The Baldwin Braves came tearing into Saturday's match with 12 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 37.9 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with a 57-46 victory over Washington County. Given Baldwin's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while Washington County is ranked 188th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Baldwin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Janaye Walker led the charge by dropping a double-double on 16 points and 17 rebounds. Walker hasn't dropped below two steals for six straight games. Madison Ruff was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Despite the loss, Washington County saw an underclassman step up: Jade Kitchens scored 18 points along with five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Emmya Gamble, who scored seven points along with five rebounds.
Baldwin pushed their record up to 17-2 with that win, which was their 15th straight at home. As for Washington County, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 10-8.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Baldwin will stay at home for another game and welcome Spalding at 6:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Washington County will take on Josey at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Josey has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
