By Steve Siniski
Using a three-quarters court trap to open the game, the Lady Bruins shut out the Lady Spartans in the first 12 minutes.
"We wanted to trap the corners and have them to pass into the middle [of the court]," coach Sherman Davis said. "We don't try to steal by reaching."
The main objective is to intercept the pass, rather than get caught out of position by overextending for a steal. With Davis anchoring the press out front, Baldwin held Valley Stream North at bay and then exploded in the fourth quarter for 17 points when the defense went to an all-out full-court press. Davis scored a game-high 10 points and added four rebounds, four assists and two steals, but it was her play at the top of the trap that helped carry the Lady Bruins to the win.
Picking up the opposing ball handler on nearly every possession before halfcourt, Davis effectively guided the Lady Spartans right into the teeth of the trap.
"She plays all-out defense and is the quickest person we have," Sherman Davis said.
The result, on more than a few occasions, became a forced pass, a change of possession and a Baldwin basket in transition.
"We're not very big," Sherman Davis said of his team's lack of height. "We have to be aggressive and put pressure on the ball. If [opponents] get the ball down low, they have an advantage."
Ashley Seeger scored five points, while Amanda Rittenmeyer and Melissa Borzoni each added four in a balanced attack.
"She's a smart player and under control," Davis said of Seeger, a newcomer to the varsity team. "She was hitting key shots."
Following a matchup with Jericho last Monday; the Lady Bruins had a break until their Holiday Tournament kicked off on Dec. 27. This year's tournament has been renamed in the memory of Chaneé Brown, a former Lady Bruins' player who was killed in a car accident earlier this year.
"It's going to be emotional but also rewarding," Davis said of the team having an opportunity to play in Brown's memory. "They're going to work hard and be motivated."
Prior to the Championship game on Dec. 28, scheduled to tip-off at 4 p.m., there will be a presentation in Brown's memory. As part of it, her parents will receive her Baldwin basketball jersey.
"She was the type of girl that had a lot of personality and a lot of charisma," Baldwin athletic director Ed Ramirez said. "The girls were drawn to her. She was a captain and led the varsity and junior varsity teams."
The four-team field, which also features Baldwin's first-round opponent - Clarke, along with John Adams and Sewanhaka - kicks off when the latter two teams square off at 2 p.m. The Lady Bruins game with the Lady Rams is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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