Baldwin boys’ basketball began its playoff run last week against Southeast Bulloch, surviving a 59-54 scare.
The Braves ran into foul trouble, with several players fouling out, but managed to grind out a win over the Jackets.
Baldwin’s second-leading scorer, senior Tre Lawrence, who was recently named the Region 2-AAAA Player of the Year, fouled out. Another starter, sophomore Karez Demory, got sent to the bench for fouling out.
Baldwin coach Ben Smith was relieved to pull out the win and thinks it will better his team moving forward.
“Anytime you can win like that, it builds character. We now know how to handle adversity because we didn’t play well at all that game,” Smith said. “With (Tre) and (Karez) out, we just could never find a rhythm.”
The Braves clung to a 51-49 lead entering the fourth quarter but managed to squeak out the win, powered by senior and leading scorer Isaiah Dennis. Sophomore Omari Woodard also made a difference down the stretch.
Dennis scored a game-high 27 points, shooting 60 percent from the field and 38 percent from the 3-point line. Woodard posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Demory added 10 points in the win.
Baldwin sophomore Deven Nelson also posted an impressive stat line with nine points, nine boards, three assists, and six steals. Nelson’s effort in Lawrence’s absence helped keep the Braves afloat against their opponent.
“Winning those types of games and showing out after everything went wrong is good for us moving forward,” Smith said. “They don’t always happen, but they end up as a great teaching tool for me as a coach.”
Baldwin returned to the court three days later and spanked Riverdale 66-46 to advance to the quarterfinals. The Braves held a 12-point advantage at the half and never let up in the last two quarters as they buried the Raiders.
Dennis led the way with 20 points followed by Woodard with 15 points, and Demory with 13 points. The Braves also got solid play with Lawrence and Nelson, with each contributing five points in the 20-point rout.
According to Smith, Baldwin’s game against Riverdale was a “get-right” game. His team needed it after last week.
“I think it was a response. This group has a lot of pride, so even though we won, we were not pleased with our performance from last week,” Smith said. “On Saturday, we came out with a lot more energy and were focused. We paid more attention to detail on the scouting report and played better as a team. It was one of our better performances of the season. We played very well defensively and shot well offensively. I saw a team that wanted to get back to playing to the standard they set for themselves. It was a solid team win for us.”
Next, No. 4 Baldwin will host No. 10 Westminister. The Wildcats recently upset No. 1 McDonough 57-50 on Feb. 24.
Smith knows his team will have to show up with the same energy it had when facing Riverdale. The Braves are trying to make a return trip to the semifinals for the first time since 2021 when they won the Class AAAA state title.
“I expect a really good game. I expect Westminster to be prepared,” Smith said. “They’re not new to being a successful program. They just knocked off McDonough and also they beat Holy Innocents early in the year. They won’t be afraid of our caliber of team. They play hard together and are efficient. They don’t beat themselves. They don’t ‘wow’ you on tape but are consistent with what they do. You don’t see many teams like that.”