By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
MITCHELL – Most victories are cause for celebration. Nothing feels better, thanks to a surplus of dopamine, the hormone that acts as a chemical messenger for pleasure, in the brain. The sensation dissipates quickly.
Other moments of triumph are overshadowed by the relief of not losing. That seems like a negative response to a positive outcome, but the pressure, like the weight of the ocean at its dark depths, is so immense that it crushes the joy. Bedford North Lawrence went through that entire spectrum of emotions with its latest win in the county rivalry.
Nobody in the BNL program wants to be associated with the loss that will ultimately end this streak. It has to happen eventually. And there was buzz surrounding this edition. The Stars were allegedly vulnerable. Mitchell had its shot to finally break the chains of domination. All that noise was just static. BNL continued its mastery of the series on Friday night.
With key contributions from new sources, BNL surged to a 57-50 win over the Bluejackets, extending the run to 40 straight wins over the southern neighbors. Dax Short paced a balanced BNL performance with 14 points as the Stars (4-7) pulled away in the second half and survived some late slippage after powering to a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.
The weight of the world was on Jackson Ryan’s shoulders. He’s been the coach of both programs, he understands the interwoven intensity of this unique rivalry. BNL’s streak is the sixth longest in the state right now. But it wasn’t the prospect of winning that had him wound a little too tight, it was the thought of possibly losing. His relief was immeasurable. That sensation will only get heavier as the series goes on.
And it should. The contract for the 52-year old series needs to be renewed. This game was a prime example of why it should continue, even while Mitchell still searches for the follow-up to 1986. It was competitive, even though BNL never trailed after giving up the first basket. It was electric, with a super-charged atmosphere that was old-school, from the pep band to the exchange of chanted insults from the student bodies. It would be a shame for that to end.
BNL’s heroes this time were not the usual suspects. Easton Moore, making his first career start, had 10 points. Ben Conner, adjusting to a reserve role, came off the bench for 9. They helped offset the super effort from Gavin Robinson, who paced Mitchell with 20 points.
“I love this rivalry,” Ryan said. “I’ve seen all aspects of it, and I want it to continue. It’s great for this county, it’s great for basketball in this county. I hope we can come together and still play it. School spirit, with the atmosphere, is something these kids will remember the rest of their lives.”
The Stars made it memorable with a 15-1 run in the second half. Hanging on at 34-31, BNL went to work as Parker Kern curled off a screen for a layup, Moore banked home a 4-footer, Kern dashed to a layup following Jace Nicholson’s steal, and Driven Axsom streaked to a layup to conclude the third quarter.
Then Conner flexed inside. After Dayson Kirby chased down an offensive rebound, Conner scored from close range, then worked the post for a layup. Kern capped the burst with another drive through the paint for a 49-32 lead.
That would be enough, although the Stars wasted some style points with late sloppiness. Robinson’s 3-point play and Garrett Floerke’s wing trey powered Mitchell within 53-46 with 90 seconds left, but Short converted four late free throws to clinch it.
Kern finished with 11 points, but the Moore-Conner combination cannot be overstated.
”Easton played a complete game,” Ryan said. “Give credit to Easton. We went to him at the beginning of the season, told him as a sophomore, we needed him to grow. One, for this year, but in the big picture, he’s a big piece of this program moving forward. He bought into that. Even as slowly as we brought him along, he’s not complained once.
“Ben just played so stinking hard. If the ball is in the air, he’s going to get it. He’s bringing the energy for us, and he made some big plays. He essentially refused to lose.”
“To come in here, to have games like these, with a big rival, where we show up and play as a team, it means a lot,” said Conner, now one of the 10 generations who have gone through this series unscathed. After starting the first eight games this year, he’s now a sixth man. “I’m all right with it, we’re getting the wins and having a good time.”
For the Bluejackets (5-9), Robinson was a one-gear, one-direction dynamo. He knows only forward. He had 12 first-half points as Mitchell battled within 30-27 at intermission.
“Gavin is an absolute monster,” Mitchell coach Clint Roesler said. “He’s creeping up on 1,000 points, so I’m proud of him and his effort. He was locked in all week. He was ready for this game. He put us on his back and tried to will us to the victory.”
Mitchell’s downfall was a five-point third quarter and 16 turnovers. Most of those miscues were offensive fouls (illegal screens were called more often than a true-crime tip line).
“We have to get set on our screens,” Roesler said. “That was a killer for us. It made us go to wacky lineups.
“I love the way we responded to the atmosphere, responded to the rivalry. No moment was too big for us, even when they got a little bit of a lead. I’m proud of our guys for that.”
BNL now leads the overall series 51-1. Ryan coached the Bluejackets to four of those losses during his tenure with the program.
“Unfortunately for me, I’ve been on both sides of this,” Ryan said. “Two years ago, I was here, I know the kids. It just means a little bit more. It means a ton for me, and Dad (Mark) had to talk me off the ledge a little bit. I think I was a little too fired up. I have to be steady and do a better job of that.”
BNL will shift back to Hoosier Hills Conference play on Saturday, visiting Jennings County. “I have faith in our team,” Conner said. “We’re coming together, we’re getting better as a group.”
Mitchell will host West Washington on Jan. 23.
BEDFORD NL STARS (57)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
24 Gibson Crane, f 0-0 2-4 2-2 6 4 6
10 Easton Moore, f 0-2 5-9 0-0 4 1 10
5 Dax Short, g 0-3 4-15 6-8 8 3 14
1 Parker Kern, g 0-2 5-11 1-1 1 5 11
11 Jace Nicholson, g 0-0 1-1 0-0 1 2 2
40 Ben Conner 0-0 3-4 3-4 4 1 9
12 Dayson Kirby 0-0 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
2 Driven Axsom 1-3 2-5 0-2 1 3 5
23 Jett Alvey 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 1-10 22-49 12-17 31 19 57
MITCHELL BLUEJACKETS (50)
3s FGs FTs R F Pts
22 Gavin Robinson, f 0-1 6-12 8-11 9 5 20
12 Kaden Mullis, f 0-0 2-4 3-3 1 2 7
24 Blake King, c 0-0 1-1 0-2 1 5 2
4 Gavin Martin, g 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
23 Caedon Goldsberry, g 2-7 2-7 0-0 0 0 6
21 Garrett Floerke 2-4 2-5 0-2 1 0 6
20 Parker Felton 0-0 1-4 0-0 3 5 2
11 Jayden Zepeda 0-2 3-6 1-2 3 1 7
Totals 4-14 17-39 12-20 25 18 50
Bedford NL 15 15 12 15 – 57
Mitchell 12 15 5 18 – 50
Turnovers – BNL 12, Mitchell 16
Technical foul – Crane
Field goal percentage – BNL 22-49 (.449); Mitchell 17-39 (.436)
Free throw percentage – BNL 12-17 (.706); Mitchell 12-20 (.600)
