By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The medical term for double vision is diplopia, a common diagnosis for the victims of Fishers. The twin Tigers are double trouble.
With identical sisters Hailey and Olivia Smith, defensive dynamos who’ve been feeling down and dirty, feeling kind of mean, Fishers has gone from one to the other extreme, from postseason fine print to big, bold letters. For the first time in its short program history, the eye chart is easy to read. Two words: state finalist.
Powered by the twin turbos, the No.3 Tigers will get a good look at history, seeking their first state title when they meet No.7 Bedford North Lawrence in the Class 4A championship on Saturday night in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Fishers (26-2 with a 20-game winning streak) has roared into uncharted territory without blinking. The Tigers feature the Smith twins – nearly as identical with their stat lines as their appearance. Hailey averages 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists, while Olivia totals 10.6 points, 3.9 boards and 2.5 assists. Both are Ball State recruits.
While they are the team leaders, offense is not actually their forte. It’s defense. Fishers allows only 45.3 points per game (with five foes held to 35 or fewer points), and the Smiths are shut-down sisters on that end.
“Their strength is hands-down their versatility, and the defensive end,” Fishers coach Lauren Votaw said. “They are not elite scorers, but they are tasked with defending the other team’s best players. They love defense, they’re tough and selfless.”
“They’re great athletes, they’re both very strong for the guard position,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “That’s a concern because if they want to post up, if they want to keep you on the perimeter with their strength, they can. We’ll have to combat that the best we can.
“They defend like Jeffersonville, very aggressive, very physical. They do a great job of putting pressure on the basketball, pressure on cutters. We mirror them a lot, two teams that are guard heavy. We hang our hat on our defense, too. So it will be a great game, one that come down to kids making plays.”
Fishers has other weapons. Junior wing Talia Harris adds 9.3 points, senior forward Alycia Triplett adds 7.2 points and 5.1 boards, and 5-4 junior guard Joirdyn Smith (no relation to the twins) contributes 7.2 points. That kind of balance makes the Tigers dangerous and difficult to predict.
“What makes this team so special is our depth,” Votaw said. “On any given night, I can’t tell you who our leading scorer will be. I can’t tell you who will step up and make the big shot. I have 11 players who are bought in to ‘Team over Me.’ That is what makes them special, what makes them so unique.”
How did Fishers get to this point? By surviving the fourth-toughest (according to the Sagarin computer) schedule in the state, by winning the brutal Hoosier Crossroads Conference (which included three other ranked teams) and the vicious Sectional 8 (with those same three ranked challengers). After losing back-to-back games (Zionsville and Fort Wayne Snider) in November, the Tigers haven’t lost since and avenged the Snider setback during their tournament trek.
“We play in the toughest conference in the state, the toughest sectional in the state,” Votaw said. “So it did prepare us, it gives us confidence. We’re so battle tested, it has helped us with our maturity.”
Votaw took over the program in 2017, and the improvement was immediate. The Tigers won a sectional in 2020, then soared to new heights this season with their deepest postseason run ever.
“It’s amazing,” Votaw said. “We’ve had lot of firsts this year, a school record for wins. It goes back to the idea of building a program. That was one of my goals when I took over. The school is such a young school, so we were trying to establish what Fishers basketball means, what it means to be a Tiger. Part of that was being able to compete for titles. This is that next step, getting to the championship game.”
That “newbie” status stands in stark contrast to the documented BNL tradition (four state titles, a record 158 postseason wins, two Miss Basketballs). But this game wouldn’t be decided by pedigrees. Fishers will have to stifle one of the top scoring teams in the state (61.8) and slow down the electric tandem of junior Chloe Spreen (19.0 points, 5.4 boards) and Butler recruit Karsyn Norman (16.0, 4.2 assists).
“They have two very talented guards,” Votaw said. “I would consider them to be elite offensive players. Spreen is very versatile, can go inside and score, can go on the perimeter. Norman just has a beautiful stroke, a quick release. They’re tough and talented. We’ll have to find a way to contain them. It will be very important for us defensively, which is where we’ve shined all year. That’s been our strongest suit.
“BNL is fundamental on the offensive side, they know what they’re supposed to be running. They seem to know their roles, what is their job in the situation. I think it will be a battle.”
CLASS 4A STATE FINAL
FISHERS vs. BNL
When: Saturday, 8:15 p.m. in Indianapolis
Records: Fishers 26-2, ranked No.3; BNL 26-3, ranked No.7
Sagarin ratings: Fishers 104.05; BNL 101.99
Last meeting: This is the first game between the teams.
Game notes: Fishers, which didn’t compete in the IHSAA tournament until 2007, is making its first state finals appearance. BNL has won four state titles (1983, 1991, 2013, 2014) in six previous trips. BNL holds the state record for postseason wins with 158.
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.
Fishers Tigers
F – Alysia Triplett 5-10 Sr.
F – Talia Harris 5-8 Jr.
G – Hailey Smith 5-10 Sr.
G – Olivia Smith 5-10 Sr.
G – Joirdyn Smith 5-4 Jr.
