Baldwin off to quick start

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Baldwin demonstrated its championship mettle after a sluggish start in last Saturday’s 49-42 non-league win over Suffolk County power Harborfields.

The defending Long Island Class AA boys’ basketball champions responded from an early eight-point deficit with a 27-5 run that stretched from late in the first quarter midway through the third period en route to victory. The win over the previously unbeaten Tornadoes in a Nassau/Suffolk Challenge game held at Uniondale High School moved the Bruins to 9-1 entering the final three weeks of the regular season.

“They were the only team left on Long Island that was undefeated so we used that as a little motivating factor,” Baldwin head coach Darius Burton said of Harborfields, who won last year’s Suffolk County Class A title. “That’s a great team.”

Senior captain Elijah Bovell fueled Baldwin’s surge with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-2 forward threw down a thunderous dunk on transition for Baldwin’s first lead of the game at 18-16 and the Bruins never trailed again. The lead grew to as high as 19 before Harborfields put together a late spurt.

“He is our team leader,” said Burton of Bovell, who was named the game’s outstanding player. “He is playing hard and playing both ends of the floor.” 

Rhijon Blackwell jumpstarted Baldwin’s comeback with a four point play late in the first quarter that cut the lead to 11-7 and snapped a 9-0 Harborfields run. Senior guard Jabeon Bivins delivered seven points including a three-pointer that stretched the advantage to 34-20 late in the third quarter. Burton said the key in Saturday’s game and for the whole season has been pressure defense that leads to transition baskets.

“We forced some deflections and turnovers and really got us going,” Burton said. “Our energy turned up as we get some easy buckets.”

Baldwin began the season with seven straight wins before a 56-52 non-league loss to Holy Trinity on Jan. 8. The Bruins then rebounded with 62-59 win against Hicksville in which Bivins tallied 19 points and eight assists.  

“We have been sticking together as a team,” Burton said. “Hopefully we keep getting better and better.”

Baldwin entered the week 5-0 in Conference AA-II and is next in action this Friday night at Port Washington for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff. The Bruins will close the regular season on Feb. 10 at Westbury, who like Baldwin jumped out to a 5-0 start in league play and captured nine of its first 10 games. The final regular season home game is slated for Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. in a rematch with Hicksville, who the Bruins edged 62-59 on Jan. 13.

Burton said repeating as county and Long Island champs to create another shot at a state title is the long-term goal, but his team is trying to stay focused for now on improving each game.

“We definitely want to go back upstate and get a chance to make history,” Burton said. “That is our ultimate goal, but we’re taking baby steps one game at a time.”