By RICHIE HALL
The last team standing between the Fishers girls basketball team and a state championship is one of the most decorated programs in IHSAA history.
The No. 3-ranked Tigers will play No. 7 Bedford North Lawrence Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the Class 4A state title. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. This will be the first time in school history – old Fishers and new Fishers – that the Tigers will play for a basketball state championship.
Storied Tradition
While it will be Fishers’ first time in the state finals, the BNL Stars are making their seventh appearance at state. Bedford North Lawrence has made it to the last weekend of the tournament seven times – four times during the one-class event (1983, 1990, 1991 and 1992), and three times in Class 4A (2013, 2014 and now, 2023).
The Stars have won four state titles, triumphing in 1983 and 1991 at Market Square Arena, then winning consecutive titles at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute in 2013-14. BNL began its trip to state this year by winning its 12th consecutive sectional and its 32nd overall, placing the Stars second on the all-time sectional title list. Only Rushville has more with 34; the Lions added to their total this season by winning their own sectional during the first week of February.
Bedford North Lawrence (26-3) easily won its sectional, beating Jennings County 51-38, Jeffersonville 65-50 and Silver Creek 62-25. The Stars then hosted the regional and cruised to that championship, 67-48 over Evansville Central. That was Bedford’s 14th regional title; the Stars share the record with Ben Davis, which also won its 14th championship with a victory at the Decatur Central regional.
BNL then traveled to Southport for the semi-state, and beat No. 9 Center Grove 50-43 in the first game and Lawrence North 47-40 in the championship, giving the Stars their seventh semi-state title.
Bedford has three seniors in its starting lineup, but the top scorer is a junior. Chloe Spreen is averaging 19.0 points per game. Senior Karsyn Norman is next at 16.0 points, while senior Mallory Pride contributes 10.8 points, and is also the Stars’ leading rebounder at 6.9 per contest. Spreen collected 5.4 rebounds per game. Norman is on top of the assist list with 4.2. Senior Emma Brown and junior Madisyn Bailey round out the starting lineup.
“Bedford North Lawrence has two very talented players in Spreen and Norman,” said Tigers coach Lauren Votaw. “They can hurt you inside and out. But, they have other players to go along with them. Pride is an efficient inside presence and Bailey and Brown provide good depth at the guard position, too. We are going to have to be very good defensively and value each possession offensively.”
Several Firsts
Fishers earned an opportunity to play for the big trophy by achieving several firsts over the past couple of weeks. After getting out of what is easily the toughest sectional in Indiana, the Tigers triumphed at the Marion regional by beating Homestead 61-31, giving the school its first-ever regional basketball championship.
At the Huntington North semi-state, Fishers held off No. 10 Fort Wayne Snider 67-66 in the first game, then used spectacular defense to beat Lake Central 41-24 in the championship game. The Tigers thus won their first-ever semi-state, and added to its school record for season wins.
Fishers is now 26-2 for the season. The Tigers won their first six games before dropping back-to-back contests to Zionsville 51-49 and Snider 74-63. Those losses came in late November, and since then Fishers has won 20 consecutive contests. That included three wins at the Noblesville sectional: Carmel 63-43, No. 2 Noblesville 67-64 in double overtime and No. 4 Hamilton Southeastern 58-44.
“This group has had the goal of playing in the state championship since the loss in the sectional last year,” said Votaw. “They knew that would earn us a lot of firsts. While our success this year has been greater than in the past, the way we are doing things hasn’t changed. This group has been consistently building our program to an elite level in the way we work and the way we love each other. They have poured into our youth players and established a culture where our young players positively interact with our high school players. It is nice to now have the tournament success as a by-product of that work.”
Fishers’ Alycia Triplett averages 5.2 rebounds per game for the Tigers. (Kent Graham)
The Tigers are led by the Smith twins, seniors Hailey and Olivia, who are committed to Ball State University. Hailey Smith leads Fishers in all three major categories, with the most points (12.0), rebounds (6.9) and assists (2.6) per game.
Olivia Smith adds 10.9 points per game. Another senior Alycia Triplett, is next in for rebounds with 5.2 per contest. Two juniors complete the starting lineup: Talia Harris with 9.3 points and 4.2 rebounds, then Joirdyn Smith with 7.2 points per game.
“This group is just so special,” said Votaw. “The chemistry that they have established is unique and that has made this week so much more fun. Our parents and school are celebrating us very well and we are trying to soak in every moment.”