In the third round of state playoffs, the Baldwin girls basketball team lost to South Fayette 67-46 on Saturday at Peters Township in a game that already has the team thinking about a playoff push next year. 

The Highlanders were off to a quick start in the first quarter, taking a 17 to 16 lead.

“In the first half, we were keeping up with South Fayette. They are a very talented team, and we knew it would be hard for us to compete with them, but we fought hard,” junior Lynsey Bernotas said. 

Baldwin came out flat in the third quarter, and this allowed South Fayette to pull away. But the game was able to set up hope for next year and gave Coach Jamal Woodson a chance to play the potential starters for next year at the end of the game.

“Going into the third quarter, we were losing by five, and we knew we could beat this team with how hard we were working,” Bernotas said. “Then when the fourth quarter hit, we were exhausted from playing hard defense and making good plays, which allowed them to get ahead.”

The game ended in a disappointing yet hopeful way.

“As a whole, we should have played better defense and gotten out on the shooters,” Bernotas said. 

In this game, Bernotas also scored her 1,000th point.

“Scoring 1,000 was a big accomplishment, and it is something I have wanted to accomplish since the beginning of my junior year,” Bernotas said. “It was a very proud moment for my family and me.” 

Overall, it was a very successful year for the team, which won its first state playoff game since 2019 and reached the Elite Eight in the playoffs.