Baldwin’s season ended in the worst possible way, losing at the buzzer to North Oconee in the Class AAAA semifinal.
The Titans topped the Braves 65-64 when sophomore forward Khamari Brooks sunk a put-back layup in the net.
“We just didn’t do a great job of closing out the game,” Baldwin head coach Ben Smith said. “We’ve struggled all year with boxing out. On the (shot) when we lost the game, we gave up two offensive rebounds to the player that hit (the game-winning shot). It was a heartbreaker, especially in front of so many fans.”
Everything went North Oconee’s way after trailing 64-59 with under two minutes left. The Titans ended the game with Brooks grabbing one of three offensive rebounds on the final possession before making the big shot.
North Oconee ended the contest on a big run, sending it to the Class AAAA state finals on Wednesday in Macon. The Titans clawed their way back after trailing by as many as eight points with about four minutes left.
Smith gave North Oconee credit for the comeback but also pointed out his team beat itself in the final minutes. The firstyear coach acknowledged how turnovers, missed free throws, and not boxing out led to the loss.
“One thing that killed us all year was boxing out. In the second half, we didn’t give up many points on the first shot, but gave them too many second-chance points,” Smith said.
“Even after going up eight points, we gave up an offensive rebound that led to an and-one that allowed them to cut it to three. Those opportunities kept it close. Giving up those rebounds caused us to not go up by 10 or 12 when we had the chance.”
Baldwin shot 45 percent from the free-throw line, which is well below its season average, and North Oconee won the battle on the glass, especially on the offensive end. The Titans also limited their turnovers in the win.
As frustrating as it is, Smith’s squad just didn’t execute the small things consistently, despite losing by only one point.
“Our biggest hurdle came at the wrong time,” Smith said. “Not blocking out. As I said before, we didn’t close well, and a little bit of our inexperience showed. But the biggest things are not boxing out and missing too many free throws. Just the details you need to (execute) in those types of games, we did not do well enough.”
The entire game was back-and-forth, with Baldwin holding a 13-11 advantage at the end of the opening period. The Braves’ struggled from the field in the second quarter, though, as North Oconee went on a 12-0 run.
Senior Isaiah Dennis nailed a 3-pointer at the 3:04 mark for Baldwin’s first points of the period. Fellow senior Tremarius Lawrence and sophomore Omari Woodard added buckets as the Titans clung to their lead.
North Oconee led 29-25 at the half, but Baldwin came out swinging in the third quarter. The Braves retook the lead, and then quickly gave it up as the Titans matched their energy, leading by as many as eight at one point.
Baldwin cut into that deficit as the youth of Jaylen King, Woodard, Karez Demory, and the two talented seniors showed out. The third quarter ended with North Oconee and the Braves tied 50-50.
After the game, Smith still congratulated his team on finishing the season 27-3 overall and making a trip to the Final Four in his first season as head coach. The Braves won another Region 2-AAAA championship as well.
“It was heartbreaking. I talked to them as people. I told them how much I cared about them and how sometimes things don’t end like we want them to,” Smith said. “But I also delivered that message about (taking this loss) and making it a life lesson. When you don’t take care of things, this is what happens. This was also their first year with me and they didn’t have to buy in as much as they did, but I am thankful for that.”