By Justin Sokeland
WBIW.com
BEDFORD – From the greatest summit to the severe depths, from basketball’s Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, Bedford North Lawrence seniors Trinidy Bailey and Paige Burton have explored all the thrills and fears of the hoops world. The oxygen is scarce at the top, the pressure intense at the bottom.
They’ve been there, done that. State championship as freshmen, supreme struggles as juniors. For their final adventure, they’re climbing once again, guiding the Stars to the expected elevation, Sherpas on the mountain of success.
BNL will celebrate their four-year careers when the Stars (16-6) entertain Class A No.3 Borden (17-4) for the emotional farewell on Saturday afternoon. They have earned their traditional moment in the spotlight, for their resiliency to survive the breathtaking ascent and the dreadful descent, for their toughness to rise and compete, leading in their quiet ways. Every time the cliche of the name on the front of the jersey meaning more than the back is spoken, BNL’s duo can be used as evidence. Pride is their common denominator.
“All my life,” Burton said, “I’ve always wanted to be a Lady Star. It’s been a dream. I will always have these memories. It’s been amazing.”
Their journeys to this finale have been unique. Bailey is a second-generation Star, emerging from the shadow of elder sister Madisyn to forge her own identity. She’s soft-spoken like a church mouse, until that Bailey competitive fire is stoked. She loved having a sister as a role model, now she’s been charged to pass on what she has learned and absorbed.
“My sister is one of the hardest workers I know,” Bailey said. “When she wants something, she’s going to get it. I’ve tried my best to be a good role model. I loved playing with my sister, watching her before me. I’ve just had a lot of fun.”
First-year coach Chase Spreen demands so much from her. Defend the opponent’s best scorer. Handle the ball against pressure. Score in difficult moments. She’s met those requirements, averaging 11.3 points, 4.5 assists and 2.6 steals.
“I do my best,” she said. “I know he expects a lot out of me, so I don’t take it to heart when I get yelled at. I went to be remembered for work ethic, playing hard no matter what is happening around me. Being a Star means hard work, doing things to the best of your ability.”
“Resilient is a great way to describe both of them,” Spreen said. “They have faced adversity over the years, both individually and from a team standpoint, but this year they’ve both stepped up. They’re a huge reason we are where we are right now. They have a lot to be proud of.”
Burton counts her blessings. As a sophomore, she suffered a sprained right knee that defied description. The picture from the injury still gets discussed. In fact, she missed multiple games that year but avoided surgery, although she probably faces a procedure once this season concludes. Nothing was going to keep her away.
“I just keep pushing myself,” Burton said. “It’s my last year, I think about playing my heart out until I can’t any more. I just have to work my butt off. And I’m not satisfied in my work.“
Burton accepted a role not many would welcome. She can score when open, but her main responsibility has been defending interior players while giving up multiple inches. At 5-foot-3, she draws the “short” straw. It’s that willingness to sacrifice personal glory for team goals that makes her valuable.
”Both of those kids really represent what we’re all about, from a cultural standpoint,” Spreen said. “They’re always doing the right thing, you never have to worry about them. You wish every kid you get a chance to coach would understand what they represent. I knew exactly what we would get from them, especially in terms of their leadership. They have meant so much to us.
“It will be hard to replace all the intangible things, from their leadership, just being kids you can rely on in communication and being good representatives in the locker room.”
That was one of the preseason questions about these Stars. Who would be the voice?
“I knew Trinidy is a big leader, and Miley (Sherrill) is a big leader,” Burton said. “I didn’t expect to be a captain. But I knew, when I was an underclassman, I wanted to look up to the seniors. I try to put myself in their shoes.”
Now they will walk to midcourt with family, center stage during a short-but-sweet ceremony, for their shining moment.
“It’s been emotional,” Bailey said. “We’re just glad to be ending on a good year.”
There’s one huge problem in all this. Borden could spoil it all. The Braves have the talent and firepower to end BNL’s 15-game winning streak on Senior Day. After all, Borden is the defending Class A state champion, with an intact all-senior lineup returning for another possible title run.
The Braves feature Riley Rarick, a 6-foot guard who can score (19 against Eastern Pekin on Thursday night) and find teammates. She just set the school career record for assists. Borden also recently welcomed back Ava Wheeler, who missed significant time while recovering from an ACL knee injury. They also have capable scorer A.J. Mallard and inside force Emma Hart (the school’s career leader in rebounds).
”They’re really good,” Spreen said. “They have five seniors, all of them played significant roles, they’ve played a lot of good teams. We’re just another one of those. They present a lot of matchup issues. Rarick is really dangerous in transition, they have kids who make perimeter shots. And with Wheeler back, even if she’s only at 70 percent, she’s a kid you have to be ready for. We know how good they are.”
Borden won last year’s meeting 59-37 during the Donna Cheatham Classic in Scottsburg. Wheeler had 20 points and 7 rebounds, Mallard totaled 10 points, and the Braves converted 18 BNL turnovers into 24 points. Sherrill had 13 points for the Stars, who made only 12 of 45 shots.
BORDEN at BNL
When: Saturday, 1:30 p.m.
Records: Borden 17-4, ranked No.3 in Class A; BNL 16-6
Sagarin ratings: Borden 81.20; BNL 81.16
Last meeting: Last year in the Donna Cheatham Classic at Scottsburg, the Braves bounced the Stars 59-37. Ava Wheeler had 20 points for Borden, while Miley Sherrill totaled 13 points for BNL. The Braves scored 24 points off 18 turnovers by BNL.
Previous game story: Struggling Stars finish 8th at Scottsburg
Game notes: Borden is the defending Class A state champion. BNL has won 15 straight games on Senior Day.
Starting lineups
Bedford NL Stars
F – Sammie Nusbaum 5-10 Jr.
F – Miley Sherrill 5-9 Jr.
G – Trinindy Bailey 5-7 Sr.
G – Jordan Blann 5-2 Jr.
G – Paige Burton 5-3 Sr.
Borden Braves
F – Riley Rarick 6-0 Sr.
F – Ava Wheeler 5-11 Sr.
G – Emma Hart 5-10 Sr.
G – A.J. Mallard 5-5 Sr.
G – McKenna Mullen 5-6 Sr.
