Baldwin starts fast and wins big

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It hasn’t taken long for Baldwin to flex its muscle on the hardwood, in fact, the Bruins have delivered a number of knockout punches in the first half and sometimes, even the first quarter. The trend continued Jan. 22, as they opened up a 20-point halftime lead on the way to a 73-42 victory over Valley Stream Central.

The win, on the strength of 17 points from senior Marvin Chartelain and 15 from senior Daraja Rodwell, stretched Baldwin’s (13-1 overall) conference winning streak to 30 straight (9-0 in Conference AA-II this season) and a remarkable 66-1 in its last 67.

Senior Paul Nosworthy pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds, while junior guard Shane Gatling had nine points and 10 assists. “We had great spring and summer seasons and I think that’s where [this season’s] success stems from,” head coach Darius Burton said. “The new kids and the younger kids got some confidence early on and [understood] they had to be ready.”

The next-man-up approach has worked well for a Bruins’ team that continues to battle back to full health after a number of key players missed game action because of injury. Rodwell, who scored a season-high 31 points with eight steals and eight rebounds in an 87-49 win over Hicksville on Jan. 20, set a new school-record for three-pointers with his 53rd, topping a mark set last season by DeMarco Barnes. With 56 and counting through 14 games, Rodwell is the Nassau County leader in the category. Gatling had eight assists in the win, but is one of a team choc-full of playmakers that has helped take the offense (averaging 72.2 points per gamer) to a new level.

“They’re very unselfish and that goes a long way,” Burton said. “[We tell them] if you have a good shot, but someone has a better shot, get it to them.”

Nosworthy added a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Jared Rhoden chipped in with 10 points and senior Juwan Brown added nine. Nosworthy, Rhoden and Brown, among the Baldwin players that have battled injuries, have missed a combined 18 games.

One of two remaining unbeaten Nassau County teams in Class AA conference play (Elmont is the other), Baldwin’s only loss came to Brentwood, 73-61, in the Nassau/Suffolk Challenge at Uniondale on Jan. 17. The Indians pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Bruins 21-9 over the final eight minutes, despite four players hitting double figures in points. Gatling led the way with 17, while Rodwell had 13. Nosworthy and Chartelain each had 10. “We knew they were a very good team and against a team like that we can’t turn the ball over and miss layups,” Burton said.

With all of the eye-popping numbers Baldwin has produced, however, defense remains the staple that holds everything together. The Bruins have allowed just three opponents to score more than 50, while five have been held under 40. “Our best offense is our defense,” Burton said. “We can really score the ball, but the defense is doing a great job.”