Experienced Baldwin stays sharp

Defending Nassau Class AA girls’ basketball champion Baldwin has picked up where it left off last season and could be destined for the No. 1 seed, a ranking frequently attached to the Lady Bruins, for this year’s county tournament set to begin Feb. 11.

“We’ve been challenged by a demanding non-league schedule to help us prepare for the postseason,” head coach Tom Catapano said. “We have 10 returnees and they’re all bigger, stronger and wiser. There’s a lot of kids with a lot of experience, and they’ve been playing well.”

Baldwin’s frontcourt was hindered with the loss of junior 6-foot forward Sarah Pulis for the entire season after she suffered a knee injury late in the soccer campaign. Pulis proved a key factor in the team’s run to the county title last season, although junior Montia Moon has stepped up to fill the void as well as Catapano could’ve hoped, he said. “At 5-4, Montia is undersized for the position, but she more than makes up for it with effort, hustle and grittiness,” Catapano explained.

The Lady Bruins (11-1 overall) tipped off the second half of the Conference AA-II schedule with a 70-30 victory at Port Washington last Friday. It was the sixth time in as many conference games they held an opponent under the 40-point mark, and fifth time they’ve scored 69 or more.

Guard Aziah Hudson continues to score at a torrid pace after opening her sophomore season, her third on varsity, with 26 points in a win over Mary Louis (Queens) and then a career-high 32 in a victory over Copiague. After pouring in 22 points last Friday at Port, she’s averaging a team-high 18.7 per game. “Aziah works hard and she’s kicked her game into another gear,” Catapano said. “She’s really explosive to the basket. Her first step is tremendous.”

Freshman Kaia Harrison is thriving as the starting point guard and looked “rock-solid,” Catapano said, against the best competition the Lady Bruins have faced. She’s chipping in 5.7 points on average. “Kaia’s a pass-first player who’s doing a great job running the offense and applying defensive pressure,” he said.

Guard Jenna Annecchiarico, another sophomore in her third varsity season, leads the team in assists and is a relentless defender who’s averaging more than 13 points per game. “Jenna has a great basketball IQ and anticipates as well as anyone,” Catapano said.

Up front, senior center Lames ElGammal has taken her game to another level. She was MVP of the Say Yes To Success showcase after scoring 15 points and ripping down 20 rebounds to lead the Lady Bruins to a 54-40 win over Gill St. Bernards School. “She’s cleaned up some of our mistakes with blocked shots and big rebounds,” Catapano said.

Junior Kayla Brown is providing an offensive spark, while juniors Nadia Elcock and Meaghan George, along with sophomore Sarah Henry are doing the same on the defensive end.

Three of Baldwin’s last four games require bus trips, including a visit to Hicksville this Friday for a 4:30 p.m. start. The lone remaining regular-season home contest is Monday against Plainview at 7 p.m.