A year to remember

The Baldwin Boys Basketball team has had a memorable, historic season.

A look back at key games

The Baldwin boys basketball team has won the section title for the first time since 1986. The team’s overall record was 21-1 and their section record was 11-1.

The Highlanders will take on Penn -Trafford tonight at home in a first-round WPIAL playoff game.

Here are five key games from the regular season that helped define the team’s success.

The Baldwin Boys Basketball team has had a memorable, historic season. (Ethan Green)

Peters Township, Dec 17:

The boys wanted to start off section play hot and they did just that with a 56-49 road win against Peters Township.

Junior point guard Max Marzina said this game was massive for the team’s momentum.

“It felt good to start off 1-0 in section, since last year we lost our section opener. It felt even better that it was away at Peters, because that is one of the toughest places to play in the section,” Marzina said.

Senior guard Nate Wesling said this win was a good sign for the rest of the season.

“Beating a team like Peters let us know we could beat anyone down the stretch of the season,” Wesling said.

Senior Gabe Barakat said Wesling really took over at the end.

“I think it was close into the fourth quarter, and I think Nate Westling had a really good game because he was shooting really well,” Barakat said.

The Boys Basketball team took their only loss of the season against South Fayette.

South Fayette, Jan 3:

This 37-32 loss against South Fayette ended Baldwin’s undefeated start, but it turned out to be a turning point in the boys season.

“The loss let us know that winning the section wasn’t going to be easy and we needed to work harder,” Wesling said.

The team started off slow. They couldn’t make shots, and South Fayette capitalized.

“One factor that went into the loss is the slow style they played against us. They slowed it down and held the ball for minutes on end with a lead. We also did not shoot well, which played a big role,” Marzina said.

Barakat felt the team was just having an off game and shouldn’t let the loss get to them.

“It was normal at the beginning of the game, but our team was just having an off game. We were tired and our confidence and energy were pretty low too, so we just didn’t play to the best of our ability,” Barakat said.

The Boys Basketball team took their only loss of the season against South Fayette. (Ethan Green)

South Allegheny, Jan 16:

The Highlanders showed heart coming down from double digits in the second half to beat South Allegheny, 59-52.

Marzina said this win showed everyone what this team was all about.

“The comeback really showed how good we are as a team. The win also showed us that when we face adversity, we can handle it – and that is a really good part about our team,” Marzina said.

The turning point in the game came when the Highlanders locked in on defense and turned it into good offense for themselves.

“We shut down their two leading scorers and started making our shots,” Wesling said.

Barakat said they really had to come together as a team down the stretch in order to win.

“This showed that if our team pushes each other to work harder, we can achieve that win,” Barakat said.

South Fayette, Jan 28:

The boys got their redemption against South Fayette in a 62-36 victory to cement their spot at the top of the section.

Wesling wasn’t as focused on getting redemption as he was on clinching a share of the section title.

“Getting redemption was nice, but more importantly it put us in first place in section and guaranteed us as co-section champs,” Wesling said.

Marzina said the team played well together and it led to a double digit win.

“Everyone knew the stakes of the game, so we all came together and played well. It felt even better to win by the amount we did,” Marzina said.

Barakat said that sophomore guard Evan Golvash rose to the occasion and played a great game.

“Evan Golvash really provided a spark for us offensively and really helped us win the game,” Barakat said.

Boys Basketball won a section championship for the first time since 1986.

Bethel Park, Feb 4:

The Fighting Highlanders clinched their first section championship since 1986 with a 64-55 win against Bethel Park.

Winning a section championship is something the Highlanders have been trying to accomplish since Head Coach Jeff Ackermann took over in 2020.

“It feels great to win the section because it’s been 39 years since Baldwin boys basketball won the section, and it is just a feeling of accomplishment,” Barakat said.

Marzina felt the team started slow but picked it up in the third quarter.

“I would say a turning point would be during halftime. We really turned the game around after halftime with Nate’s three-pointers, which helped us win the game,” Marzina said.

Wesling’s scoring ability was one of the main factors that propelled the Highlanders to this win.

“Nate got hot early, which really helped us out, and he continued making shots throughout the game, which led us to a win,” Barakat said.

Boys Basketball won a section championship for the first time since 1986. (Ethan Green)