Cristian Duran, who posted 19 points in addition to five rebounds and three steals. Now that Baker knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? There's only one way to find out.