By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Mess with the bull, get the horns. That old proverb, and a favorite line from the classic movie Breakfast Club, warns about provoking the dangerous. Bedford North Lawrence certainly qualifies as a basketball bull, the symbol of strength, powerful and muscular after lifting all those trophies. Now it’s set to butt heads with another of equal force.
The last time the Stars collided with Silver Creek, they locked horns in a defensive death struggle. Both offenses resembled the proverbial “bull in a china shop”, thrashing about and making a mess, breaking a lot of pretty stuff. After this rematch, there will only be one survivor.
BNL (18-4 and ranked No.14) will clash with the Dragons (18-4, ranked No.12) in the second semifinal of Class 4A’s Sectional 15 on Friday night. No.5 Jennings County (22-3) will meet Jeffersonville (13-9) in the opening game, with the winners advancing to the championship on Saturday night.
The prelude to this postseason battle took place on Dec. 14 at BNL. Calling the result “ugly” would be an insult to anything that’s actually ugly. Few could make shots, few scored as both defenses ruled, with the Stars rallying late for a 31-28 win. That score is not a misprint. Now the question becomes which team can duplicate that on one end and prove the offensive struggles were an anomaly. Or should it discarded as a fluke?
“You throw it out,” Silver Creek coach Scott Schoen said. “It was two teams that just locked horns with each other. Neither of us were going to give up easy buckets, it wasn’t going to be easy shots. So my takeaway is we have to score four more points. That’s what we have to figure out how to do.”
BNL’s numbers were astonishing for a winning team. The Stars converted 1 of 20 from 3-point range, hit only 10 of 43 shots overall, even missed 10 free throws. If not for senior star Chloe Spreen, who scored 19 points, BNL would have set records for offensive futility. Credit the Dragons for some of that. Credit the Stars for finding other ways to win.
“Thank goodness, they struggled against us, too,” BNL coach Jeff Allen said. “I don’t think anyone made shots that night against them – except Chloe – and we have to have that.”
Under normal circumstances, the Dragons have plenty of firepower, with 6-2 sophomore Brooklynn Renn, with sophomore guard Emma Schoen, with senior sparkplug Kiki Grant. That trio was at their best during Silver Creek’s first-round sectional test against Floyd Central on Wednesday, and they had to be. Schoen had 22 points, Renn totaled 21, and Grant was clutch in the final two minutes as the Dragons rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a 60-51 triumph over the Highlanders.
Their reward is a short celebration and a red-flag battle with the sectional bull that is charging toward a 13th consecutive title.
“It’s the defending state champion that’s won 12 sectionals in a row,” Schoen said. “Golly, they’re arguably the best coached team in the state, and they have arguably the best player in the state. It will be fun. I’m just glad to be playing.”
Spreen, the Miss Basketball frontrunner and Alabama recruit, will be Silver Creek’s target. She’s averaging 21.2 points and 6.9 rebounds. BNL’s key will be production from others, most notably senior Madisyn Bailey (11.1 points, 4.5 assists) and freshman Miley Sherrill (9.7 points). Bailey failed to score against Silver Creek, but she’s been hot of late. Bailey had 18 points, all in the first half, during Wednesday’s 58-24 win over New Albany, and she’s averaged 17.4 over the last five games.
“Madisyn didn’t score that game, and that’s a big difference for us,” Allen said. “We did a good job on Renn (6 points), but (Lydia) Wright is the one that hurt us. We’ll have to do a better job on her. Silver Creek is skilled. It will be an interesting game.”
Silver Creek has not lost since the setback at BNL, extending its streak to 12 with the comeback against the Highlanders. Of course, BNL has set the bar for streaks with 37 consecutive sectional wins.
Jennings County vs. Jeffersonville – The Panthers advanced to the semifinal with a 59-38 victory over Seymour, taking control with a 15-0 run in the second quarter, as Juliann Woodard scored 28 points. That set up the rematch with the Red Devils, who drew a first-round bye.
During the regular-season meeting on Nov. 21 at Jennings, Woodard (a Michigan State recruit) was the catalyst with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. Alivia Elmore added 18 points and Mollie Ernstes totaled 17 as the Panthers stopped Jeffersonville 69-58.
LaKyra Johnson and Keziah Renee had 17 points each for the Devils, while Makenzie Mason chipped in 11 points. Johnson (13.2, plus 8.7 boards), Renee (11.5) and Elle Marble (10.0) have led a balanced Jeff offense this season, but the Devils have been held under 40 points four times.
Jeffersonville’s last appearance in a sectional final came in 2018, while the Panthers have reached the final in four of the last five years. Jennings County is the top-ranked team in the state, according to the Sagarin computer power ratings.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 15
Semifinals at Floyd Central
JENNINGS COUNTY vs. JEFFERSONVILLE
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Records: Jennings County 22-3, ranked No.5; Jeffersonville 13-9
Sagarin ratings: Jennings County 99.73; Jeffersonville 82.57
Last meeting: On Nov. 21 at Jennings, the Panthers prevailed 69-58. Juliann Woodard and Alivia Elmore had 18 points each for Jennings, while LaKyra Johnson and Keziah Renee scored 17 points apiece for the Red Devils.
Game notes: Jennings is chasing its first sectional title since 2005, while Jeffersonville won its last sectional in 2011 on its way to the 4A state championship. Jennings is ranked 13th in the state in scoring at 61.8 and 10th in winning margin at 25.2.
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.
Jeffersonville Red Devils
F – Elle Marble 5-9 Sr.
G- LaKyra Johnson 5-7 Sr.
G – Keziah Renee 5-7 So.
G – LaQaya Gold 5-5 Sr.
G – Aniya Calloway 5-3 Jr.
BNL vs. SILVER CREEK
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 18-4, ranked No.14; Silver Creek 18-4, ranked No.12
Sagarin ratings: BNL 90.82; Silver Creek 84.99
Last meeting: On Dec. 14 at BNL, the Stars slipped past the Dragons 31-28. Chloe Spreen had 19 points for BNL, which hit only 10 of 43 shots. Lydia Wright had 10 points for Silver Creek.
Previous game story: BNL bites down for 31-28 win
Game notes: BNL has won 37 consecutive sectional games. The Stars are chasing their 13th straight sectional title and 33rd overall. Silver Creek won the Class 3A state title in 2021 and finished as 3A state runner-up in 2022. BNL leads the series 6-0.
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.
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.
