Baldwin can't handle 6-4 Stewart in loss

TROY, N.Y. -- Baldwin knew it had a tall order trying to slow down Breanna Stewart. Most teams can't contain the 6-4 junior from Cicero-North Syracuse, but the matchup was worse for the Bruins, who don't have a player taller than 5-10.

Baldwin has played man-to-man defense all season. In order to try and at least slow Stewart, the Bruins implemented a zone defense and a box-and-one. It didn't work.

Stewart was dominant and Baldwin's season ended in a 55-35 loss Friday night in a state Class AA girls basketball semifinals at Hudson Valley CC. Cicero-North Syracuse (21-2) will play Gates-Chili in the final at 8:45 p.m. Saturday. Katie Greene scored 12 points, Keira Corbin nine and Alex Hampton eight for Baldwin (20-2).

Stewart, who came in averaging 24.3 points, is one of the top juniors in the country and committed to UConn. Stewart, the state Gatorade Player of the Year, had 28 points, 14 rebounds, six blocked shots and four steals. She was 10-for-13 from the field.

"We like to get in the paint and create fouls and when you have a 6-4 kid with a 6-11 wingspan in the middle of the paint it makes life hard," Baldwin coach Tom Catapano said. "She changes everything you want to do. She's a phenomenal player. She hurt us bad. We couldn't press them because their guards were good. Things we usually do well we weren't able to do."

Not only was Stewart a force on offense, but she was a deterrent on defense. Even if she didn't block a shot, she altered them forcing Baldwin to take many from the perimeter, as 15 first-half three-pointers proved. Baldwin also had trouble with CNS' 2-3 zone and wasn't able to get many baskets in transition, usually one of its strengths. The Bruins shot 13-for-66 from the field, including 4-for-26 from three-point range.

"Trying to get a shot off against her was hard," Greene said. "We usually like to drive in but she kept blocking our shots so we had to pull up. The shots just weren't falling."

SEE PHOTOSCicero-North Syracuse 55, Baldwin 35

Added Corbin: "We were forced to shoot from the outside and we weren't hitting."

Baldwin made its first appearance in a state semifinal, won its first Long Island championship, and won the Nassau title for the second consecutive season.

Baldwin did well in the first quarter and trailed 13-9. Stewart had nine of her 18 first-half points in a 15-5 second quarter to give CNS a 28-14 lead. Baldwin shot 5-for-36 in the half.

"It's bittersweet," Greene said. "We had a wonderful season and I'll never forget it."