By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
JEFFERSONVILLE – Remember when Bedford North Lawrence couldn’t shoot? Well, that’s a charred memory now. Hear the sirens? Those are the firemen answering the three-alarm blaze that burned Jeffersonville to the ground.
The No.7 Stars left Johnson Arena in ashes, raining 3-point firebombs on the Red Devils while blazing to a remarkable 84-37 victory on Tuesday night. Karsyn Norman had 21 points and Chloe McKnight added 19 as BNL (7-1) took another step toward the Hoosier Hills Conference title it craves.
Only the military has smart bombs that are more accurate and deadly than BNL’s bombardiers. The Stars combined to hit 18 treys – let that number sink in a moment – while torching the Devils in a rematch of programs that have shared the last three league championships.
This was not a fair fight. The Devils (1-6, 0-2) have been wiped out by injuries and virus quarantines, and BNL wiped them out with a unprecedented barrage from the bonus line. Norman and McKnight hit five each, freshman Chloe Spreen hit four (one even bounced in, which was an omen for the onslaught).
The Stars were 18 of 29 from distance. Nobody has done that better. Nobody could withstand that kind of firepower. WNBA teams would be jealous.
BNL coach Jeff Allen wins the award for Understatement of the Year: “We shot the ball well.” And he smiled.
“These kids are good shooters, they were just struggling to find the bottom of the basket. All at once . . .” he said, then trailed off for a second to comprehend what he had just witnessed. “I hope they save some of those, spread them out a little. This bunch can shoot the ball very well, obviously by tonight.”
The Devils had no answers. BNL has scored more (86 just two seasons ago against Indianapolis Riverside) and battered opponents even worse than that. But this one took the breath away.
“It was contested threes, not-contested threes, threes from 3 feet outside the line,” Jeffersonville coach Missy Voyles said. “I watch all their games, I just enjoy watching them play. There were kids stepping up and hitting them that had not been looking to shoot. I guess I bring out the best in them.
“It was like ‘Everybody Hit a 3 Night.’”
BNL was on fire from the start, drilling five (of their seven field goals) in the first quarter for a 19-8 lead. The Stars exploded to a 30-point lead in the second, highlighted by a devastating 21-0 run.
“We passed the ball and shared it well,” McKnight said. “We made the extra pass and we’re getting way better shots. If one person gets going, you have teammates pick you up. This will make us more confident.”
Spreen finished with 16 points and Gomez added 10.
While the shooting was amazing, BNL was spectacular in every facet. The Stars forced 27 turnovers, totaled 25 assists (on their 30 field goals), and committed only 8 turnovers. There were not many rebounds to collect.
“I loved our level of play the whole game,” Allen said. “We played hard, we shared the basketball. They did a great job with defensive rotations and helping inside.
“This bunch is capable of that. The kids were aggressive, they did a great job. It’s great to see us shoot the ball that way. The game is easier when you shoot it that way.”
Tatum McFarland paced Jeffersonville with 12 points.
BNL, now 3-0 in the league, will finish its four-game conference run by hosting Seymour and celebrating Senior Night on Thursday.
BEDFORD NL STARS (84)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
22 Irye Gomez, f 2-5 4-9 0-0 3 2 10
11 Chloe McKnight, f 5-8 6-10 2-2 4 2 19
2 Chloe Spreen, f 4-5 5-10 2-2 2 2 16
21 Karsyn Norman, g 5-7 8-12 0-0 1 2 21
23 Jenna Louden, g 1-2 2-3 0-0 2 1 5
40 Haley Deckard 0-0 1-2 2-2 1 2 4
12 Makena Moore 1-2 1-2 0-0 3 0 3
24 Carlee Kern 0-0 1-1 0-0 2 1 2
20 Emma Brown 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
31 Ella Turner 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
44 Grace Kinser 0-0 1-1 0-0 0 1 2
50 Emma Crane 0-0 1-1 0-0 0 1 2
32 Madisyn Bailey 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 18-29 30-51 6-6 21 14 84
JEFFERSONVILLE RED DEVILS (37)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
11 Nevaeh Bates, f 0-2 1-4 2-2 2 0 4
22 Aija Estes, f 0-0 2-3 0-0 1 1 4
25 Tatum McFarland, g 3-5 4-8 1-2 2 0 12
3 Sophia Reese, g 0-0 0-1 1-2 1 0 1
4 Elle Marble, g 0-1 0-2 0-1 2 3 0
21 Laura Gillenwater 0-0 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
10 Cadence Singleton 0-0 4-5 0-1 6 0 8
14 Brooklyn Carter 1-1 1-1 0-0 1 0 3
23 Bailey Gibson 0-1 0-3 2-2 0 2 2
15 Maranda Mason 0-0 0-2 1-2 1 1 1
33 Myah Johnson 0-0 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
32 Averielle Baker 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 2
Totals 4-10 12-30 9-14 21 7 37
Bedford NL 19 26 21 18 – 84
Jeffersonville 8 7 13 9 – 37
Turnovers – BNL 8, Jeffersonville 27
Field goal percentage – BNL 30-51 (.588); Jeffersonville 12-30 (.400)
Free throw percentage – BNL 6-6 (1.000); Jeffersonville 9-14 (.643)
