By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Coaches love “gym rats.” That’s the common slang term, left over from the 1970s, for a dedicated player who spends free time practicing and hanging around the court. That’s what summer time used to identify, those willing to sacrifice their lackadaisical days for individual achievement. Hard to work on a tan in the gymnasium.
Gym mice, on the other hand, are unwelcome pests, rodents that scatter for cover when exposed. They prefer darkness to the bright lights, they nibble incessantly and leave a mess as evidence of their existence. They have found a comfortable summer vacation spot in BNL Fieldhouse. Hard to miss when one even dared to make an appearance on the court and check out what was disturbing his exploring.
What little Mickey, or Stuart Little, or Speedy Gonzalez and his friends (where there’s one, there’s always more) watched – free of charge – was Bedford North Lawrence’s finale to the important June workouts. The Stars concluded their month of practice sessions and scrimmages with a home test against South Knox, destined to be a state title contender in Class 2A when summer sweat turns into February winter heat.
The Spartans, two years removed from a 2A state championship, munched on the most cheese with a 73-55 victory over BNL on Wednesday evening. Even with two starters out while recovering from major injuries, South Knox showed why it will be among the elite when the 2027 state tournament begins. The Spartans know the answers to most questions about the looming campaign.
BNL, now four years past (is that possible?) its latest 4A state crown and on its way to the 3A level, still has things to figure out. Foremost, will the Stars be rats or mice? Spend the rest of the offseason camped on the court, or scurrying around out of sight? BNL coach Chase Spreen, coming off a 16-win debut and heading toward his second season, expects the 2026-27 squad to become the larger of the invasive species.
“The kids want to compete and do what it takes,” Spreen said. “They have some opportunities in front of them. If they want to play at a high level, you have to take the initiative to put in conditioning work. If they do that, we will have a chance to win a lot of games.”
South Knox exposed some BNL shortcomings. The obvious was turnovers. When the Spartans went on extended runs (15-2 to start the second quarter, 10-0 to begin the second half), BNL mistakes fueled those bursts. The other factor was fatigue. BNL’s core group played a lot of minutes.
“Fatigue set in, and that will be pressed on these kids,” Spreen said. “They need to get in better shape. They will play a lot of minutes. The kids competed against a really good team. It’s a good way to end the summer. We did a lot of good things, especially early in the game.“
At first, BNL had South Knox in a trap. The Stars blasted to a 17-5 lead as Jordan Blann banged home a trey and Elahdy Ray exploded for eight quick points with two bombs in transition and a driving layup. After that, the Spartans took control.
Kendal Hill, a serious contender for an Indiana All-Star spot, scored 25 points, Kallissa Lavely totaled 21, and Grace Detweiler added 16 for South Knox, which went 18-4 last year – and that wasn’t good enough.
“You can have a winning season and still feel like we lost. Isn’t that crazy?” said South Knox coach Hollie Anson-Eaves, who has gone 195-114 in 12 seasons. Welcome to BNL’s high-expectation world. “I always expect to win, and the girls do, too. They love to win, and it’s gone through our whole program. It’s a lot of fun.”
While South Knox awaits the return of veterans Ellie Burke (foot surgery) and Layla Thomas (knee surgery) to be full strength, the Spartans had plenty of firepower against the Stars. “Summer is putting pieces together, having other kids step up,” Anson-Eaves said. “It makes some kids stand up.”
Miley Sherrill paced BNL with 15 points while Ray and Blann totaled 11 each. The Stars, who trekked to Triton Central, Indianapolis and Bloomington during their scripted summer, now have four months to prepare for the start of the regular season.
”The summer is for getting better and spending time on individual skills,” Spreen said. “Execution will be a big thing, with the group we have and the talent we have. That will be the most important thing, doing it with a sense of urgency.”
What will the nesting Fieldhouse mice find in November? To paraphrase the famous John Steinbeck novel, will the Stars be the sharp-witted George or the challenged Lennie? Of mice and young women, it will be an interesting story.
SOUTH KNOX 73, BNL 55
South Knox – Kendal Hill 25, Grace Detweiler 16, Kallissa Lavely 21, Brenley Millspaugh 8, Zoe Gilmore 3
BNL – Miley Sherrill 15, Sammie Nusbaum 9, Elahdy Ray 11, Audrey Hoffman 5, Jordan Blann 11, Annie Watson 4
