By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Everything negative, according to the late Kobe Bryant, is an opportunity to rise. He included pressure and challenges on that list of the tests to conquer. Bedford North Lawrence is no stranger to those obstacles.
After winning 12 consecutive Class 4A sectional crowns, there’s pressure to continue that incredible streak. After battling through a rough regular season as the defending state champion, there have been formidable challenges. And another awaits as the Stars prepare for this postseason. The staircase to the top, the path to greatness, must be navigated one step at a time
The Stars (17-4) will begin that climbing quest in the first round at Floyd Central on Wednesday night, facing a rematch with struggling New Albany (3-20) at 6 p.m. That winner will face either No.12 Silver Creek (17-4) or dangerous Floyd Central (13-10) in the semifinal on Friday. No.5 Jennings County (21-3) will open the seven-team tournament against Seymour (11-11) in the only Tuesday night clash, with the survivor to meet Jeffersonville (13-9) in the first semifinal. The championship is set for Saturday night.
For a rare time in this dynamic run, BNL does not enter the sectional as the prohibitive favorite. That target will be worn by Jennings, the Hoosier Hills Conference champion that’s rated higher in the polls and the Sagarin computer, the powerful team that ran the table against the field during the regular season. While the Stars still have the pressure to continue their streak, the weight of expectations has shifted.
“I think the team that’s expected to win it has the most pressure,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “Jennings is expected to win. Everybody in the state is expecting them to win, they’re rated higher than we are and they’ve beaten us. So the pressure falls to them.
“For us, it’s about playing well. We can’t worry about the streak. It’s great that we’ve had it, but let’s focus on the first round, the second round. If we’re lucky enough to get to Saturday, then we can focus on that.”
The first step is the second collision with the Bulldogs. BNL dominated the last one, powering to an 86-30 win on Dec. 2 at New Albany. The Bulldogs have been plagued by a roster shortage, with only nine players listed. Only seven were available for that first BNL game. And now head coach Shelby Gliebe has been absent on maternity leave, putting assistant coach Michael McBride (a former head coach and state champion at Eastern Pekin) in charge.
BNL has won nine straight games in the series, the last eight by an average of 35.1 points, and New Albany enters the sectional on a seven-game skid. Even with all those obvious advantages, the Stars cannot take anything for granted.
“We have to make sure that the kids understand we want to play Friday night,” Allen said. “This is who we’re focused on. We have to put all our focus, all our energy, all our concentration into New Albany. That’s what we will do.
“There are three things for us – guard well, keep people in front of us, and rebound. And I hope we make shots. A lot of it for us is concentration and the ease of scoring. Otherwise we tense up.”
Scoring was not a problem in the last encounter with New Albany. Chloe Spreen totaled 23 points, Madisyn Bailey added 21 and Miley Sherrill finished with 11. BNL hit 11 treys and triggered the running clock during the entire second half for the mercy-rule road triumph. The Stars shot 62 percent and committed only four turnovers, so everything clicked. Maizy Smith paced New Albany with 12 points and Emily Spainhour added 10.
“We’ll approach it like we would any other game,” Bailey said. “Just be ready to go.”
Spreen, a Miss Basketball frontrunner, leads the Stars in scoring (21.2) and rebounding (7.2), while Bailey adds 10.8 points and a team-best 4.7 assists. Sherrill has been a steady third option at 9.7 points. BNL’s fate will rest on its ability to defend (allowing only 40.9 points per game), protect the ball, and get perimeter production (33 percent from distance) from unexpected sources.
The Stars might feel a little disrespected by the final poll and the predictions. There’s pride as the defending champions, there’s a determination to continue the unprecedented success of the last 12 years. BNL has won 36 straight sectional games, so nobody on the roster knows the sting of defeat at this level.
“It doesn’t mean anything. I think we’ll be fine as long as we come ready to play,” Spreen said. “We’ve put in the work, so we just need to show up and play like we know how to play. There’s high expectations to win it. We won’t worry about it too much. We’ve got this.“
“We’ll just go play as hard as we can,” Bailey said. “And try to win.”
Jennings County vs. Seymour – The Panthers will start their charge toward their first sectional title since 2005, and they’re overwhelming favorites in their rematch with the Owls. Jennings won the first encounter 66-36 on Dec. 5, with Mollie Ernstes hitting seven treys en route to 28 points, with Alivia Elmore adding 20.
Juliann Woodard, a Michigan State recruit and All-State candidate who recently set the school’s career scoring record, is the linchpin for the Panthers. She’s averaging team highs of 15.8 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. With so much attention directed toward her, she’s got plenty of passing targets with Ernstes (15.1, with 55 treys this season) and Elmore (12.6).
Jennings enters the sectional on a six-game winning streak, and it ranks 14th in the state in scoring at 61.9 points.
Silver Creek vs. Floyd Central – This is the most intriguing first-round matchup. The Dragons have the better record and higher ratings, but the Highlanders conquered the Dragons 50-45 on Dec. 7 at Silver Creek. Elise Coleman paced Floyd to that win with 19 points.
Silver Creek will counter with 6-2 sophomore Brooklynn Renn, who already holds recruiting offers from Louisville, Purdue and Butler. The Dragons are also tough defensively, holding 12 opponents to fewer than 40 points. They’ve won 12 straight games since a three-game skid that Floyd started. Meanwhile, the Highlanders have lost four of their last five contests.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 15
First round at Floyd Central
JENNINGS COUNTY vs. SEYMOUR
When: Tuesday, 7 p.m.
Records: Jennings County 21-3, ranked No.5; Seymour 11-11
Sagarin ratings: Jennings County 99.68; Seymour 77.95
Last meeting: On Dec. 5 at Jennings, the Panthers thumped the Owls 66-36. Mollie Ernstes paced Jennings with 28 points (with 7 treys) while Alivia Elmore added 20. Journee Brown had 14 points for Seymour.
Game notes: Jennings is chasing its first sectional title since 2005. The Panthers have won six straight games in the series. Seymour won its last sectional in 2008. Jennings County is 14th in the state in scoring at 61.9 and ninth in winning margin at 25.4.
Starting lineups
Jennings County Panthers
F – Juliann Woodard 6-0 Sr.
F – Avynn Belding 5-10 Jr.
G – Mollie Ernstes 5-10 So.
G – Alivia Elmore 5-8 Sr.
G – Madelyn McIntosh 5-7 Jr.
Seymour Owls
F – Journee Brown 6-1 Sr.
F – Kendall Sterling 5-10 Sr.
F – Claire Marshall 5-11 Sr.
G – Emmy Munson 5-8 So.
G – Sophie Skidmore 5-8 So.
BNL vs. NEW ALBANY
When: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Records: BNL 17-4, ranked No.14; New Albany 3-20
Sagarin ratings: BNL 90.33; New Albany 56.94
Last meeting: On Dec. 2 at New Albany, the Stars cruised to an 86-30 victory. Chloe Spreen had 23 points and Madisyn Bailey added 21 for BNL. Maizy Smith had 12 points for New Albany.
Previous game story: Stars refuse the easy road
Game notes: BNL is seeking its 13th consecutive sectional title and 33rd overall championship. The Stars have won 36 consecutive sectional games. BNL has won nine straight in the series, the last eight by an average of 35.1 points. New Albany won its last sectional title in 2002.
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.
New Albany Bulldogs
F – Maizy Smith 5-9 So.
F – Emily Spainhour 5-9 Fr.
G – Tori Bailey 5-6 So.
G – Reese Stiles 5-4 Sr.
G – Sophia Corley 5-7 Jr.
SILVER CREEK at FLOYD CENTRAL
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Silver Creek 17-4, ranked No.12; Floyd Central 13-10
Sagarin ratings: Silver Creek 84.96; Floyd Central 78.67
Last meeting: On Dec. 7 at Silver Creek, the Highlanders conquered the Dragons 50-45. Elise Coleman had 19 points and Samara Miller added 11 for Floyd.
Game notes: Silver Creek is playing in its second and final 4A sectional because of the success factor rule. The Dragons won the 3A state title in 2021 and finished as state runner-up in 2022. Floyd Central won its last sectional in 2010, and the Highlanders haven’t won a sectional game since 2013.
Starting lineups
Silver Creek Dragons
F – Brooklynn Renn 6-2 So.
G – Lydia Wright 5-7 Jr.
G – Kiki Grant 5-2 Sr.
G – Emma Schoen 5-6 So.
G – Katy Rooney 5-2 Jr.
Floyd Central Highlanders
F – Brinley Clark 5-9 So.
F – Elise Coleman 6-0 So.
C – Nora Gibson 6-1 Jr.
G – Samara Miller 5-7 Jr.
G – Ashton Timberlake 5-6 Jr.
