BNL Cast as Underdog Against No. 9 New Albany in Seymour

Bedford North Lawrence heads to the Class 4A Sectional 15 semifinal at Seymour cast in the role of David against No.9 New Albany, with BNL's 6-16 record dwarfed by the Bulldogs' 19-5 mark and state-high scoring punch of 74.7 points per game. The matchup is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the preview framed the game as a David-vs-Goliath storyline that echoes Hoosiers: “And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it . . .”

New Albany steamrolled BNL on Feb. 20 at New Albany, a 95-61 result in which the Bulldogs "dominated the second half while cruising to a 95-61 victory." T.J. Washington led the rout with 26 points, Karson Stoudemire added 18 and freshman Stoudemire is listed as the team rebounding leader. BNL's top performer that night was Dax Short with 19 points, but the Stars were "guilty of 30 turnovers," a figure that underlines the gap New Albany has exploited in recent meetings.

The Bulldogs arrive with tournament momentum, riding a six-game winning streak (10 against Indiana competition) and opening sectional play with an 80-64 victory over Scottsburg on Tuesday night. New Albany's program history looms large: the Bulldogs "rank 11th in state history with 53 sectional titles" and are chasing their first sectional crown since 2018, a fact that adds institutional weight to their No.9 ranking and offensive output.

BNL's postseason drought and season-long struggles frame the underdog label; the Stars "have not won a sectional title since 2001" and enter the semifinal having dropped the last four meetings to New Albany in a series the Bulldogs lead 43-23. The preview preserved the blunt matchup summary: "Last meeting: On Feb. 20 at New Albany, the Bulldogs dominated the second half while cruising to a 95-61 victory. T.J. Washington had 26 points for New Albany. Dax Short had 19 points for BNL, which was guilty of 30 turnovers." The preview even includes the fragmentary line: "BNL entered the semifinal at 6-16, while New Alba"

Personnel notes emphasize New Albany balance beyond the Washingtons. Sophomore Noah Washington averages 20 points per game and had 21 in the first game against BNL, and one observer singled out Karson Stoudemire's work: "There are so many glue-guy, dirty-work type things he does so well," Ryan said. "Both the Washington kids get a lot of attention, but you have to give credit to Stoudemire."

Logistics for the semifinal are straightforward - Semifinals at Seymour, when: Friday, 7:30 p.m. The preview block also includes the terse observation that "Seymour is averaging only 44.8 points per game," a line presented without additional context in the matchup notes. With series history, recent box-score disparities, turnover vulnerability and New Albany's scoring rank all on the table, BNL will need to flip the script quickly if the Stars are to avoid a routine sectional exit.