By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – In the midst of an identity crisis, when confusion and doubt about its sense of self awareness was bubbling, Bedford North Lawrence discovered some answers. Every-day life as a teenager is tough enough, then compound that with an erratic jump shot. What’s the secret of true happiness? In basketball terms, it’s a simple swish.
The dark clouds lifted, all was right in their world, for the funky Stars. Their feng shui was in harmony with the basket. Hitting shots solves everything. After only two restless nights following a depressing loss at Jeffersonville, BNL was back in the black, rather than sulking with a black mood. It had been so long, the Stars were glad to be back.
After a worrisome start, the Stars found themselves, learning their true value. Rallying from an early deficit, BNL shot its way clear for a 56-41 triumph over Seymour on Thursday night. Miley Sherrill scored 16 points, and the Stars broke character by hitting a season-high 9 treys while conquering the struggling Owls for the 11th consecutive time.
That streak was in mild danger when Seymour (2-7 with six straight losses) stroked to a 14-8 lead late in the opening quarter. BNL answered with a 16-3 run, and most of that damage was done from the 3-point line. That’s not been BNL’s strength, as the statistics bear out. The Stars have died there, this time they lived there. Perhaps they were due.
That burst, along with some tenacious work on the glass and a more stable offensive attack, powered BNL (4-5 overall, 2-1 in the Hoosier Hills Conference) to an important bounce-back win.
“You play a little more free, you’re engaged more on the defensive end, when the ball goes in,” BNL coach Greg Burton, one whose mindset depends on the fragile success of teens in their semi-schizofrenic world, said. “Everything is just clicking. When the ball went in, it made it easier.
“When the ball goes in, it helps, but we did other things pretty well. We put an emphasis on getting to the basket, off the dribble or by the pass, and we were better. We’re still in the early stages of where we want to be, but it was good to see.”
Seymour has gone through its own offensive woes during its losing skid, but the Owls were going through their own out-of-body experience with four bombs en route to the quick lead. BNL had to respond, and did so with Sherrill’s trey to end the first quarter, with three straight bombs from Katie Godlevske and Trinidy Bailey to create space in the second.
BNL blasted to halftime with a 29-23, then exerted its will during the opening minutes of the second half, always a critical juncture. Makaya Jackson scored from close range, Sherrill slashed through traffic for a basket, and Jordynn Blann (listed at 5-foot-2) slipped inside for an offensive rebound and 37-26 lead. BNL’s advantage never dipped below double digits after that.
“That was big for us,” Burton said. “We responded well.”
Sherrill’s production was her best of the season, and she got plenty of support from Blann (10 points), Bailey (9 points and 10 rebounds) and Tori Nikirk (8 points).
“We lean on Miley, she’s been consistent for us,” Burton said. “She’s been aggressive, and I need to find her more shots. I need to do a better job of that. But she can get 10 points without calling a play for her. I love that about her.”
Sophie Skidmore paced the Owls with 16 points while Emmy Munson hit three first-half treys for her 9 points. But Seymour, which had been held under 40 points during its first six losses, launched 29 of its 40 shots from deep. The Owls could not sustain the energy or efficiency from the fast start.
“That’s been our season in a nutshell,” Seymour coach Jason Longmeier said. “We’re there for two or three quarters with everybody we’ve played. When the game starts slipping, some of our inexperience comes out, and we take a lot of ill-advised shots. When Bedford pulled away from us, we were shooting off one pass, and those long shots led to transition for them.
“We’re at the point where we have to do a better job of putting together four quarters. We’re not putting together all the aspects at the same time.”
For BNL, which had converted a miserable 21 percent from the 3-line during the first eight games, making 9 of 21 from there was either defying the odds or finally showing its true identity.
“Bedford knocked some shots down,” Longmeier said. “They’ve been a lot like us, they’ve struggled to make those. You don’t shoot as many threes as they do, and not know you’re a good shooting team. They played well, they played hard and together. They really got us on the glass. Between the second-chance points and the transition, that was the difference in the game.”
In addition to Bailey’s board work, Sherrill grabbed 7 rebounds and Jackson added 6 as the Stars posted a 39-29 advantage on that stat line.
“I think we’re a pretty good rebounding team, for as small as we are,” Burton said. “But we have to do it as a group.”
BNL will return to action on Saturday when it visits Brownsburg.
SEYMOUR OWLS (41)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
3 Emmy Munson, f 3-7 3-7 0-0 3 1 9
32 Sophie Skidmore, f 3-7 4-8 5-7 6 5 16
2 Claire Skaggs, g 1-7 1-7 0-0 1 3 3
31 Greer Henry, g 0-2 0-6 0-0 4 3 0
11 Kenzie Gagner, g 2-4 3-6 0-0 3 1 8
34 Emmy Followell 0-0 2-4 0-0 6 1 4
1 Kelsea Hunsley 0-0 0-0 0-2 2 0 0
21 Kennedy Burnette 0-1 0-2 1-2 0 2 1
14 Abby Otte 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 1 0
Totals 9-29 13-40 6-11 29 17 41
BEDFORD NL STARS (56)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
22 Miley Sherrill, f 3-4 5-10 3-4 7 1 16
30 Makaya Jackson, f 0-0 2-5 2-6 6 1 6
32 Trinidy Bailey, g 2-3 3-8 1-2 10 1 9
12 Tori NIkirk, g 2-6 2-7 2-2 3 4 8
21 Jordynn Blann, g 1-3 3-8 3-4 5 2 10
23 Katie Godlevske 1-4 1-6 0-0 1 0 3
20 Paige Burton 0-0 0-2 0-0 1 1 0
11 Trinity Schmeichel 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 0
24 Elise Williams 0-1 1-2 2-5 1 0 4
Totals 9-21 17-48 13-23 39 11 56
Seymour 14 9 7 11 – 41
Bedford NL 11 18 16 11 – 56
Turnovers – Seymour 18, BNL 14
Field goal percentage – Seymour 13-40 (.325); BNL 17-48 (.354)
Field goal percentage – Seymour 6-11 (.545); BNL 13-23 (.565)
