Baldwin boys’ basketball is slowly adjusting to a new league with a largely new roster has it eyes a fourth straight county championship.
The Bruins entered the week at 8-1 in Conference AA-III, which they joined this season after moving down from AAA-2 due to declining enrollment. After a 73-67 overtime loss at Great Neck on Jan, 8 dropped Baldwin to 5-4 overall, the team responded with four straight league wins.
“It’s taking time and we're taking baby steps,” said longtime head coach Darius Burton of his team, which has 10 new varsity players and just five seniors. ‘We're getting better and better and we just have to learn to win these close games.”
After a week-long layoff for midterm exams, Baldwin kept its January momentum going with a 66-41 win at Long Beach last Friday on the strength of a 25-point effort from senior guard Chase Timberlake.
Baldwin won its third conference game in a row with 67-57 win against Valley Stream Central on Jan. 17 led by 28 points from Timberlake, who also dished out eight assists and posted six steals. Timberlake tallied his 1,000 career point in the victory joining Burton as the only player in program history to reach the milestone.
Junior center Gabriel Phillips has also stepped up big this season both offensively and with rebounding averaging a double-double. Phillips, who earned All-County honors as a sophomore, registered 15 points and 12 rebounds in the Valley Stream Central win.
Baldwin is also getting solid contributions from junior point guard Ethan Sainsbury, who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists in 67-62 non-league win against Amityville on Dec. 27. The first-year starter has provided leadership on the floor as a tri-captain with Timberlake and Phillps in his third season on varsity.
Burton said the offense is developing some good balance with threats of scoring near the paint and from three-point range.
“Gabe is tough down low and you’ve got Chase on the perimeter,” Burton said. “We definitely have a good inside out presence.”
Sophomore forward Mical Saint Jean has added a strong defensive presence to the lineup in his first season on varsity. Senior Vaughdrea Johnson, who was quarterback on the football team in the fall, has also brought plenty of toughness to the court with some big rebounds.
Baldwin will visit MacArthur this Thursday evening before hosting Great Neck South Monday at 7 p.m. The Bruins then visit Great Neck North on Feb. 6 and close the regular season at home against Mepham on Feb. 10.
Burton is hoping Baldwin can capture a conference title which would enable a top four seed and a bye in the upcoming Class AA playoffs where the Bruins will be seeking another chance at a deep postseason run.
“We have to defend and execute down the stretch of games,” Burton said. “Hopefully we will be peaking at the right time.”