By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The definition of “banner day” is a day marked or characterized by great success or good fortune. At Bedford North Lawrence, where unparalleled tradition and elevated expectations would paralyze the uninitiated with a fear of failure, that term has deeper meaning.
In the northeast corner of BNL Fieldhouse, high in the rafters, the reminders of greatness from the past overlook the court. Banners from four state championships, and two state runner-up teams, are daily motivational reminders for the current Stars, and starry-eyed goals for the next generation as they dream of their future. It takes something special to qualify for that permanent home.
That’s what No.7 BNL is playing for this weekend. Immortality. Inclusion among the revered names in program history.
The Stars (24-3) will seek their seventh semistate title, facing No.9 Center Grove (22-4) in the opening game of Class 4A’s penultimate stage on Saturday morning at Southport. That winner will clash with either Ben Davis (18-9) or Lawrence North (18-9) in the semistate final that night. Two wins to earn an invitation to the grand finale at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
BNL’s last addition to the banner collection came in 2014, with the second of back-to-back state titles. The Stars have had two chances to reach that level since then, falling short in 2018 (Warren Central) and 2020 (Lawrence North). The passion, the ultra-intense desire to achieve that goal has been the driving force all season.
“It’s more of a hunger than any other team I’ve been a part of,” senior guard Emma Brown said. “It just feels different.”
The danger of wanting something so badly is the mental stress, the self-induced pressure that threatens physical performance. BNL coach Jeff Allen is very aware of the potential problems that can create. His advice is simple. Enjoy the moment first, worry about the result later.
“You have to enjoy it,” he said. “You can’t put so much pressure on the accomplishment of hanging another banner, and not enjoy the moment. We’re going to make sure we enjoy it, because we’ve worked hard to get here this year. The second part is being prepared. Do the kids feel prepared when they go out there? That helps with the nervous energy and the excitement.”
BNL should be prepared. The Stars have faced elite competition, competed on the biggest stage in the Hall of Fame Classic, handled the pressure as the hunted in the Hoosier Hills Conference and the sectional. They won the league, extended their sectional streak to 12 consecutive years. The glare of the spotlight suits them.
“I like the way we’re playing,” Allen said. “We’ve ran up against some challenges, which is to be expected in the tournament. And our kids have responded. That’s all you can hope for, that you have your kids prepared for situations and they’ll respond.
“At this stage of the game, I don’t know that coaching has so much to do with it. Now it’s kids making plays. You hope you’ve instilled the things they need to make good decisions and make plays.”
BNL certainly has playmakers. Junior forward Chloe Spreen leads the charge at 18.7 points per game (plus 5.4 rebounds), while senior point guard Karsyn Norman has been the catalyst while totaling 16.5 points and 4.4 assists. That pair, Div. I recruits and future All-Stars, demands so much attention.
But without the development of senior Mallory Pride (11.0 points, 7.1 boards), without the defensive versatility of Madisyn Bailey, without the quiet contributions of Brown and a deepening bench, BNL would not be in this position. It takes a village to raise a family, it takes a galaxy to define these Stars.
“It’s no secret those two (Spreen and Norman) are really good players,” Center Grove coach Kevin Stuckmeyer said. “But beyond their talent, they’re great players and competitors. They seem to do it the right way and lead the others in that way. They’ve done a good job with the mental and physical toughness it takes at a high level, and their role players are tremendous at that.
“And Bedford always has those role players willing to do the dirty work, put their stamp on the game, they’re ready when called upon. They do so many of the intangible things, and they do that consistently.”
What about the Trojans? Their signature is defense. Center Grove, which has won its last 18 games, allows only 34 points per game, and only one opponent has gone over 50 this season. Only three teams have gone over 40 during the current winning streak. BNL will test that with an offense that ranks sixth in the state in scoring at 62.8 points per game.
“Kevin is a very good defensive coach,” Allen said. “They have a very good understanding of positioning, especially away from the basketball. And to me, that’s the most important part of team defense. You have kids that can pressure the basketball – a lot of teams do. But if you have kids that understand where you need to be away from the ball, that makes team defense so good.”
“They’re a really good defensive team,” Bailey said. “We need to get our offense going. It’s always good to see shots going in. we just need to be patient.”
On the other end, BNL will have to contain Center Grove scoring leader Audrey Annee (13.0) and pay attention to 6-3 junior Rachel Wirts in the paint.
“They’re disciplined,” Allen said. “They don’t do anything outside of their comfort zone. They really rely on spreading the floor. Wirts is a great weapon because they can spread the floor with shooters and try to isolate her. She has some length and skills.”
BNL and Center Grove haven’t collided since the 2019 regional (a 51-33 BNL win, with Jorie Allen scoring 21 points and grabbing 16 rebounds), but they did meet during an unofficial June scrimmage last summer. The Stars won that encounter 60-42, although that was ages ago in basketball terms. “They’ve gotten a lot better during the season,” Brown said.
BNL’s key will be a solid start. With all its big-game experience, there’s still nerves and angst to overcome in the one-or-done finality of the state tournament.
“Once the ball touches our hands, once everyone gets a feel for it, even if shots aren’t falling, the nerves just go away,” Brown said, “and it’s just another game.”
But it’s not just another game. It’s the first game of a possible Banner Day. It’s the opportunity to be remembered, to add to the trophy case. Winning sectional and regional titles were necessary steps to reach this moment.
“It’s been a while, we’ve come up short the last couple of years,” Bailey said. “We hope to get it this year. We all really want it.”
