By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Mentally fragile teams would have been physically drained by two tough games, emotionally exhausted by a last-tick, high-profile loss with a controversial finish. Athletes are resilient, but it’s hard to bounce back from that kind of disappointment without sufficient time to heal.
Bedford North Lawrence does not have that luxury. As rewarding as the prestigious Hall of Fame Classic championship would have been, as tough to stomach as the double-overtime loss to nemesis Noblesville was, a greater title is the goal. And the greatest obstacle to that prize is the next hurdle.
The Stars (14-3) must refocus quickly as they prepare to clash with Hoosier Hills Conference rival Jennings County (10-3) on Tuesday night in a key regular-season battle that will determine the league hierarchy.
BNL, chasing the HHC title after a two-year run by Columbus East, is already 3-0 in the league standings, halfway through the bumpy road to that crown. The Panthers, featuring one of the top interior threats in the state, will pose a definite threat to those title aspirations.
“Winning the conference is goal number one,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “The kids know that. This is a big game.”
Big? That’s the key word with the Panthers, because the spotlight will be on Jennings County star Juliann Woodard, a 6-0 junior who has been a big problem for BNL in the past. She’s averaging a whopping 22.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, impressive stats but particularly stressful as the Stars have to give away several inches in their quest to keep her in check. Good luck with that.
“She’s a tough match for any team,” Allen said. “I consider her the top post player in Southern Indiana. She’s expanded her game with her perimeter game, she plays with a high motor. She’s a difficult task for anyone to control. We’ll have to do it as a unit, try to make things difficult for her and make things uncomfortable for her teammates.”
The Panthers (2-1 in the league after a road loss to Jeffersonville on Dec. 22) also have scoring power with freshman Mollie Ernstes (11.5) and rebounding force from senior Megan Vogel (7.0 boards). Their issue will be turnovers. They had 23 miscues during the sectional final battle with BNL last season, with the Stars escaping with a tense 38-36 win while extending their winning streak in the series to 23 straight.
BNL’s offense must figure out a way to pry open JC’s zone defense. The Stars shot only 26 percent during that postseason collision. During last year’s regular-season meeting, they held Woodard to 8 points and pulled away to a 50-34 triumph.
“Offensively is where we struggled,” Allen said. “We were impatient against the zone. We didn’t move the ball, took quick shots, didn’t understand where we should be looking for opportunities. This year we’ve done great work against really good zones, so we’ve had good prep to get ready for that. Hopefully we’ll be ready and show a little more poise.”
BNL’s attack will include junior Chloe Spreen (20.6 after being voted MVP of the Hall of Fame) and senior Karsyn Norman (15.8 points, 4.8 assists). The X factor will be a senior Mallory Pride, who has averaged 15 points and 10 boards over the last six games, raising her season totals to 10.3 points and 7.1 rebounds.
“She has really taken her game to the next level,” Allen said. “She’s playing with a lot of confidence. Rebounding will be critical against them, because they have some size. That’s one place they hurt us in the sectional game. We’ll need Mallory to continue to rebound like that, and she’ll need some help from her teammates.”
BNL hasn’t lost back-to-back games since the 2019-20 season. Even with the last-second shot loss to the Millers (Should time have been put back on the clock on the end of the second overtime, giving Noblesville hero Reagan Wilson an extra 1.2 seconds to get to the rim? Probably not.) still stinging, the Stars have to have short memories.
“The kids are in great spirits,” Allen said. “I think, deep down, my kids felt like they won that game. We didn’t get some breaks, we had a couple of things not go our way. The kids felt good about themselves. Not coming out on top hurts, but they feel good about how they played and how they battled.”
JENNINGS COUNTY at BNL
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Jennings County 10-3 (2-1 in HHC); BNL 14-3 (3-0 in HHC), ranked No.4 in Class 4A
Sagarin ratings: Jennings County 83.37; BNL 105.77
Last meeting: Last year, the Stars swept two games from the Panthers, winning 50-34 at Jennings before squeezing out a tough 38-36 victory in the sectional final at Jeffersonville.
Previous game story: Stars survive the fires of torment
Game notes: BNL has won 23 straight games in the series. The Stars last won a shared HHC crown in 2020.
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.
Jennings County Panthers
F – Juliann Woodard 6-0 Jr.
F – Megan Vogel 5-11 Sr.
G – Manto Vadell 5-3 Sr.
G – Mollie Ernstes 5-9 Fr.
G – Madelyn McIntosh 5-6 So.
