By TONY BELLISSIMO
The 11th-seeded Lady Bruins found out firsthand last Friday night when they were dealt a season-ending 61-36 defeat by the Conference AA-II champion Lady Highlanders. The hosts built a 10-point lead after the first quarter and never looked back as four players scored in double figures, led by Kim Mui (23 points, seven rebounds and four assists).
"As much as we practiced to prepare for their press, we turned the ball over too much," Baldwin coach Tara Graf said. "We managed to break it once in a while and get a layup, but they're a strong team with playoff experience."
Herricks (17-2) advanced to face Massapequa in the quarterfinals, while Baldwin finished a remarkable 17-2 a season after winning just one game. Sophomore Shayna Gatling scored 14 points and junior Brianna Selesky added eight to pace Graf's offense, which scored at least 40 in each of its first 18 games. Senior point guard Jasmine Davis, an All-County candidate, was saddled with foul trouble throughout the contest and managed only two points before picking up her fifth personal with three minutes remaining.
"Jasmine couldn't play her normal aggressive style because of the fouls," Graf said. "That hurt because she makes us go. She had three fouls in the first quarter and four in the first half, so it made things difficult."
Herricks closed the first half on a five-point spurt and led 29-19 at the break. It stretched the advantage to 45-25 after three quarters. Natalie Castano (12), Jen LaMadia (10) and Madison McHugh (10) also scored in double digits for the winners.
"We had a special season," Graf said. "Hopefully it's a sign of bigger things to come."
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
