Corbin leads Baldwin girls back to final
Baldwin High School #13 Keira Corbin, right, shoots a jumper over MacArthur #33 Taylor Kenney in the first quarter of a Nassau County varsity girls basketball Class AA semifinal at Oyster Bay High School. (March 2, 2011) Credit: James Escher
Even though she scored eight points in the first half, Keira Corbin felt she got off to a slow start. Having high expectations has kept Corbin and her Baldwin teammates among the best teams in Nassau this season and in the hunt for a second straight county title.
Corbin had 17 points, Courtney Jackson had 15 points and Alex Hampton added 13 to lead top-seeded Baldwin over No. 4 MacArthur, 55-45, Wednesday in a Nassau Class AA girls basketball semifinal at Oyster Bay yesterday. Baldwin (18-1) will defend its county title against No. 2 Farmingdale in the final at 4 p.m. Saturday at C.W. Post.
"I'm really excited it's just like a repeat of last year," Corbin said. "We played confident and kept our head up."
MacArthur exploited its size advantage on the inside early on as 5-11 Taylor Kenney scored eight of her 11 points in the first quarter to give the Generals a 14-10 lead. The Bruins went on a 13-2 run to start the second quarter and never looked back, taking a 31-23 lead at halftime.
"They had a bit of a size advantage," said Jackson, who scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half. "We needed to pick up the pace, grab some rebounds and make shots.
"It's all about the hard work at practice. If you work hard at practice, then you're going to work hard in the game and you're going to make shots and play good defense."
Baldwin's speed and defensive tenacity, led by Corbin's seven steals, made a comeback even more difficult for the Generals. MacArthur found itself in a 14-point hole at 44-30 after three quarters.
The Bruins held the Generals to just one three-pointer, a Jena Cozza basket in the final minute of play.
"Our nemesis: turning it over too many times in a row at important points and unfortunately couldn't get over that today," MacArthur coach Kathleen Auer said. "Baldwin is a quick team. It's hard for us, their guards are much quicker than all of our guards."
Courtney Noakes had 13 points and Cozza and Kenney each had 11 points for MacArthur (15-4).
Baldwin coach Tom Catapano acknowledged his team will rely on its defensive prowess as attention turns to defending the county championship.
"Our thing is defense: half-court and full-court defense that's where we make our living," Catapano said. "We have to make sure we pressure the ball and get out in transition."
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
