Thursday, October 1, 2026
There was no secret what head coach Tom Catapano felt Baldwin needed to overcome Saturday afternoon to capture its 11th Nassau girls’ basketball championship in 12 seasons.
“I’ve never coached against a public school opponent with that much height,” he said of Massapequa. “They’ve got half a dozen 6-footers and so many great athletes. We knew we had to rely on our defense and speed to beat them.”
Led by All-County guards senior Alyssa Polonia (17 points), junior Chinaya Okogeri (15) and sophomore Malia Robinson (15), the top-seeded Bruins celebrated another county title after defeating the Chiefs, 57-39, in the Class AAA final at Farmingdale State College.
“It was a great high school basketball game,” Catapano said. “Massapequa put up a heck of a fight. Yes they had a size advantage and out-rebounded us, but our ability to force some turnovers and score on the fast break was ultimately the difference. I’m proud of the effort and I thought our backcourt really stood out.”
Baldwin (20-3) will face Walt Whitman (21-1) at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Stony Brook University for the Long Island Class AAA championship. The Wildcats have won three of the last four Suffolk County crowns and lost the LIC to the Bruins three years ago.
“It’s exciting,” said Polonia, who scored a dozen points in the fourth quarter on a trio of shots from behind the arc and a traditional three-point play. “We knew we had to keep the pressure up all night and play our game using our speed,” she added.
The Chiefs (19-6), who trailed 20-19 late in the second quarter before Baldwin went on a 13-point run, got 14 points from senior Savanna Appleton and 12 from senior Reese Reustle, who made her first start in more than two months.
“We had a special group,” Massapequa head coach Billy Herr said. “We played with a lot more confidence than we did in the semifinals and we were right there. If we do a better job on some layups, it’s a different game. But give Baldwin credit. Any time you play that team, they’re going to take advantage of every inch you give them.”
Third-seeded Massapequa’s 12 first-quarter points against the Bruins were one more than it had at halftime of its 50-41 victory over Uniondale in the semifinals. Appleton and senior Maeve Schiereck (9 points) had the hot hands early and junior point guard Olivia Morgan had the offense in sync.
Still, Baldwin led 13-12 as Robinson fueled the defense and transition game scoring nine points including a pair of fast-break layups off turnovers. “We always try to push the pace,” said Robinson, who hit a pair of free throws just before halftime for a 28-19 advantage.
Reustle did her best to keep the Chiefs within striking distance. They fell behind by as many as 14 in the third quarter but her basket to open the fourth cut the deficit to 39-30.
Then came another Bruins explosion. They scored 15 of the next 16 to shut the door.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge of facing Whitman,” Catapano said. “It’ll be a battle.”
