By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it . . .”
That verse from I Samuel, quoted so eloquently by Preacher Purl during the pregame sermon prior to the final in Hoosiers, certainly applies as Bedford North Lawrence prepares for its Class 4A Sectional 15 semifinal. The Stars, definitely the universal underdogs, will battle one of the state giants when they meet No.9 New Albany on Friday night.
BNL (6-16) will seek to reverse a lopsided loss when it faces the powerful Bulldogs (19-5) in the second semifinal on Friday night at Seymour. In the first semifinal, Jeffersonville (10-12) will continue its sectional, and state championship, defense with a rematch against Seymour (10-11). The winners will collide in the final on Saturday night, with the champion advancing to a one-game regional (on March 14) against the survivor from the sectional at Evansville North.
The David-and-Goliath storyline is as old as the Testament, but certainly applicable. New Albany dominated the regular-season contest by a 95-61 count, even though the Stars were competitive in the first half. Turning that around would be a stunning upset. If this is BNL’s final 4A postseason, following the IHSAA release of enrollment figures for the next two seasons, what better way to go out than with a big bang. In theory, it’s possible, and the one-and-done aspect of March is unforgiving.
”We have nothing to lose,” BNL coach Jackson Ryan said. That’s true, all the pressure of expectations will rest on New Albany. ”Our rallying cry this week, between the injuries, the flu and the 41st toughest schedule in the state, I don’t think there’s a group that has faced more adversity. So in a David-and-Goliath situation like this, let’s lean into that. We’ve been in tough spots before and continued to fight.”
The first clash was two distinct halves. In the first, BNL converted 12 of 17 shots, owned an early lead and controlled the pace before turnovers fueled New Albany’s comeback. The Bulldogs forced 19 in the first two periods while pulling out to a 41-32 lead, then crushed BNL in the second half. The Stars finished with 30 turnovers.
“Turnovers is the name of the game for us,” Ryan said. “It’s a simple game, isn’t it? And we were fearless. We didn’t have anything to lose, we just played. That’s something we hope to start with and have throughout the course of the game.
”In spurts, with the first half at New Albany, Brownstown and Jasper, it’s been there. Can we do it for 32 minutes to give ourselves a chance?”
Those three recent games, against quality opponents, had a common factor. BNL shot extremely well (11 of 19 at Brownstown, 11 of 17 at Jasper). The Stars have to find a way to stay hot, rather than reverting to form (42 percent for the season). They have to get scoring from Dax Short (14.8, including 19 against the Bulldogs) and others more consistently, rather than fall back to their season average (48.6). If New Albany, which ranks fourth in the state in scoring at 74.7, forces the action, it does not bode well for a seismic upset.
“In a perfect world, in the games we’ve won, it’s been in the upper 40s or low 50s, possession by possession,” Ryan said. “Hopefully we can get the same efficiency, we can put all the pieces together.”
The Bulldogs have plenty of potent pieces. Sophomore star Noah Washington averages 20 points per game, and he had 21 in the first game against BNL. Senior guard T.J. Washington erupted for 26 points that night, while impressive freshman Karson Stoudemire added 18. Stoudemire has been the team rebounding leader, playing well above his age and experience.
”There are so many glue-guy, dirty-work type things he does so well,” Ryan said. “Both the Washington kids get a lot of attention, but you have to give credit to Stoudemire.”
New Albany, riding a six-game winning streak (10 against Indiana competition) for tournament momentum, started its sectional chase with an 80-64 victory over Scottsburg on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings with the Stars.
”Our team preparation has been good, and hopefully we got some nerves out,” New Albany coach Jason Jones said. “BNL really executed their offense well and hit shots (the first time), and we have to do a better job of defending them.”
BNL, seeking its first sectional title since 2001, has not won a postseason game since 2021.
Jeffersonville at Seymour: The Red Devils won the regular-season clash with a late surge, scoring the final 13 points during a 62-53 triumph at Seymour on Dec. 12. Jacob Wilkerson paced that win with 21 points.
Jeffersonville advanced to the semifinal with a 72-54 win over Floyd Central, with Aidan Toler scoring 20 points for the Devils, in the sectional opener. The Devils have now won seven straight sectional games, while the Owls have not won a postseason game since 2018 and have not reached a sectional final since 2005.
“We’re the defending champs, and we’ve had some hurdles to find our identity,” Jeffersonville coach Sherron Wilkerson said. “We’ve learned a tough lesson. In the state of Indiana, it’s tougher when you have to carry the load. We’ve started to play better basketball. We’ve grown in the right direction at the right time.
”Every time we step on the floor, we get the other team’s best shot. That’s been a huge learning curve.”
Seymour is averaging only 44.8 points per game.
CLASS 4A SECTIONAL 15
Semifinals at Seymour
BNL vs. NEW ALBANY
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: BNL 6-16; New Albany 19-5 (ranked No.9)
Series: New Albany leads 43-23
Last meeting: On Feb. 20 at New Albany, the Bulldogs dominated the second half while cruising to a 95-61 victory. T.J. Washington had 26 points for New Albany. Dax Short had 19 points for BNL, which was guilty of 30 turnovers.
Previous game story: New Albany polishes the crown
Game notes: New Albany is chasing its first sectional title since 2018. BNL has not won a sectional title since 2001. New Albany ranks fourth in the state in scoring at 74.7 points per game. New Albany ranks 11th in state history with 53 sectional titles.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Gibson Crane 6-3 Sr.
F – Easton Moore 6-2 So.
G – Dax Short 6-1 Sr.
G – Parker Kern 6-1 Jr.
G – Driven Axsom 5-8 Sr.
New Albany Bulldogs
F – Noah Washington 6-5 So.
F – Karson Stoudemire 6-3 Fr.
G – T.J. Washington 5-9 Sr.
G – Reese McKee 6-0 Jr.
G – Seth Winslow 6-3 Jr.
SEYMOUR vs. JEFFERSONVILLE
When: Friday, 6 p.m.
Records: Seymour 10-11; Jeffersonville 10-12
Sagarin ratings: Seymour 74.88; Jeffersonville 79.39
Last meeting: On Dec. 12 at Seymour, the Red Devils prevailed 62-53. Jacob Wilkerson paced Jeffersonville, which ended the game on a 13-0 run, with 21 points.
Game notes: Jeffersonville is the defending sectional and state champion. Seymour won its last sectional title in 1992.
Starting lineups
Seymour Owls
F – Gage Hillian 6-2 Jr.
F – Lakoda Leavy 6-4 Jr.
G – Evan Unterseher 6-2 Sr.
G – Carter Stein 5-10 Jr.
G – Nate Fritsch 6-1 Sr.
Jeffersonville Red Devils
F – Jacob Wilkerson 6-3 Jr.
F – Caleb Jones 6-2 Jr.
G – Elijah Cheek 6-0 Sr.
G – Terrence Nord 6-1 Sr.
G – Aidan Toler 5-11 So.
