Baldwin girls savor breakthrough season

By: Ray Fisher
Sunday, March 22, 2026 | 11:01 AM

The Baldwin girls basketball team ended its season among the elite eight in the state in Class 5A.

“This was the best season we’ve had in a long time and definitely the best in my six years as head coach,” Jamaal Woodson said. “It all starts with our culture. As a coaching staff, we make it a priority that every player feels included and valued. We had 16 players across JV and varsity, and every single one of them stayed engaged, showed up excited to practice and brought positive energy every day.

“That says a lot about who we are as a program. We take pride in a lot of things, but culture is at the top. When we make a big play, our entire bench is on their feet celebrating; that kind of energy creates real cohesion on the court. You can feel it.”

Woodson continued: “We also had zero drama this season, which is huge. Any small issues were addressed and handled right away. Our players really bought into holding themselves accountable and accepting coaching. That ability to take feedback and grow is a big reason why we were successful.”

The Highlanders won 23 games, including five in the postseason, to finish with one of the best records in girls basketball in school history.

“I think this has been a historic year for Baldwin, and I feel like we shocked many people being as successful as we were,” said Julianne Ott, a 5-foot-6 senior point guard. “I feel the girls on the team and the coaches all learned and grew this year which made our success continue.

“I am just so proud of each and every member of our team because everyone had a role and they stuck to it. Whether you’re a starter, cheering on the bench or the coaches, everyone just brought so much positivity and fun to the season which makes it so hard to accept that it is over.”

After losing its season opener to Shady Side Academy, Baldwin reeled off 11 consecutive wins to go to 11-1, then won seven times in nine games in the second half of the season.

“I think we had a really strong season,” said Laci Bernotas, a 5-6 senior guard. “We worked hard as a team and continued to improve throughout the year. Everyone played their role and supported each other, which helped us compete at a high level and have a lot of success.”

The Highlanders took an 18-4 record into the WPIAL playoffs where they advanced to the quarterfinal round. The Baldwin girls defeated Middletown, 67-60, and Indiana, 41-37, in their first two PIAA contests before seeing their season end March 14 with a 67-46 loss to South Fayette again in the quarterfinals.

Baldwin was 9-3 in Section 4-5A, with two of its losses to undefeated section champion Thomas Jefferson (12-0), and closed out the season 23-6 overall.

“We were absolutely playing our best basketball at the end of the season,” Woodson said, “and I think that showed in how competitive we were against South Fayette. Our team was fully bought in. One of the biggest things we emphasized was film-watching about an hour every single day.

“We focused less on our opponents and more on ourselves, breaking down what we could do better, correcting mistakes and growing as a team. That level of accountability and attention to detail really helped us peak at the right time. By the end of the season, our players understood their roles, trusted each other and were playing with a lot more confidence and discipline.”

Ott and Bernotas, both four-year varsity members, were quick to point out the Highlanders’ toughest opponent this season.

“I think one of the toughest teams we faced was South Fayette,” Bernotas said. “They were a very well-coached team and played with a lot of intensity. They were disciplined on both offense and defense, which made them a challenging opponent and forced us to play our best.

“The best was definitely South Fayette,” Ott said. “They have a talented team, and we played hard and better against them than most people expected.”

The two upperclassmen shared some of their favorite memories from their high school basketball careers.

“I have three that are unforgettable,” Ott said. “Last year, we beat TJ in a section game off a game-winner (by Ott). It was such a surreal moment; everyone was just so excited. Also last year, we beat Chartiers Valley by one point in the first round of the playoffs. The game was very high scoring and such a great environment to be playing in.

“This year, we traveled to Middletown to play in the first round of the state playoffs, and it was such a great feeling to get that win and celebrate with my team.”

Ott plans to play basketball and study communications/media at Penn State Behrend.

“I’m super excited for this opportunity and happy my basketball career is continuing,” she said.

Bernotas was one of three siblings in her family that competed for Baldwin this season. She was joined by Lynsey, a 5-7 junior guard and the Highlanders’ leading scorer this year, and Alia, a 5-5 freshman guard.

“Being able to play basketball with two of my sisters,” she said, “that’s something really special that not many people get to experience. It meant a lot to end the season with my younger sister Lynsey scoring her 1,000th point in the last game. Being there for that moment as her sister and teammate made it even more memorable.”

Bernotas plans to attend Carlow and study education.

“I’m excited about the opportunity,” she said, “and looking forward to the next chapter.”

The Highlanders defeated Chartiers Valley, 52-37, in the WPIAL first round then Trinity, 49-38, and Indiana, 51-45, in WPIAL consolation games. The Baldwin girls lost to Peters Township, 43-36, in the second round of the district playoffs.

Woodson regularly rotated seven girls into games.

Bella Niles, a senior guard, and Hannah Prilla, a sophomore forward, were in the starting lineup in the state tournament. Junior forward Kelsey Meyer, senior guard Jacey Klingensmith and sophomore guard Mia Schwarzmiller also were in the Highlanders’ rotation.

“I couldn’t have asked for more from our seniors,” Woodson said. “They gave us everything — time, dedication and a real commitment to getting better every single day.

“Jules Ott is an outstanding point guard. I got so used to yelling for her to come get the ball and run the offense that I’d catch myself doing it even when she wasn’t on the court. That just shows how much we relied on her leadership and control of the game.

“Bella Niles brought leadership and toughness every day. She was the one diving for every 50/50 ball and really set the tone for our team’s physicality and effort. Jacey Klingensmith was one of our best shooters and someone we could always count on to knock down a big 3 when we needed it.

“And Laci Bernotas had an incredible second half of the season. She was our MVP during that stretch. She didn’t start early in the season, but the way she developed and stepped into her role was special. By the end, she became one of the most dangerous shooters in the WPIAL. Overall, this senior group meant everything to our program. They set the standard for what Baldwin basketball should look like.”

The player who made the most dynamic impact for the Highlanders in 2025-26 was Lynsey Bernotas, a junior backcourt player.

“Lynsey had a special season, one of the best we’ve seen in a long time,” Woodson said. “Hitting 1,000 career points in our final game just speaks to who she is and how much she means to this program.

“She’s going to go down as one of the greatest scorers in Baldwin history, no question — the type of player you don’t get every year, the type you build around. And what makes it even more impressive, she rarely came off the floor. That’s toughness. That’s conditioning. That’s heart. Night in and night out, she carried a huge load for us and delivered.

“Lynsey didn’t just have a great season, she left her mark on Baldwin basketball forever.”

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