Coming back stronger

Other than when Jan. 24 rolls around each year, Katie Baker has thoroughly enjoyed her two seasons playing basketball at the University of Montana.

The former star at Lake City High and graduate of the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy started as a freshman in Missoula, and this year as a sophomore the 6-foot forward was named first-team all-Big Sky Conference, and on Saturday will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time — and close to home, to boot.

Montana (18-14), the No. 14 seed, will play No. 3 seed UCLA (27-4) at 3:30 p.m. at Gonzaga University’s McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane.

“I’ve dreamed of this since I was a little girl,” said Baker, who grew up going to Gonzaga women’s games. “I know it’s so cliche to say that, but my coaches and family have all been a part of this dream. To have them to be a part of it, and to have the fans at Montana and the fans at home be a part of this journey is just such a blessing. I’m just absolutely thrilled right now.”

If Montana pulls the upset on Saturday, the Lady Griz could play Gonzaga on Monday night for a berth in the Sweet 16. Gonzaga was one of the other schools recruiting Baker out of high school, along with UC Santa Barbara, Princeton, Vanderbilt and Colorado.

BACK TO Jan. 24, 2010.

Sixteen days earlier, in a game at Eastern Washington in Cheney, Baker tore the ACL in her left knee, ending her season. She had started all 15 games as a freshman, averaging 11.5 points and averaging 6.9 rebounds. She had surgery on Jan. 24.

One year later, after starting her team’s first 19 games of the season, a pain in her stomach grew worse as the day progressed, and she drove herself to the hospital in the middle of the night — yes, she drove herself to the hospital — and underwent an emergency appendectomy.

“I remember that was a Sunday, and the Green Bay Packers were playing and they’re my favorite team, and I just felt awful the whole day,” Baker recalled. “But I just thought it was a stomach ache, and I went to bed early, I thought I’ll just sleep it off.

“But it just got worse and worse, and I finally called my dad at home and he said have Sarah (Ena, a senior forward and her housemate) drive me to the emergency room and I said ‘Dad, I don’t want to wake her up.’

“I didn’t want to wake up my roommate for a lousy stomach ache.”

Around 3 a.m., in the wee hours of Jan. 24, Baker woke Sarah up and said she was headed to the hospital, which turned out to be an adventure in itself.

“I didn’t have my contacts in, I didn’t know where the hospital was, I was in so much pain ... ” Baker said. “I knew the general area of it, but three wrong turns ... and I had to get out and read a sign because I couldn’t see it ... it was just bad.”

They told her at the hospital if she’d gotten there any later, her appendix might have burst and she would have been out for the rest of the season. As it turned out, it only partially ruptured.

She missed one game.

The person who replaced her in the lineup for that game helped the Lady Griz to a key win over Montana State. When Baker returned, she started coming off the bench, and has done so the past 12 games. The MSU win started Montana on a six-game win streak, and the Lady Griz are 9-3 with Baker coming off the bench.

Montana coach Robin Selvig said he didn’t want to “mess up something that was going good,” so he stayed with the other person starting and Baker coming off the bench.

Still, Baker leads the Lady Griz in scoring (11.9) and rebounding (7.4) per game.

“I think she’s slowed down a bit and got a little more composed, she’s played her best basketball since then,” said Selvig, who has won 758 games and is in his 33rd season as Montana coach.

BAKER WAS determined to recover from her torn ACL as a freshman — so much so that she remained in Missoula last summer to work out, rather than return home. She’s treating her appendectomy the same way.

“You hear about people who come off of ACLs and it’s like, ‘she used to be really good and then she tore a knee, and now she’s OK,’” Baker said. “I didn’t want to be that player. I didn’t want this to weigh me down, I didn’t want this to be my legacy at Montana. I wanted to come back stronger.”

Selvig said with some rest in the offseason, followed by some lifting, Baker should return to the level of player she was before the injury and the illness.

“She’ll regain some speed and quickness that I think she lost,” Selvig said. “Her leg has hurt her this year some, and she never says anything; she is a trooper.”

Selvig said Baker, who is Lake City’s all-time leading scorer and helped the Timberwolves win the state 5A title in 2007, has expanded her game while at Montana — for one thing, she has turned into a better passer.

“She’s not very experienced when you think about it,” Selvig said. “She got half a freshman year in, and I think she’s really come on the last half of conference (this year). She’s a girl that plays hard every second she plays. And she’s getting better all the time, which is the key. She’s a very strong person. She was dealt a couple tough ones and she’s handled them as well as anybody I’ve ever had.”

And when Jan. 24, 2012 rolls around ...

“I’m just going to sit in (a) room and hope nothing happens to me,” Baker said with a laugh.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via e-mail at mnelke@cdapress.com.