The Baldwin boys basketball team lost 51-46 to Mount Lebanon in a key section matchup on Friday, but the Highlanders picked up a 65-55 win against a strong Uniontown team in a tournament on Saturday.
The loss to Lebo prevents the Highlanders from winning the section outright, but they can still earn a piece of the title and go into the playoffs with a good seed.
“We could still tie for first and put a banner up in the gym if we just beat Upper Saint Clair. But we need help from them as well, because they have to beat Mount Lebanon,” junior Matthew Schenk said.
The game was a back-and-forth battle with some factors that led to the Highlanders’ loss.
“We had several chances to take over the game and run away. We shot 2-for-11 in the fourth quarter and couldn’t get anything to fall,” Schenk said.
Senior Nate Richards saw the pros and cons of his team’s performance.
“I thought we were patient and we got a lot of good shots. They just didn’t work out. But we moved the ball well,” Richards said. “They kept us on defense for a long period of time.”
Schenk said Richards and junior Nate Wesling stood out for Baldwin at both games over the weekend.
“(Wesling) has been hitting tough shots and playing good defense,” Schenk said. “Nate Richards played really well against Uniontown, with 25 points.”
Although the tournament does not count in the team’s section record, it is an impressive win against a team that had only one loss prior.
“We figured out a game plan that worked against them. We were able to create open looks for each other. I’m proud of the way we bounced back from Friday,” Richards said.
The team’s section record is 4-2. Their next match is Tuesday away against Canon-McMillan.
