By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Is laughter still the best medicine? Right now, Bedford North Lawrence is not in a jovial mood following the seismic road setback at Jennings County. That went down like castor oil or bad cough syrup. That’s not funny.
Winning is still the best cure for anything, and the Stars will seek to restart their sputtering engines when they visit Castle on Saturday afternoon. That’s not exactly the best place to find a remedy for ailments. The Knights (9-7) can leave a bitter taste in the mouth.
It’s been four years since BNL (14-3 and ranked No.6 in 4A, until the new poll is released next week) lost back-to-back games. That’s a remarkable stat, considering the schedule level the program maintains, and the Stars don’t want to start any skid as the postseason approaches. So they’re eager to bounce back.
“It’s the best medicine you can have, going back and playing right away,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “Hopefully we will play well.”
Castle was stuck on a three-game losing streak until a dramatic 52-49 win over Evansville Reitz on Thursday night, as Jayden Scott hit a game-winning corner 3-pointer at the buzzer for momentum to face the Stars. They can strike with perimeter firepower, led by senior forward Aleyna Quinn (15 points, 6 rebounds per game) and junior Jordan Scott (11.0 points).
“They’re a streaky team,” Allen said. “They shoot the ball well from the perimeter. They don’t have a post player to worry about, which will be a change for us. Maybe we can focus on guarding the person we’re supposed to guard instead of trying to help somebody.”
Castle’s recent slump came against tough competition, including two ranked teams (2A No.2 South Knox and 4A No.13 Zionsville), including three teams with a combined record of 39-6. So the record is misleading.
“We have played a strong schedule to this point,” Castle coach Bob Meier said, “which we will continue to strengthen the mindset that although we are 9-7, we have been in every game but one with a chance to win in the fourth quarter.
“If we can compete well in these games and continue giving ourselves opportunities to win, we feel our confidence will continue to grow, which will help us when tournament play begins at the end of January.”
BNL’s focus will be its offense. The Stars have been held under 50 five times in the last 11 games, and the team shooting percentage (now hovering at 40 percent) took another hit during the loss at Jennings. Chloe Spreen scored 26 against the Panthers, pushing her up to 20.3 points per game. BNL still needs consistency from other sources, with Madisyn Bailey (9.1) and Miley Sherrill (9.9) adding other options.
“It is apparent Bedford isn’t having to rebuild much from last year,” Meier said. “They are simply reloading with another talented and competitive group of girls. Although Spreen will demand a lot of our attention, we cannot fall asleep on the other girls, especially Sherrill and Bailey.”
Last year, the Stars were clicking during a 76-57 win over the Knights. Spreen had 19 points, Mallory Pride added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Bailey totaled 16 points as BNL won its fifth straight game in the series.
BNL at CASTLE
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 14-3, ranked No.6 in Class 4A; Castle 9-7
Sagarin ratings: BNL 93.88; Castle 81.75
Last meeting: Last year at BNL, the Stars stopped the Knights 76-57. Chloe Spreen had 19 points while Mallory Pride added 17 points and 10 boards for BNL. Devyn Burton scored 17 points for Castle.
Previous game story: Two Stars take one’s place
Game notes: BNL has won five straight in the series. Castle’s last win came in the 2019 regional final. The Stars haven’t lost back-to-back games since falling to North Central and Jeffersonville during the 2019-20 season.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Chloe Spreen 5-10 Sr.
F – Miley Sherrill 5-9 Fr.
G – Madisyn Bailey 5-9 Sr.
G – Trinidy Bailey 5-7 So.
G – Tori Nikirk 5-6 Jr.
Castle Knights
F- Aleyna Quinn 5-9 Sr.
F – Jayden Scott 5-10 So.
G – Jordan Scott 5-6 Jr.
G – Paiton Mitchell 5-6 So.
G – Izabell Grantz 5-6 So.
