By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – For the first home game of the new year, Bedford North Lawrence will welcome a brand new opponent.
Trinity Lutheran will make its series debut in BNL Fieldhouse, seeking the second victory over a Class 4A foe in program history, on Tuesday night. The Cougars, strengthening their regular-season schedule while preparing for a projected Class A tournament run, will not be intimidated by history and banners. Those don’t win games. Talent does, and they have plenty in a junior-heavy lineup.
The Stars (2-6) will be in offensive tinkering mode. They could use a quick fix, struggling to reach 35 points in three of the last four games, as the Cougars (5-5) have two proven scorers and the ability to produce.
Lutheran will feature junior guard Hudson Lang (21.7 points, 3.0 assists) and junior wing Reed Mellencamp (15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds) as the catalysts for an attack that has hit the 60-plus mark six times.
“I’ve been impressed with what I’ve seen,” BNL coach Jackson Ryan said. “It starts with containing them off the drive. Lang is a very physical driver, he does a phenomenal job of finishing in the paint. Mellencamp is steady, very smooth and consistent. He takes what the defense gives him.
“It’s an awesome opportunity for us to see somebody new, somebody fresh. They’re a program that’s up and coming, they’ve bumped up their schedule this season, and they have a great reason. They have some talent, so they’re trying to take the next step.”
The Cougars have won back-to-back games for momentum, and they had the lead in the second half in all five of their losses. They are looking for a signature win to start the second half of the season.
”We are just figuring out how to play together again,” Lutheran coach Mike Lang, a former assistant at Seymour, said. “Hudson and Reed missed the bulk of the season last year with injuries. So getting them back in the lineup has been huge. They are the leaders of our team and we look to them to do a lot of everything.“
BNL is coming off consecutive setbacks in the closing rounds of the Baird Classic at Southridge. Both of those losses (Southridge and Orleans) were married by shooting woes. Senior guard Dax Short (13.5) is now the lone scorer averaging in double figures, and the Stars are shooting only 39.8 percent as a team. They will look to create more firepower with Parker Kern (8.8) and Easton Moore (6.6).
“The thing we will have to overcome will be their strength,” Lang said. “We will have to execute and knock some shots down. We have to have toughness on the defensive end. We want our defense to create offense, we want to stay in attack mode. It’s just a matter of figuring out how to close things out.”
TRINITY LUTHERAN at BNL
When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
Records: Trinity Lutheran 5-5; BNL 2-6
Sagarin ratings: Trinity Lutheran 64.24; BNL 67.53
Series: This is the first meeting between the programs.
Game notes: Trinity Lutheran started competing in the IHSAA postseason in 2006. The Cougars have won four Class A sectional titles since then, the last in 2024. Trinity’s only win over a 4A opponent came against Franklin in 2020.
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 6-1 Jr.
Trinity Lutheran Cougars
F – Reed Mellencamp 6-3 Jr.
F – Bode Brooks 6-3 Jr.
G – Hudson Lang 6-1 Jr.
G – Braxton Sinclair 6-1 Jr.
G – Isaac Darlage 5-9 Jr.
