In the last regular-season game of the season, the Baldwin girl’s basketball team secured a 75-70 win over Elizabeth Forward. Sophomore Mary Vargo sparked the team’s energy with 26 points, followed by freshman Laci Bernotas with 19 and junior Katie Lucarelli with 17. 

The girls finished with a 10-12 record, earning the number 6 seed in the 6A section 2 division. The girls will play the number 3 seed, Norwin, which finished 19-3, at 6 p.m. today in Norwin’s home gym. 

Bernotas thinks the team needs to work together to get the playoff win.

“We have to focus on playing as a team and working the ball around,” she said. 

Another big focus for the girls will be to defend against a talented and tall Norwin team. 

“If we play well on defense, it takes our team to an elite level. Our offense does enough, but we lack on the other side of the court sometimes,” junior guard Mallory Mezeivtch said. 

Another junior guard, Katie Lucarelli, feels that the team needs to pass and shoot well. 

“We need to outshoot them,” Lucarelli said. 

Mezeivtch predicted that Vargo will have a big game. 

“She always hustles and has been very consistent all season,” Mezeivtch said.

The team has been working hard in practice and hope that it pays off, Mezeivtch said. The strong finish to the regular season also helped the team’s confidence. 

“It was good for us to stack some wins on top of each other and play well leading into playoffs,” Bernotas said. 

The team is looking forward to getting a chance to play in the postseason, Lucarelli said.

“The build up to playoffs has been exciting,” she said. “We didn’t make it this far last year, so we are very happy.” 

If Baldwin wins in the first round, the Highlanders will then move on to play winner of the number 2 seed North Allegheny vs. number 7 seed Pine Richland. The game will be held Monday at a location and time to be decided.