By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – In order to cut a college-size team down to its level, Bedford North Lawrence will attempt to slow down the tempo as the Stars prepare for their home opener.
BNL will welcome Brownsburg to BNL Fieldhouse for the first time on Saturday, with an early start time that will allow the Bulldogs to get back in time for the Class 6A football state championship. Brownsburg (0-1) features a lineup with 6-9 and 6-6 towers in the front. In fact, four of the five starters are taller than BNL’s pinnacle point.
That means BNL, which gave up 71 points in the season debut at Bloomington North and got pushed around on the boards in the process, will have a tall task.
“Rebounding comes down to pride,” BNL coach Jackson Ryan said. “We’re not gifted enough to just be able to go get them, we have to be physical, get a butt into somebody, then go get the rebound. If one guy doesn’t do their job, we’re not getting the rebound. We preach team defense, team rebounding. To give ourselves a chance against a bigger team, we have to do that.”
The Stars will also attempt to temper the tempo. After a quick start, rolling to a 13-13 deadlock late in the first quarter, at North, BNL had significant scoring slumps as the Cougars played at their pace and clawed away to a comfortable margin.
”For us to be successful, we need to play games halfcourt, in the mid-40s or low 50s, really grind out possessions on both ends of the floor,” Ryan said. “That first quarter, we got some decent looks and hit them, got going back and forth and felt good about ourselves. But it was almost like some fool’s gold. We continued to play that style when the ball wasn’t going in. That was a recipe for disaster.”
Parker Kern paced the Stars with 17 points, Easton Moore came off the bench for 12, and Dax Short added 10 against the Cougars.
The Bulldogs also dropped their opener, suffering a 68-61 overtime loss to North Central. Brownsburg returns only two players with varsity experience.
“We have a lot of new faces,” Brownsburg coach Steve Lynch said. “BNL lost a lot as well, so it will be a game of new guys establishing roles and feeling their way through games. It will be a good experience for our guys.”
Chris Brandon, a 6-9 senior, and senior guard Brandon Addison are the lone returning veterans. Addison had 11 points against the Stars last season, a 45-41 BNL win in overtime during the Sneakers for Santa Showcase. Brownsburg’s testy halfcourt trapping forced the Stars into 23 turnovers, but the Bulldogs converted only 14 of 54 shots. Michael Addison had 17 points for Brownsburg, while Quincy Pickett totaled 14 points for the Stars.
”They have great length, great size, great athleticism,” Ryan said. “Hopefully we can show some signs of growth and take a step in the right direction. Limiting extra possessions, whether it’s rebounds or turnovers, we can’t shoot ourselves in the foot. Scrambling in transition is not our strong suit. We can’t put pressure on ourselves by giving them extra possessions.”
BROWNSBURG at BNL
When: Saturday, Noon
Records: Brownsburg 0-1; BNL 0-1
Series: BNL leads 1-0
Last meeting: Last year at Brownsburg in the Sneakers for Santa Showcase, the Stars won the series opener 45-41 in overtime. Quincy Pickett had 14 points and Patric Matson added 12 for BNL. Michael Addison had 17 points for the Bulldogs.
Previous game story: BNL battles through Showcase test
Game notes: Brownsburg hopes to avoid an 0-2 start for the first time since the 2015-16 season. BNL has won only one of its last nine home openers. BNL gave up the most points in an opening game in program history during the 71-50 loss at Bloomington North.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Ben Conner 6-3 Sr.
F – Gibson Crane 6-3 Sr.
G – Dax Short 6-1 Sr.
G – Parker Kern 6-1 Jr.
G – Jace Nicholson 6-0 Jr.
Brownsburg Bulldogs
F – Christian Woodward 6-6 Sr.
C – Chris Brandon 6-9 Sr.
G – Billo Diallo 6-5 So.
G – Brandon Addison 6-1 Sr.
G – Brandon Day 6-4 Jr.
