By TONY BELLISSIMO
So far, so good. In stretching their win streak to five games with a 54-36 decision over Clarke in the opening round of their host tournament last Thursday, the Lady Bruins (5-1 overall, 2-0 in conference) forced more than 20 turnovers and had six players score at least six points.
"We're playing great team defense," said Graf, who previously coached the team for seven seasons and led it to a county championship in the 1998-99 campaign. "We like to pressure the ball, create turnovers and turn them into points. We've got a lot of capable scorers. If one or two have an off night, I'm confident others can pick up the slack."
Senior point guard Jasmine Davis stood out against Clarke, totaling 13 points, nine assists and six steals. She was Baldwin's only double digit scorer, but one of many contributors. Junior Amanda Rittmeier and sophomore Shayna Gatling had eight points apiece, eighth-grader Brianna Thomas had seven, and seniors Melanie Gordon and junior Brianna Selesky chipped in with six. Clarke was led by 10-point scorers Dana Dunwoody and Matil Mangual.
"We played well in spurts today," Graf said. "We missed some easy shots. We need to convert more when we get as many steals as we did."
Davis scored eight of her points in the first 10 minutes as the Lady Bruins raced to a 15-8 lead. She accounted for the last two baskets of the opening quarter and jump-started the second with a steal and lay-up. "Jasmine puts pressure on everyone she guards," said Graf, "and when she gets the ball she pushes the tempo."
Davis is also unselfish, and in Baldwin's 59-38 victory over conference rival Freeport prior to the holiday break she dished out 14 assists. Rittmeier was the main beneficiary, knocking down a career-high 22 points on the strength of six three-pointers. Gatling had 10 points and 18 rebounds. "I wasn't comfortable in that game until it got late in the fourth quarter," Graf explained. "I scouted Freeport and feel they've got a strong team. They were in a defense that allowed Amanda the opportunity to do what she does best, and she was just tremendous."
Gatling and Thomas keyed a 46-28 win at Oceanside in the conference opener on Dec. 18. Gatling, who has emerged as a premier rebounder, came up with 16 points and 18 boards, and Thomas added 18 points to continue her torrid start that saw her average 19 points over the first four games.
"We have plenty of tests upcoming," said Graf, who is anxious to see how Baldwin stacks up against Hempstead this Friday at 4:30 p.m. "A lot rides on every conference game because only the first-place team is guaranteed a playoff spot."
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
