By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Want to conquer Bedford North Lawrence? The secret is simple. Take care of the basketball.
Turnovers are a coach’s Ipecac syrup, causing dire consequences to the stomach. The fourth-ranked Stars have created a lot of discomfort this season, turning errors into offense while tormenting the opposition. That active and successful pressure is one of the keys to BNL’s 11-1 start.
In order to offset their lack of interior size, the Stars have been perimeter demons, forcing 23.7 turnovers per game, with four opponents guilty of 30-plus. On the flip side, they’re coughing up only 8.4 (double figures only four times), and those 15 extra possessions translate into roughly 20 points. That’s quite an advantage.
Evansville Mater Dei, BNL’s next target on Saturday, knows the math all too well. Knowing and figuring it out are two different equations. The Wildcats were guilty of 27 miscues during last year’s loss at BNL Fieldhouse. They know what’s coming to town – and it’s not Santa Claus.
“It will be a challenge to play Bedford, a top four team in the state,” said Mater Dei interim coach Doug Blair, in charge of the program while head coach Chad Breeden is on medical leave. “It’s a great program that is coached well and fundamentally sound. They will bring a competitiveness that we will need to be ready for.
“We must embrace the challenge and understand this is a process to make us better prepared for postseason play. It will be a good measuring stick of where we are and where we want to go.”
Mater Dei (5-5) features a balanced attack, with senior forward Kate Wenger (10.3 points. 10.4 rebounds) leading the way.
BNL’s offense centers around Chloe Spreen (21.8) and Butler recruit Karsyn Norman (16.4), although the supporting cast is both dangerous and capable with Mallory Pride (8.9) and Madisyn Bailey (7.5) adding scoring punch. The Stars are eighth in the state in scoring and sixth in winning margin.
“Spreen and Norman are two players that have skill and basketball IQ,” Blair said. “They make everyone around them better, and that’s why they are two of the top players in the state and Division 1 athletes.”
BNL won last year’s clash 56-36, with Spreen totaling 18 points and Bailey adding 11. Kate Breeden had 16 points for Mater Dei.
The Stars, who have held their own thus far on the glass with a slight 28.1-28.0 rebounding deficit (they’ve outrebounded five foes), will seek to use a victory as a springboard into big games with state-ranked opponents on the horizon. They just can’t forget to take care of the business at hand.
“We’ll prepare for going into next week, which means we want to keep our level of play really high,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “We have some big games coming up.”
BNL at EVANSVILLE MATER DEI
When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 11-1, ranked No.4 in Class 4A; Mater Dei 5-5
Sagarin ratings: BNL 105.33; Mater Dei 63.80
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, the Stars rolled to a 56-36 win. Chloe Spreen had 18 points for the Stars, while Kate Breeden totaled 16 for Mater Dei. The Wildcats had 27 turnovers.
Previous game story: BNL locks down Mater Dei
Game notes: BNL leads series 3-0. The Stars are eighth in the state in scoring at 65.1 points per game.
Evansville Mater Dei statistics
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.
Evansville Mater Dei Wildcats
F – Kate Wenger 5-11 Sr.
F – Brylee Delano 5-9 Jr.
G – Chelsea Turner 5-7 Jr.
G – Molly Schmitt 5-8 Sr.
G – Kylie Frye 5-4 Jr.
