Baldwin's run ends in state semifinals
Bruins finish 19-3
Baldwin’s quest for its first-ever boys’ basketball state championship fell short last Saturday afternoon at Glens Falls Civic Center in a Class AA state semifinal game.
A week after capturing their second Long Island title in five years, the Bruins struggled to find the basket in a 50-41 defeat to Aquinas Institute. Mykeil Tzul and Kirk Staine, two of Baldwin’s 11 close-knit seniors, had 10 points apiece in the season-ending loss. Phil Valenti of Aquinas, which lost to Mount Vernon in the final, led all scorers with 21 points.
“Not to take anything away from Aquinas, but it’s disappointing because it was a game we could’ve won,” Baldwin coach Darius Burton said. “We struggled shooting. We had good looks all game, but we just didn’t execute the way we did all season.”
The Bruins, who saw their 17-game winning streak snapped, had an uncharacteristic shooting performance going 18 of 66 from the field. They made only five trips to the foul line and were out-rebounded by a 61-33 margin.
“They took advantage of their size in the second half,” said Burton, who credited his bench with helping the Bruins hold a 16-15 halftime advantage after two senior starters — point guard Brandon Williams and Rashid Lesane — sat out the second quarter with two fouls apiece.
After a tight back-and-forth battle for three quarters, Aquinas used an 11-2 run to open a 47-36 lead in the fourth, fueled by Jarron Jones and Valenti inside and a three-pointer by Jahmahl Pardner. Jones had 16 rebounds and Valenti added 11. Staine had 14 boards for the Bruins, who got six points and eight rebounds from senior Kyle Richardson.
“It’s a tough place to shoot, but that’s no excuse,” Burton said. “We weren’t able to finish. We had opportunities we didn’t take advantage of.”
Burton said the first half of the bus ride back from Glens Falls was quiet, but the mood eventually became positive. “Looking back, everyone realized what a great season we had,” he said. “It’s only the second time in school history the team went upstate, and we had some big wins along the way.”
No victory was bigger than the March 3 win over previously undefeated rival and top-seeded Uniondale in the Nassau Class AA championship game. The Bruins came back a week later to defeat William Floyd for the L.I. crown.
