By STEVE SINISKI
against third-seeded Hempstead (17-4) at SUNY Old Westbury, though the team proved tenacious in its first title-game appearance since 1993.
The No. 4 Bruins (15-6) battled back from an early 10-point deficit, twice getting as close as 1 point in the third quarter, but they could never get the go-ahead basket, as the Tigers consistently held them at arm's length on the way to a 61-51 win. In taking the county title, Hempstead's first since 2001, the Tigers also upped the program's record to 18-0 in championship games since 1981.
"We had a couple of possessions [when we were] down by 1 but we didn't execute," Baldwin coach Darius Burton said. "Our hats go off to Hempstead - they played a great game today."
Coughing up the lead in the second half could have been a big problem for Hempstead, which lost a regular-season matchup with Baldwin, 64-63, when Bruins point guard Chris Manning sank a layup at the final buzzer. "It was very important [fighting them off]," Tigers coach Ted Adams said. "It had psychological importance [for us]. ... It was very important to maintain that cushion."
The Bruins defense, led by Manning, limited the Tigers' Terrell Holloway to a season-low 4 points, but Holloway still had an impact down the stretch. The junior found Stephen Atkinson and Jahi Fields for a pair of baskets in the midst of a 6-point scoring run that stretched a 3-point Hempstead lead to 58-49 with less than two minutes to play.
Atkinson led the way with a game-high 20 points, filling the void in the scoring column left by Baldwin's defense of Holloway. "Steve is our unsung hero," Adams said. "He's the guy no one notices."
Mike Woods paced Baldwin with 14 points, and teamed with Scott Henderson (11 points) to lead a third-quarter surge. After the half, the duo scored Baldwin's first 9 points. Woods converted two of Baldwin's first three baskets, none prettier than a reverse layup off a feed from Manning, then drew the third foul on Fields, the Tigers' starting center.
Woods also pulled down four of his five rebounds in the first four minutes of the second half. Scott Henderson added the other five points, including a 3-pointer after freeing himself up with a ball fake for a wide-open shot that cut the Hempstead lead to 37-36.
After the flurry, Woods and Henderson each scored just 1 point the rest of the way. "They located him and made him put the ball on the floor," Burton said of the Tigers, whose defense adjusted to slow down Woods, who had scored 7 points in the first quarter. "They were quicker [picking him up]." Manning's quick hands kept Hempstead from running away with the game in the first half, as he grabbed four steals, including three in the first 1:55 of the second quarter. Despite falling behind 29-18, Baldwin closed on a 9-3 run sparked by baskets from Manning, Henderson, Woods and Keenan Hawkins, trimming the deficit to just 5 at the intermission.
"We were passive early on, and that put us in a hole," Burton said.
The Bruins - who fell to Hempstead in their last championship game appearance in 1993 - advanced to the finals after knocking off top-seeded Uniondale in the semis. "We did a great job, and nobody expected us to get this far," Burton said. "This will always be a special team. It took me to the finals for the first time, and I'll never forget that."
Comments about this story? Baldwineditor@liherald.com (516) 569-4000 ext. 207.
