By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – Like pilots approaching the mission target, opening the bay doors to release the weapons, Bedford North Lawrence dropped its payload on a bombing run during its first public workout. And there was some shock and awe in the attack.
Hurling 3-point bombs at a high-flying pace, the Stars started the preseason scrimmages with an explosive display, showing off long-range skills during the annual intrasquad workout on Thursday night. BNL went ballistic with 19 treys during the 30 minutes of fast-paced action. Will that be an omen of the future, when the games starts to count? If so, they’ll be counting by multiples of three.
Playing three quarters with the roster equally divided, the White rolled to a 57-38 triumph as Sammie Nusbuam, the lead bombardier, scored 20 points while drilling six from distance. In the final six-minute session, the varsity posted a 12-0 win over the freshman-heavy second unit.
The Stars were not shy about launching. All the proponents of a shot clock (heaven forbid) for the high-school level would have been proud of BNL’s catch-and-shoot mentality. That will likely change when the opponents start scouting and preparing, when the outcomes matter. But it was certainly entertaining.
“We have several kids who can really shoot the basketball,” BNL coach Chase Spreen said. “We got them up pretty quick and we got some to go in. They probably fell in love with it a little too much. I want these kids to have confidence, step up and shoot, but when we get in game situations those kids understand what we need, how we’re supposed to execute.”
The White unit made the most of the freelancing. They closed the second quarter with 24-2 burst, with Nusbuam igniting the blast with a wing trey, with Elahdy Ray driving to a three-point play, with Audrey Hoffman scoring twice from close range, and with Ray banking home a half-court missile at the buzzer for a 43-17 advantage.
Miley Sherrill did her best work in the third period, scoring the first seven points and totaling 13 in that frame. She finished with 17 points, plus she added five more during the closing varsity period. That’s no surprise, since Nusbuam and Sherrill are the top returning scorers from last year’s 16-win team.
“They both have improved from last year, what their strengths are,” Spreen said. “Sammie is moving better, finding opportunities to get to the basket, and Miley will see the ball go in from the perimeter even more. It’s just recognizing whether it’s an attack or an open look, what the right decision is.
”Everybody had their moments. We did settle a lot, but we just told them to play with effort, execute as best we could. Nobody knows you like you do, so it’s hard to execute all the stuff we run.”
Ray totaled 15 points, Hoffmann added eight, and Caroline Sheldon had eight. The roles for the 2026-27 team have already started to materialize.
“I was really happy with Audrey and Annie (Watson),” Spreen said. “We need them to come in and rebound, execute and guard, all the intangible things. I was also happy with Caroline and Elahdy. We will rely on them.“
BNL’s next step is the IHSAA sanctioned scrimmage with Columbus North on Tuesday. That will be followed by the season opener just two days later.
“We’re not putting a lot of emphasis on the scrimmage, we’re just focused on us,” Spreen said. “It’s not ideal that it’s 48 hours before our first game. So we’re just trying to get ready for the first game. It is a chance to play against a good opponent, try to run our stuff, to see where we are defensively, have confidence in things.”
The Stars will open the regular season against Sullivan on Nov. 5.
BNL SCRIMMAGE
White 57, Red 38
White – Audrey Hoffman 8, Sammie Nusbaum 20, Elin Holt 6, Caroline Sheldon 8, Elahdy Ray 15
Red – Miley Sherrill 17, Annie Watson 2, Tinsley Smith 8, Jordynn Blann 6, Prezley Thurler 5
Varsity 12, Junior Varsity 0
Varsity – Miley Sherrill 5, Sammie Nusbaum 3, Annie Watson 2, Elahdy Ray 2
