By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Some days, the toughest competition is staring back in the mirror. How good is Bedford North Lawrence? It’s not always about measuring worth against the opponent, it can also be reaching the standard that’s been predetermined as acceptable.
The Stars, 2-0 and ranked No.2 in Class 4A, are critiqued by performance, not just the final score. They are judged against history, not just the current foe. The bar is elevated, and this isn’t a limbo dance, it’s a high jump test.
BNL will go on the road for the first time – granted, it’s about 14 miles for the renewal of the Lawrence County rivalry – to face Mitchell on Saturday night. Regardless of Mitchell’s current adversity and the recent history of the series, the Stars have one goal: excellence.
The Bluejackets (0-1 heading into Friday’s clash with 0-3 Perry Central) started the year with senior guard Mylea Slone sidelined by injury (and she’s still questionable), opened with the top-ranked team in Class A, and now face a brutal stretch of five games in nine days. Empathy? Certainly. Sympathy? Not from BNL. The Stars worry only about themselves.
“It’s always playing to our level,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “We don’t care who we’re playing, we have certain standards that we want met. That’s what we will hold those kids to, and they know that. So I don’t think there will be slippage, no matter who we’re playing. Plus it’s a country rivalry, and the kids always look forward to playing that game.”
BNL has been brilliant thus far, winning twice by an average of 33.5 points while forcing 28 turnovers per game. Chloe Spreen, a future Indiana Junior All-Star, is averaging 22.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, while Miss Basketball candidate Karsyn Norman is contributing 17.5 points and 4.5 steals. And those are just the headliners. Mallory Pride has added 11.5 points and 5.0 boards.
“Playing the Stars will be a monumental task for our team, especially with the inexperience of several of our players at the varsity level,” Mitchell coach Tim Haworth said. “BNL has consistently been one of the top programs in the state, which is a credit to Coach Allen, his staff and players. Chloe and Karsyn are special basketball players with good role players around them.”
Mitchell opened with a tough 64-22 loss to powerful Lanesville, but the Jackets unveiled an inside threat in junior Jillian Bond, a transfer from South Dearborn who totaled 15 points. She will be another interior force that vertically-challenged BNL must contain.
“That’s our Achilles heel, something we continue to work on, to get better,” Allen said. “Luckily, with speed, you can negate a lot of problems. We have a lot of speed. We fall back to getting people to the right spots quickly, making sure we have plenty of help.”
BNL has won 12 straight in the series, including last year’s 68-27 win (played with a running clock for the final 6 1/2 minutes). Spreen totaled 30 points that night, Norman added 11 points and 6 assists, and the Stars forced 24 turnovers. Mitchell hit only 9 of 34 shots. The Jackets return only four points (Slone and Brooklyn Peterson) from that encounter.
“Our team is working to get better every practice and game,” Haworth said. “We play hard and with heart. We are a work in progress.”
BNL at MITCHELL
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 2-0 (ranked No.2 in Class 4A); Mitchell 0-1 (vs. Perry Central on Friday)
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, Chloe Spreen scored 30 points as the Stars crushed the Bluejackets 68-27. Karsyn Norman added 11 points and 6 assists for BNL. Taylor Duncan had 10 points for Mitchell.
Previous game story: Spreen goes deep for 30
Game notes: BNL has won 12 straight in the county series by an average of 42.4 points. Mitchell will be playing the second of five games in a nine-day span.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Chloe Spreen 5-9 Jr.
F – Mallory Pride 5-8 Sr.
G – Madisyn Bailey 5-8 Jr.
G – Karsyn Norman 5-6 Sr.
G – Emma Brown 5-5 Sr.
Mitchell Bluejackets
F – Brooklyn Peterson 5-10 Sr.
F – Jillian Bond 6-0 Jr.
G – Malaya Tanglao 5-5 Sr.
G – Taylor Lee 5-8 Jr.
G – Mylea Slone 5-8 Sr.
