By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The fitness marketing phrase “New year, new you” holds a different meaning at Evansville North.
After absorbing multiple injuries and bouts with illnesses during the last calendar year, the Huskies are anxious to put 2024 in their rear-view mirror. Bedford North Lawrence would like to end a losing streak that’s reaching historic levels. Winning for the first time in 2025 would feel like a “new you” and the keeping of a resolution.
The Stars (4-11) will make their second trip to Evansville in 48 hours when they tangle with the Huskies on Saturday afternoon. North (7-6) will be playing its second game in less than 24 hours after hosting city rival Evansville Mater Dei on Friday night.
North has been battling through adversity. First, sophomore starter Brooke Silva went down with a season-ending knee injury in December, then senior Maddy Knies suffered a concussion. The Huskies played a three-game tournament in Lebanon with five players absent with injuries or sickness. Entering the final month of the regular season, North has fallen behind its projected improvement.
“It’s been difficult for us to gain traction and get better,” North coach Tyler Choate said. “I’m interested to see what we look like in 2025. I am optimistic, but we will have to start playing well right away if we want to peak in the sectional.”
North will feature senior Libby Blythe (12.0 points) and sophomore Azaria Finn (9.6).
“They fly around, they do a lot of different things,” BNL coach Greg Burton said.
For the Stars, mired in a six-game losing streak, the schedule has not been favorable. The clash with North was originally set as a BNL home game, but conflicts forced a location change. So the Stars will make another long trip. The question is which team will be impacted more – BNL by the draining bus ride or North by back-to-back games with no rest or preparation time.
“That’s the hand we’re dealt,” Burton said. “We will do it without complaining. We’ll be back at it.”
BNL is coming off a promising performance during the first journey to Evansville. The Stars pushed Class 3A No.6 Central to the final minute, putting together one of their better efforts of this struggling season. If they can duplicate the patience, ball-handling (a season-low 11 turnovers) and long-range success (10 treys) they displayed, it would bode well.
“BNL plays hard and is very dangerous,” Choate said. “We are anticipating a 32-minute game, and we know the Stars will make us better.”
Miley Sherrill continues to be the lone double-digit scorer for BNL at 10.0. Katie Godlevske had a career-high 15 points, Jordynn Blann added 11 points, at Central.
BNL and North will collide for the first time since the 2020 regional semifinal at Columbus North. Madison Webb, now a college standout at USI, had 16 points during a 55-40 victory.
BNL at EVANSVILLE NORTH
When: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 4-11; Evansville North 7-6 (vs. Evansville Mater Dei on Friday)
Sagarin ratings: BNL 62.58; Evansville North 78.13
Last meeting: During the 2020 regional semifinal at Columbus North, BNL posted a 55-40 victory. Madison Webb had 16 points and Irye Gomez added 13 for the Stars. Kenna Hisle had 13 points for the Huskies.
Game notes: BNL’s six-game losing streak is the longest since the 2004-05 season.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Miley Sherrill 5-9 So.
F – Makaya Jackson 5-8 Sr.
G – Trinidy Bailey 5-7 Jr.
G – Tori Nikirk 5-6 Sr.
G – Jordynn Blann 5-2 So.
Evansville North Huskies
F – Maddy Knies 6-0 Sr.
F – Libby Blythe 5-9 Sr.
G – Evie Sale 5-10 Sr.
G – Azaria Finn 5-6 So.
G – Lexi Scott 5-4 Fr.
