Baldwin Bravettes’ point guard Madison Ruff had a great high school career and ended it as a state champion.
Beyond winning a state championship, Ruff surpassed the 1,000-point mark in her career, earned several All-Region honors, and was named the GACA All-State 4A South Player of the Year. She also was recently honored as Class 4 Player of the Year and received a Class 4A All-State First-Team selection by the GHSA.
After Baldwin knocked off Hardaway 47-39 in the Class 4A state championship game on March 6, Ruff didn’t reflect on her career as a Bravette, instead acknowledging how much adversity her team faced during the season.
“(My career) was challenging and amazing at the same time. We faced challenges during the offseason and the playoffs because we know who we were playing against and the competition that comes with that,” Ruff said after the state title game at the Macon Coliseum. “Coach (Kizzy) Walker put us in tournaments in Atlanta and we played against schools that are known for basketball to get us better prepared for games like this.”
Ruff averaged a team-high 15.7 points with 4.9 rebounds per game for Baldwin during her senior campaign. The 5-foot-8 point guard also led the Bravettes in assists (3.6) and steals (3.5) per contest in 2024.
Ruff was selfless in her post-game interview with reporters and wanted to talk more about her team.
“I think we had a lot more heart and drive this year compared to last year,” she said. “We were down 16 (tonight) and we knew we had to change our ways to get back into the game. It all started with turnovers and defense.”
Ruff was a big reason why the Bravettes came out on top over Hardaway. She was limited in the first half due to foul trouble but powered her team in the second half, scoring most of her points down the stretch.
She finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Fourteen of her 17 points came in the second half.
“I was discouraged after the first half, but went into a huddle, and knew the game was far from over,” Ruff said. “We knew we had two more quarters left and I knew we could push each other to get more points on the board.”
Ruff was happy to have ended her career on a high note after falling to Griffin in the state championship to end her junior year.
“It’s sad but I am glad we won the first state championship in 36 years,” Ruff said. “I am glad to be a Bravette.”
Ruff will continue her basketball career this fall at Mount Saint Mary’s University, a Division I program.