Basketball Recap: Ida Baker Comes Up Short

Ida Baker was the 38-37 winner over Gateway when they last played one another back in December of 2021, but their luck changed this time around. The Ida Baker Bulldogs lost 52-31 to the Gateway Eagles on Friday. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 509th, while the Eagles are ranked 120th).

Despite the loss, Ida Baker still got an impressive performance from Maia Berdebes, who posted 23 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Berdebes has posted since back in January of 2024.

Even though they lost, Ida Baker smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.

Gateway's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Thatiyana Holiday led the charge by putting up 11 points in addition to seven steals and five boards. Another player making a difference was Kenyah Moss, who put up eight points in addition to ten rebounds and three steals.

Ida Baker has traveled a rocky road recently having lost ten of their last 11 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-13 record this season. As for Gateway, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season.

Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Ida Baker will challenge Riverdale at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Ida Baker is facing Riverdale at the right time seeing as Riverdale is stuck on a 13-game losing streak. As for Gateway, they will take on Mariner in a tournament on Monday. Gateway is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 52.4 points per game this season.