By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BROWNSBURG – Deer in the headlights. Every after-dark driver knows that look, when the noble creature freezes on the pavement before attempting a death-defying escape. Too often, that roadway rendezvous ends with damage to the vehicle and a mortal wound to the unfortunate animal.
This time, in a reversal of usual roles, Bedford North Lawrence was the deer. Lawrence North was the oncoming, fast-moving truck. The crash was ugly. The damage was great.
The No.2 Stars, the defending state champions and a trophy wall mount for every successful hunter, suffered a taxidermy loss in the finale of the prestigious Sneakers for Santa Shootout on Saturday night. Lawrence North, a victim during BNL’s glorious march to the grand prize last season, earned revenge with a seismic 62-36 victory, leaving the Stars (6-1) humbled and suffering on the roadside.
The Wildcats (4-1) rumbled away to a runaway win, flirting with the triggering of a running clock before settling for a rare blowout. BNL suffered its worst loss since a 70-37 setback to Ohio power Mount Notre Dame in 2019, and the worst defeat to an in-state foe since the 54-20 debacle at eventual state champion Jeffersonville in 2010.
And all that happened after the marquee opponents finished in a 12-12 deadlock after the opening quarter. Lawrence North exploded for a 12-2 run in the next frame, and the Stars never recovered, physically or mentally.
“For us to compete with that team, we have to really battle,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “And we were a little shell shocked when we didn’t make shots and they made a run. We got down, and there was a change in our mentality.”
Shooting was the most obvious BNL problem, but not the only one. The Stars were a dismal 10 of 40 during the final three quarters, including a lot of misfired layups, while Lawrence North hammered away in the paint. Naja Winston, a Decatur Central transfer, had 15 points, while post powers Jamaya Thomas and Natalia Franklin combined for 17 points. Too big, too strong, too good. BNL had no answers this time.
The meltdown was completely out of character.
“When you don’t make shots, and don’t score, it affected our defense,” Allen said. “We took some rushed shots, trying to get it back, and they expanded their lead. Once they got to that point, they’re really good. If they play like that, they’re going to be a handful for anybody.”
BNL’s start, unlike its last three outings, was electric. Chloe Spreen scored 9 points during that first frame. But after clawing within 16-15 midway through the second, the Stars got flattened. Franklin came off the bench to score four times from point-blank range during the separation blast, and the Stars couldn’t crack LN’s tough, physical defense for any sustained counters.
Ellysa Morris scored twice as the Wildcats prowled to a 43-27 lead after the third quarter, then LN opened the fourth with a devastating 15-2 run. Game over.
“It felt like we weren’t battling like we needed,” Allen said. “I don’t think we played well. That’s a bad combination, when you’re playing a team that’s talented, they play well and you don’t. That’s as poorly as we can play, and we picked a bad time to do it, against a really good team.”
Chloe Spreen paced the Stars with 17 points while Madisyn Bailey added 10. But they were a combined 11 of 35 to get those points, and nobody else filled the void.
“You control a player like Chloe, try to slow them down, contain them and do your best,” LN coach Stephen Thomas said. “Our ladies did a phenomenal job. Then pressure the other guards and make somebody else beat us. Chloe is a Miss Basketball frontrunner for a reason. We dove in and kept digging in defensively.
“It’s an excellent group of girls who just battle, they’ve played in big-time games and big-time moments. It was about us being focused and prepared. That’s what you saw all game long.”
Morris finished with 10 points for the Wildcats.
“We’re a competitive team, a gritty team,” Thomas said. “We’re going to bring it for 32 minutes. This is a great game for us, but it’s just the beginning, another chapter. We have to learn from it. There’s good, there’s bad, but definitely happy to beat a quality team and great program like Bedford.”
BNL suffered its third straight loss in this event. All three were the first losses of the season. The Stars scored their fewest points since a 36-25 win over East Central in 2021.
“These kids don’t have a lot of experience at this level of basketball, but it’s November,” Allen said. “We just have to work and get better.”
The Stars will have little time to recover. They will host Class 2A No.1 North Knox on Monday night.
In the other Shootout games, No.8 Zionsville stopped Decatur Central (Allie Powell scored 19 for the Eagles); Class 3A No.2 Indian Creek edged Brownsburg 67-62 in overtime (Lauren Foster had 19 for Indian Creek); No.13 Jennings County clipped South Bend Washington 62-58 (Mollie Ernstes totaled 25 for the Panthers); Bolingbrook (Ill.) smacked No.6 Noblesville 68-48 (Reagan Wilson had 21 points for the Millers); and No.5 Columbia City shot down No.1 Hamilton Southeastern 67-51 (Addison Baxter had 28 points for the Eagles).
BEDFORD NL STARS (36)
34s FGs FTs R F Pts
2 Chloe Spreen, f 1-4 7-19 2-4 9 2 17
22 Miley Sherrill, f 0-3 2-7 0-0 4 4 4
24 Madisyn Bailey, g 1-2 4-16 1-2 7 1 10
12 Tori Nikirk, g 0-2 0-3 0-0 1 0 0
32 Trinidy Bailey, 0-1 0-2 1-2 0 1 1
20 Bella Jackson 0-0 2-5 0-2 1 1 4
23 Katie Godlevske 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
Totals 2-12 15-52 4-10 29 10 36
LAWRENCE NORTH WILDCATS (62)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
13 Naja Winston, f 1-1 5-8 4-4 6 3 15
33 Jamaya Thomas, f 0-0 4-8 1-2 7 3 9
11 Kamara Mills, g 1-4 3-8 1-1 3 2 8
4 Kya Hurt, g 0-1 1-3 0-0 6 3 2
24 Ellysa Morris, g 2-2 4-5 0-0 4 0 10
0 Ashiyah Teague 0-0 0-2 0-0 0 2 0
2 Kanyrian Ridley 2-4 2-4 0-0 2 1 6
20 Natalia Franklin 0-0 4-4 0-0 3 2 8
22 Victoria Guyse 0-1 1-2 0-0 1 1 2
25 Keandriah Butler 0-0 0-2 0-0 0 0 0
12 Emani Washington 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
32 Nylah Peoples 0-0 1-1 0-0 0 0 2
31 Kalea Bentley 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 6-12 25-46 6-7 32 17 62
Bedford NL 12 6 9 9 – 36
Lawrence North 12 19 12 19 – 62
Turnovers – BNL 16, Lawrence North 13
Field goal percentage – BNL 15-52 (.288); Lawrence North 25-46 (.543)
Free throw percentage – BNL 4-10 (.400); Lawrence North 6-7 (.857)
