Baldwin's girls win their first championship in 36 years
It was a championship game for the ages last Wednesday night as top-ranked Baldwin mounted a stunning comeback, defeating No. 2 Hardaway 47-39 to win the Class AAAA girls’ state title.
After a slow start, the Bravettes clawed their way back into contention to capture their first championship in more than 35 years. They also finally got redemption after losing to region rival Griffin in the state title game last season.
“I’m just so proud of these girls,” Baldwin head coach Kizzy Walker said. “They showed a lot of fight tonight and didn’t give it up.”
The Bravettes trailed Hardaway by as many as 16 points midway through the third quarter before rallying and cutting the Lady Hawks’ lead to four with a dominant 16-2 run to end the period.
The fourth quarter was a battle, but Baldwin tied the game 39-39 on an easy layup inside the paint by Janaye Walker with 1:58 left. The Bravettes finally took the lead on the next trip down the floor.
Baldwin’s Madison Ruff drove the lane, split two defenders, and dished the ball to Kassidy Neal, who used her strength to hit a contested layup, giving the Bravettes a 41-39 advantage with 1:13 left.
Baldwin never trailed again. The Bravettes’ determination to complete the comeback and ability to hold Hardaway scoreless in the final two-plus minutes proved to be the difference in the end.
The first half was rough for each team, with both shooting a mere 20 percent from the field at the break.
“We haven’t ever (looked like that). Not this year,” Walker said of her team’s first-half performance. “That was the lowest-scoring half that we’ve ever had. It was horrible. We could not get anything going under the basket, and that’s our bread and butter. It’s making layups. We couldn’t do it, so we had to re-adjust. I had to tell them they had to focus on what they were doing.”
Walker acknowledged how a half-time speech sparked her players’ enthusiasm heading into the second half.
“I gave them that speech. What are you going to do? You came this far again. Are you going to give it away? You have to think about everything we went through, every mile you had to run. Every time I made you get on the line because I was mad. Mediocrity. I don’t like it,” Walker said. “So, they dug deep and came through.”
Hardaway won both opening quarters, leading 15-9 at the half. The Lady Hawks were aggressive on defense, limiting Baldwin to only six points in the first quarter and just three in the second period.
Baldwin also struggled with turnovers in the first half, giving up the ball 12 times. Hardaway then took advantage of the Bravettes’ mistakes and scored seven points off their miscues.
Ruff played only 10 minutes and scored just three points in the first half due to foul trouble, and Hardaway used that to its advantage.
“I had to calm (Madison) down. She was so hyped up. She wasn’t playing her game,” Walker said. “I had to sit her down. That’s how you get her attention. She was ready (after that).”
Ruff scored 14 points in the second half, and the senior’s most important bucket came when Baldwin trailed 36-33 with 3:16 left in the fourth quarter. She hit a 15-foot jump shot and got fouled as the Bravettes got to within one. Ruff tied the game at 36-36 with her trip to the charity stripe.
Mikayla Johnson nailed a 3-pointer on the next possession, giving Hardaway a 39-36 lead with 2:48 left. But Baldwin didn’t falter, and that shot was the Lady Hawks’ final basket of the game.
Janaye Walker was also vital in Baldwin’s second-half resurgence, scoring seven points in the third quarter and four more points in the fourth. She fouled out with just under two minutes left, though.
“I was like, ‘Oh my word, we’re just now getting points in,’” Kizzy Walker said when asked about her daughter fouling out. “Kassidy (Neal) was still on the floor. She’s a dominant player, too. So, I told them to go to Kassidy’s side and make sure she gets the ball, and she produced for us.”
Ruff finished with 17 points, eight rebounds, and two assists. Janaye Walker notched another double-double with 15 and 13 rebounds. Neal contributed nine points, seven boards, and three steals.
Baldwin finished the season at 29-2 overall with a state championship ring to cap off a great run. The Bravettes hope to win another state championship in 2024-25 as several key players will return.
“This is just a testament to our hard work, dedication, and drive to want it,” Walker said. “I’ve got to give it up to the girls. They were determined that they were going to be state champions this year.”