By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – The opener was a best-case scenario for Bedford North Lawrence. Tested by an unfamiliar but quality opponent, pushed to respond to a late challenge, winning on the road. Everything went well for the Stars.
With that confidence boost as a trampoline, BNL will attempt to jump a little higher while settling into the norm and routine of the regular season. Pinpoint issues, work to correct them within the physical limits of the personnel, move on to the next obstacle. The grind starts now.
BNL will continue its three-game road swing to start the season, making a short journey to Bloomington North on Tuesday night.
The successful debut at Sullivan, in addition to the preseason scrimmage against Columbus North, uncovered problems that can’t always be revealed against internal competition. During the 53-46 triumph over the Golden Arrows, it was the inability to extend second-half leads to a comfort zone. But it was showed BNL’s mental toughness to turn aside multiple comeback attempts with clutch shots and smart decisions.
“From a positive standpoint, this is a resilient group,” BNL coach Chase Spreen said. “It’s a group of tough kids. We let situations come up where we got comfortable and let them back in the game. Every time it got tight, the kids refocused and figured out what to do to secure the win.
“Give them a lot of credit, Sullivan made life hard on us. They had quickness that bothered us, they were disruptive on the defensive end. So I credit our kids to figure out how to beat a team that had four starters back from a 15-win team. They gave us some fits, but we figured it out.”
Balance was BNL’s most obvious strength. Jordan Blann and Trinidy Bailey scored 13 points each, Miley Sherrill had 12, and Sammie Nusbaum totaled 9. The second check mark on the plus column was the rebounding, which had been a huge problem in the scrimmage. BNL won that statistical category 28-22 with Nusbaum grabbing 8, and the Golden Arrows managed only six offensive boards. Now the Stars can work on getting offensive contributions from the reserves.
“Our scoring was balanced,” Spreen said. “We have to get some contributions from the kids off the bench, and that will come. We trust those kids, and they will continue to gain confidence. They will be difference makers.
“It was not a ‘gimme’ game by any means. We knew we would have to play well. They exploited things we needed to work on. The kids did a great job of coming home with a win, especially on the road.”
Now the Cougars (0-1) will present a different set of adjustments.
North opened with a 51-27 loss to Northview. Lulu Frank and Audrey Burton had 9 points each, although North scored only 2 points in the third quarter and 11 points in the second half. The Cougars are still young, with no seniors, but they have three returning starters and two 6-footers inside.
”The first thing is their athleticism,” Spreen said. “Kate Lehr (who scored 23 points against BNL last year) really jumps out, she is an athlete on both ends of the floor. You have to limit her opportunities. We have to make sure we find shooters, take the 3-point line away, and rebound. If we put those things together, we will be fine and put ourselves in a position to win.”
BNL has won 14 straight in the series. Last year at BNL, four Stars scored in double figures during a 57-42 victory. Tori Nikirk had 14 points while Makaya Jackson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
BNL at BLOOMINGTON NORTH
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 1-0; Bloomington North 0-1
Last meeting: Last season at BNL, the Stars prevailed 57-42 as four players scored in double figures. Tori Nikirk had 14 points while Makaya Jackson had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kate Lehr paced the Cougars with 23 points.
Previous game story: Weight lifted, wait over for Stars
Game notes: BNL has won 14 straight games in the series. North’s last win over the Stars came during the 2010-11 season. North coach Kiley Jarrett was a key member of North’s 2003 regional championship and later played at Ball State.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Sammie Nusbaum 5-10 Jr.
F – Miley Sherrill 5-9 Jr.
G – Trinidy Bailey 5-7 Sr.
G – Jordan Blann 5-2 Jr.
G – Paige Burton 5-3 Sr.
Bloomington North Cougars
F – Audrey Burton 6-0 Jr.
F – Ashley Stegemoller 6-0 Jr.
G – Kate Lehr 5-7 So.
G – Lulu Frank 5-6 So.
G – Rilynn Williams 5-8 Jr.
