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She is usually among the shortest players on the basketball court at any point in the game, but her statistics throughout her high school career continue to rise to new heights.

Albemarle senior point guard Amari Baldwin, in the fourth game of her last season with the Bulldogs, broke the school’s women’s basketball career point mark in a lopsided home win Wednesday night versus North Rowan.

Baldwin scored 37 points in the 78-13 win, but it was a 3-pointer from three steps behind the three-point arc in the final minute of the second quarter which broke the record.

The previous mark was 1,805 points, which forward Akela Branch set in 2014. With Wednesday’s game, Baldwin has 1,816 points.

Baldwin’s career point total also places her second all-time in Stanly County women’s basketball history behind South Stanly’s Latoya Wilson (2,042) from 1996.

The Bulldog is also pursuing another Stanly record for most points by any county women’s or men’s basketball players, which is held by North Stanly’s Bryson Childress, who scored 2,187 points for the Comets and ended his high school career in 2018.

“When (the shot) went in, it was a feeling of joy, especially for everybody supporting me, my teammates. They helped me get here,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin is averaging 31 points, 11 steals, 10 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. With Wednesday’s win being just the fourth game of a 22-game regular season, Baldwin could pass both Wilson and Childress’ records before the playoffs begin.

However, Baldwin treated Wednesday as just another day at the office.

“It was the same energy. This game is no different than any other game. You have to come up with the same intensity and move towards the same goal,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin is also a multi-sport standout for Albemarle, having earned two second-place medals at last season’s 1A track championship.

Being a multi-sport athlete, Baldwin said, “kept me in shape and kept me building on myself and helping me in general.”

Albemarle head coach Eric Davis said Baldwin “is dedicated, from how she is in the locker room with her teammates to representing by example. She never gets rattled. She keeps playing on, and she’s selfless.”

Davis said her teammates share in the success, noting “you could see, when it got close (to the record), how much it meant for her teammates to be there. I think that speaks everything.”

Regarding the win, the 65-point margin of victory was the largest for Albemarle since beating South Stanly last season by 68.

The Bulldogs have only allowed 81 points in four games, or 20.3 points per game.

Baldwin’s teammates also have been impressive early this season. Jasmine Brown is averaging a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds), Jordyn Crump averages 9.3 points per game and Bianca Robinson leads the team with 10.3 rebounds per contest.