Baldwin boys determined to win AA crown
Baldwin point guard Brandon Williams scores on a jumper against Uniondale. (March 3, 2012) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
First vengeance, now history.
Before this season, Baldwin fell in five of the last six county finals. This year, the Bruins disposed of those who had previously disposed of them and now sit two wins away from capturing the first state championship in school history.
Baldwin, ranked seventh in the state, faces second-ranked Rochester Aquinas Institute in the state boys Class AA basketball semifinals at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Glens Falls Civic Center. Baldwin's last appearance in Glens Falls was in 2008.
In the quarterfinals, the Bruins dethroned defending county champion Elmont, which beat Baldwin by three in the final last season. Then they handed unbeaten Uniondale, which beat them the two previous years, its only loss of the season to win the county championship. They defeated Floyd to win the Long Island championship and will carry a 17-game winning streak upstate, where they'll compete in the state tournament for the second time in program history.
"Getting to this point means a lot but our job isn't done yet," said senior point guard Brandon Williams, who is averaging 16 points and 8.7 assists in the postseason. "The ultimate goal is to win states and make it to Federation. So we're going out there with a will to win."
Aquinas (20-2) features two future Division-I players in 6-7 Phil Valenti (Canisius) and point guard Christian White (Monmouth). They clog the middle with Jarron Jones, a 6-7, 290-pound defensive lineman bound for Notre Dame.
Those will be tough assignments given the size advantage, but Baldwin (19-2) has thrived defensively all season, thanks in part to the inside presence of the 6-4 Kyle Richardson and 6-5 Kirk Staine.
"The pressure is not on us, the pressure is on them," said Baldwin coach Darius Burton, whose next win will be the 200th of his 13-year coaching career. "We have to believe that we can play with them."
Should the Bruins win, they take on the winner of Mount Vernon and Albany at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in the state final, where Baldwin history could be made.
"We are hungry this year," Williams said. "That drive and enthusiasm helped us get here. We're looking forward to making history."
