Monday, February 17, 2025
There’s a drive and determination that manifests itself the bigger the game is for the Baldwin girls’ basketball team.
The Bruins are laser-focused on regaining their spot atop Nassau County after not winning a title last March for the first time in a decade.
A dominant 82-47 home victory over East Meadow Jan. 13 was the latest example.
“Last year, that really stung, and I don’t want that to happen again for me, especially my senior year,” Baldwin senior guard Payton Dulin said. “I’m just trying to level up every day. The team is just trying to level up every day, because we know this is a big year, and we have a good feeling about this year.”
It was actually the visiting Jets who jumped out to an early 6-3 lead, but that “punch in the face,” as Baldwin head coach Tom Catapano called it, served as a wake-up call for his squad.
And it sparked an unrelenting wave of attack. It started with consecutive 3-pointers by senior guard Monique Echols (15 points), then one by junior guard Alyssa Polinia and two more by Dulin.
“We couldn't stop, just had to keep going,” said Echols, who scored all her points from beyond the arc. “Especially with the season we had last year, we have to make a statement to let everybody know that we’re back and we’re here this year.”
A pair of free throws from East Meadow’s Allie Twible ended the 21-0 run, but the next punishing wave came quickly.
That was a 22-0 surge, which featured an aggressive defense that forced numerous turnovers, domination on the offensive glass and was capped by a Dulin that gave her 18 first-half points and put Baldwin (8-1, 6-0 Conference AA-I) in front, 46-8.
“That’s just the name of the game. Our confidence comes from each other,” said Dulin, who scored a game-high 23 points and chipped in five assists. “When we see somebody else making shots, that builds our confidence to start making ours.”
Despite a 36-point halftime deficit, defending county and L.I. Class AA champion East Meadow (7-5, 5-1 Conference AA-I) didn’t quit. Twible, who scored a team-high 14 points, was impressive, showcasing her guard skills in a 5-foot-10 frame and Kayla Lederer’s 94-foot engine never stopped.
“Kudos to them. They played really hard, they just fought to the very end,” East Meadow head coach Pete Olenik said. “That’s the type of girls they are. They are that way in practice, and that way in games. They just hustle, they work hard, they stick together. I’m proud of them.”
Olenik drew positives from the defeat, which saw Angelina Cronin score 13 points and Lederer add 11 points.
“This will make us stronger against the rest of the conference,” he said. “The only way you’re going to get better is if you play teams that are better than you.”
Meanwhile, for Baldwin, the deepest team Catapano said he’s coached, there’s a realization, and perhaps a warning for the rest of the county, that they’ve not reached their highest level yet.
“We can still be a lot better than we are right now and I think that’s the message to them — we did a good job, we didn't do a great job,” Catapano said. “We’re trying to make a deep run at this thing. So with that comes a huge standard they’re trying to uphold.”
