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Overcast Baldwin wins Class AA title in thriller
Bruins hold off previously unbeaten Uniondale
There was no denying Baldwin this time.
After losing three consecutive Nassau County Class AA boys’ basketball championship games by a combined 12 points, the Bruins staved off top-seeded Uniondale, 57-53, for their second title in five seasons before a crowd of more than 3,500 Saturday at Hofstra.
“It’s a thrill and a relief,” said senior catalyst Brandon Williams, who led Baldwin with 18 points before fouling out with 1:13 remaining and his team clinging to a six-point lead. “Close games are great for the crowd, but not the players.”
Senior Mykeil Tzul, who relieved Williams at the point, knocked down five free throws in the final half-minute to seal the victory for No. 2 Baldwin, which led 50-38 with 2:31 remaining and held on despite missing 10 foul shots in the fourth quarter. Tzul had 10 points and senior Kirk Staine added 11, while Uniondale’s Shaq Mosley led all scorers with 22.
“I had confidence in our guys and kept telling them ‘we don’t have to beat Uniondale in a series, but only one game,’ ” Baldwin coach Darius Burton said. “We made it a little too close in the end by not taking care of the ball and missing free throws, but we got it done.”
The Knights came into the game with a perfect mark of 20-0. Senior Rashid Lazane added nine points and senior Kyle Richardson had six blocks and six rebounds for the Bruins (18-2), who face William Floyd this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Hofstra for the Long Island Class AA championship. “It means a lot,” said Staine, who added eight rebounds.
Baldwin took a 38-37 lead into the fourth quarter and scored 12 of the next 13 points, including six by Williams, to increase the advantage to 12. But it couldn’t slam the door, missing six of eight free throws, while Mosley and junior Aaron Cust brought Uniondale back within a basket with 35 seconds left.
It wasn’t until Tzul, under pressure and the roar of the crowd, made good on three trips to the line to close the curtain.
