By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Of all the amazing streaks in Bedford North Lawrence’s remarkable program history, the current sectional domination – it could be argued, and that debate is interesting – is possibly the most impressive.
Yes, BNL won 88 consecutive regular-season games during the Pete Pritchett era. Yes, the Stars won 16 straight sectional championships from 1982-97, so the 11 in a row that BNL will now defend isn’t even the team record. But during the class basketball era, which began in 1998, with the constant higher level of competition, the run of success is extraordinary. The Stars are the hunted, targeted, yet they keep on winning titles.
No.6 BNL (20-3) will start its trophy defense on Tuesday night in the first game of the Class 4A sectional at BNL Fieldhouse, facing top contender Jennings County (16-5) in the lone game of Opening Night. The winner will advance to the first semifinal on Friday night and clash with bye-holder Jeffersonville (14-9).
In the other half of the bracket, Floyd Central (10-12) will face two-year Success Factor placeholder Silver Creek (12-9) in the first round on Wednesday, while New Albany (4-19) will meet Seymour (13-9) in the second game that night. Those winners will advance to the second semifinal on Friday, with the championship game set for Saturday night.
If the sectional had been seeded, which has been suggested and argued without movement from the IHSAA, BNL and Jennings would have been on opposite sides, with a possible collision in the final. After all, these rivals battled in the title game the last four seasons, they have the best records and highest Sagarin ratings. Given the choice of a bye game or a first-night encounter with the most dangerous challenger, BNL coach Jeff Allen would opt for the latter.
“I just like playing right away,” he said. “I don’t like getting the bye and sitting. As far as playing them first, it gives both teams time to prepare and come in with fresh legs. Two of the best teams in the sectional will go at it the first game. Unfortunately one of us will not move on.”
No question, BNL is the sectional favorite. The Stars own the longest active sectional title streak in the state (33 straight wins), their winning margin over the other six teams in the field this season is a boggling 36.8 points. Only Jennings kept it respectable. That’s a burden BNL is built to handle.
“It’s all about preparation,” Allen said of possible pressure. “It’s how you prepare and the expectations of the program and the kids. The kids know what is expected, they’re used to being in that situation. They know we have to go out and execute. When you do that, you have a good chance for success.”
The first meeting with the Panthers went off the script. BNL played without scoring leader Chloe Spreen, who was nursing an injured ankle. Jennings jumped to a fast start, as it has done in three of the last four battles with BNL, before Karsyn Norman rallied her team.
Norman, a Miss Basketball candidate and Butler recruit, played the role of star perfectly in that clash, scoring 23 points (including 15 in the third quarter) as BNL pulled away to a 52-39 victory, its 24th straight in the series with JC.
“It definitely gives the kids confidence,” Allen said. “Our leading scorer, and one of the best defenders, wasn’t on the floor. That makes us every more dangerous. We know they’re a dangerous team. We still have to do what we need to do on both ends of the floor.
“They have gotten out of the gate early on us. To me, it’s been on the offensive end where we struggled. So it will be about being efficient, trying to be solid on the defensive end, and trying to win the first quarter. We haven’t done that the last few times we’ve played them, so it will be a focus.”
Jennings will have to find an answer for Spreen (19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds) and Norman (17.0 points, 4.5 assists), plus keep contact with Mallory Pride (10.2 points, 7.1 boards). On the other end, turnovers will be the most vital statistic. The Panthers had 15 (compared to BNL’s 3) in the first meeting on Jan. 3 at BNL.
On the flip side, the Stars have to be worried about Jennings standout Juliann Woodard, who’s averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 boards. Woodard is already well over 1,000 career points, she just set the single-game school record with 41 points against Floyd Central, and she just set the school record for career rebounds. And she’s only a junior. She had 12 points and 14 rebounds against BNL.
“You have to put pressure on the people trying to get her the basketball, make it difficult for them so they can’t stand there and pick their spots,” Allen said. “Madisyn (Bailey) did a really good job the first time we played. When she posts up, we have to make sure we get a lot of help and take things away.”
In addition to the obvious weight of this encounter, Allen is on the verge of a milestone with 199 career wins. Only Pritchett (271 wins) owns more coaching victories with the program.
“It’s just a number to me,” Allen said. “There are more things I’m after that are important. The first one is playing on Friday night. If it’s No.200, I’ll be happy. But I’ll be a lot happier that we’re playing on Friday.”
CLASS 4A
Sectional at BNL
FIRST ROUND
JENNINGS COUNTY at BNL
When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Records: Jennings County 16-5; BNL 20-3 (ranked No.6)
Sagarin ratings: Jennings County 90.53; BNL 101.16
Last meeting: On Jan. 3 at BNL, the Stars posted a 52-39 triumph. Karsyn Norman scored 23 points and Madisyn Bailey added 10 for BNL. Juliann Woodard had 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Panthers.
Previous game story: BNL, in finest hour, answers the call
Game notes: BNL is the 11-time defending sectional champion. The Stars own a 24-game winning streak in the series with Jennings. The winner will face Jeffersonville in the semifinal on Friday. BNL coach Jeff Allen needs one more win to reach 200 for his career. BNL has won 31 sectionals in program history (second to Rushville’s 33).
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.
Jennings County Panthers
F – Juliann Woodard 6-0 Jr.
F – Megan Vogel 5-11 Sr.
F – Avynn Belding 5-9 So.
G – Mollie Ernstes 5-9 Fr.
G – Madelyn McIntosh 5-7 So.
FLOYD CENTRAL vs. SILVER CREEK
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Records: Floyd Central 10-12; Silver Creek 12-9
Sagarin ratings: Floyd Central 68.66; Silver Creek 78.74
Last meeting: On Dec. 8 at Floyd Central, the Dragons prevailed 50-41 in overtime. Lydia Wright had 13 points for Silver Creek, while Nora Gibson totaled 16 for the Highlanders.
Game notes: Floyd Central has not won a sectional game since 2013, and its last title came in 2010. Silver Creek won the Class 3A state title in 2021 and finished as 3A state runner-up last season. The Dragons will compete in 4A for two years.
Starting lineups
Floyd Central Highlanders
F – Nora Gibson 6-0 So.
F – Elise Coleman 6-0 Fr.
C – Callie Celichowski 6-2 Sr.
G – Ava Hausz 5-5 So.
G – Carly Fonda 5-10 So.
Silver Creek Dragons
F – Brooklynn Renn 6-2 Fr.
G – Hallie Foley 5-6 Sr.
G – Lydia Wright 5-7 So.
G – Kiki Grant 5-2 Jr.
G – Olivia Johnston 5-8 Sr.
NEW ALBANY vs. SEYMOUR
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: New Albany 4-19; Seymour 13-9
Sagarin ratings: New Albany 59.92; Seymour 78.79
Last meeting: On Jan. 26 at Seymour, the Owls cruised to a 51-31 win. Kendall Sterling had 11 points for the Owls. Journey Howard totaled 9 points for the Bulldogs.
Game notes: New Albany won its last sectional title in 2002, while Seymour won its last sectional in 2008. This is their first postseason meeting.
Starting lineups
New Albany Bulldogs
F – Cheyenne Parker 5-10 Sr.
C – Journey Howard 6-0 Sr.
G – Alaina Walker 5-8 Sr.
G – Maizy Smith 5-8 Fr.
G – Grace McBride 5-8 So.
Seymour Owls
F – Kendall Sterling 5-10 Jr.
F – Claire Marshall 6-0 Jr.
C – Journee Brown 6-1 Jr.
G – Greer Henry 5-7 So.
G – Brooke Trinkle 5-5 Sr.
