Baldwin girls basketball keeps tradition, returns to another county final
Alyssa Polonia #4 of Baldwin dribbles through a defensive press by Jaylah McKay #10 of Syosset during a Nassau girls basketball Class AAA semifinal playoff game at Farmingdale College on Sunday, March 1, 2026 Credit: David Meisenholder
Championship seasons have been pretty much the norm for Baldwin girls basketball under Tom Catapano. So the expectations are running high again after 13 Nassau, seven Long Island and three state crowns across his 16 previous years in charge.
“The standard is the standard,” the Bruins’ coach said after his team played Sunday in the Nassau Class AAA semifinals at Farmingdale State. “We’re just trying to be the best version of ourselves.
“It’s really not about anybody who we play. It’s just about coming in every day, working hard and focusing more on the journey than the destination.”
The 2025-26 journey has gone well so far. Six seniors moved on to college basketball from last season’s state Class AA title team and Baldwin moved back up to AAA, yet now it’s back in a county championship game.
The top-seeded Bruins got balanced scoring and their defense created 29 turnovers en route to a dominant 72-40 win over the defending two-time champ, No. 4 Syosset.
“I’m very excited, but we all know what the goal is, so we just have to keep ourselves focused,” said senior guard Alyssa Polonia, the Assumption commit and their lone returning starter. “We’re trying to go back upstate.”
They will shoot for another county title at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Farmingdale State against third-seeded Massapequa.
“I think it’s just our culture,” Polonia said about why this team is still so good despite the graduation losses. “Our coach does a really great job of keeping us motivated and mentally tough.”
Ajeya Nicholas paced Baldwin (19-3) with 14 points. Malia Robinson and Chinaya Okogeri contributed 13 apiece and Polonia added nine.
“I feel like there’s always a little pressure to win [championships],” Nicholas said. “But our coach has prepared us very well, so I think we’ve got it.”
Jaylah McKay topped Syosset (14-7) with 13 points. Teammate Samantha Schneider arrived averaging nearly 29 points. But the Bruins held the standout Carnegie Mellon-bound senior guard to 12.
“I think that kid’s earned the right to be double-teamed and triple-teamed,” Syosset coach Michael Ferreira said.
In the end, his program’s championship run was over.
“I’m incredibly proud of the girls on the team and the girls that came before them,” Ferreira said.
It was a 6-6 game. Then Baldwin closed the first quarter on a 22-3 run.
“Just playing hard on both sides, working hard for rebounds, putbacks, defensive rebounds, and just running the floor,” Nicholas said.
Nicholas scored 10 points in the period, including a late layup that made it 28-9.
By halftime, it was 47-21. By the end of three, it was 63-33.
“I think this team now is finally starting to hit their peak,” Catapano said. “… They’re playing their best basketball going into March.”
