By STEVE SINISKI
"We've done a great job of taking care of the task at hand," Baldwin coach Darius Burton said of his team's focus in each and every game. "The guys know what the big goal is, but they also know that you have to take many steps to get there. You can't take anyone for granted, because over the last few years we've become the hunted."
Baldwin's hopes for a No. 1 seed in the Nassau County Class A Championships got a huge boost when Freeport lost to Uniondale last Saturday, 47-45. The Bruins open the postseason with a home game against an opponent to be determined on Fri., Feb. 14 at 7 p.m.
Such is life for a team that's put the pedal to the medal, yet in facing the best every opponent has to offer, it's only forced Baldwin to dig deeper and use different ways to come out on top. Earlier in the year, the Bruins relied on their perimeter shooters to step up and convert from three-point land. But the focus has changed recently as Burton continues to keep his big men, namely Lennox Matthews and Brandon Harris, heavily involved.
"They have established themselves as two of the dominant big men in our conference," Burton said of his dynamic duo in the paint. "The more dominant they are on the inside, the more it opens up the outside. Teams can't afford to double down on us either."
How serious is Baldwin about revolving the offense around its low post players? Consider that in a 59-39 win over Calhoun on Feb. 3, the Bruins converted a season-low one three-pointer, while Matthews had 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Harris added 16 points and 14 rebounds, contributing five blocked shots on the defensive end, and Matthews added five steals for good measure. The team was averaging six threes per game in the 15 prior matchups.
"Weâve been working from the inside out in the half-court game," Burton said.
Athough it may seem as if the Bruins' offense has been the catalyst for success, that can't be further from the truth. In fact, Baldwin's become known for its intensity on the defensive end of the floor, which often jump-starts the transition game and leads to open looks and layups.
"The key to our defense is constant pressure for 32 minutes," Burton said. "Our guys are in great shape and we can go deep [on the bench]. It's our help defense that's been great, because we preach that the ball is more important than the man. All five of our guys have to stop the ball, and they've been contesting every shot and holding teams to just one [on many possessions]."
