By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Jeff Allen is a math guy, especially when the numbers work in favor of his basketball team. There’s a lot of available statistics and data to consider when grading Bedford North Lawrence, although the only digits that really matters are the wins and losses. Right now that’s 23 victories, with the Stars hoping to add four more to that impressive total.
No.7 BNL will be a prohibitive favorite to add one to the tally when it hosts Evansville Central (15-11) in the one-game Class 4A regional on Saturday night. Casting the Stars in that position is not surprising or news. It’s a familiar leading role.
Here’s the kicker. According to John Harrell’s popular high school basketball website, which is biblical in its usage and available knowledge, BNL has a whopping 96.25 percent chance to win the next stage of the IHSAA state tournament series. That means the Stars are the biggest favorite of any regional in the state. That’s not to disparage the young Bears, who have already used their us-against-the-world mentality to reach this level. That’s putting pressure on BNL, which is supposed to win.
So what. The Stars have handled that kind of heat all season. With the sudden-death nature of the postseason, when one upset, or one off performance, can mean the end of dreams, overlooking any opponent cannot be risked. No matter what the math – whether it’s Sagarin computer ratings, power formulas or any other equation – the correct answer comes on the court.
“I’m a big believer in math. But sometimes you can get misled by math, especially when it comes to girls high school basketball,” Allen said. “We’ve dealt with that all year long in a lot of games we’ve been in. We’ve always talked about playing to our level, and for the most part they do a really good job of understanding that.”
BNL has excelled in measuring itself against imposed standards. The championship banners above the northeast corner of Fieldhouse speak loudly as they hang silently. The trophies and team photos of past legends keep watch in the hallways. The name on the uniform demands excellence. The Stars have been outstanding in playing to their own capabilities, rather than being guilty of rising or falling to match the opponent.
“Our level of play has been really good,” Allen said. “It’s the level of intensity and the level of focus we have, no matter who we’re playing. I don’t expect that to slip at all.”
That fire, that unquenchable tenacity, that burning passion is always roaring. If it’s not, the coaching staff will stoke the flames, the team leadership will pour on a little gasoline.
“It’s definitely something inside you,” BNL senior guard and co-captain Karsyn Norman said. “Everyone lacks it a little bit once in a while. Coaches and teammates will get on you to pick it up. It’s tournament time. Nobody wants to lose. If we’re the bigger favorite, that only puts a bigger target on our backs.“
Central, with a freshman and three sophomores in the starting lineup, has accepted the underdog role. The Bears were not expected to win the sectional at Evansville Harrison, an oversight they took personally. They’ve never won a regional. There’s always a first time.
“We’ve always been told everyone gives us their very best game,” BNL senior Mallory Pride said. “We’re on top right now, and it puts a target on us. We have to give it our best, just like they’ll give it to us. We’re all ready to play. If someone lacks something, someone will help bring it back up.“
There’s always a fine line between cockiness and confidence. BNL won’t cross it.
“We’re a very humble team,” junior co-captain Chloe Spreen said. “We know what we’re capable of. We know what we’ve worked for. This time of the year, it’s hard mentally and physically on each of us. We’ll play how we play, don’t look down on anything. We know who we are. Whether it’s a good team or bad team, we have to play the same.”
That mindset has powered BNL to 12 straight sectional titles. That tradition has produced 13 regional championships in program history. That pride, backed by a homecourt advantage, will add fuel. The Stars can’t afford a letdown of any kind.
“If we come out and play badly, they could beat us,” Norman said. “It’s not impossible. We can’t overlook them. Regional is just another step on the way to our big goal.”
The regional winner will advance to a two-game semistate on Feb. 18. The IHSAA will announce the pairings (with regionals at Decatur Central and a second one-game regional at BNL feeding into the next round) and the sites on Sunday. Reducing the regional to one game will not cheapen the prize. For the record, BNL voted against the format change.
“I kind of like the two-game regional,” Norman said. “It feels different. But I’m not going to complain. It’s another trophy.
“As long as we win.”
Center Grove and Franklin will collide in the first Regional 7 contest at BNL at 4 p.m. After that champion is given time to cut down nets and celebrate, the Stars and Bears will take the court for Regional 8 at 7 p.m.
