The girls basketball team (25-1) heads to No. 9 and defending 4A state champion Bedford Saturday afternoon, looking for their second regional championship in a row. This time, they have a chance for redemption against Bedford North Lawrence (20-4), who sent the Trojans home in semi-state last season.
The team is heading into this game as the favorite. Ranked No. 2 in the state, with just one loss on the season, they are the favorites; however, it will be a challenge playing the Stars on their home court in Bedford.
“Obviously the locker room is frustrated that BNL has hosted the last two regionals, but that only makes us hungry for the win,” Wirts said. “It is a hard gym to play at as an opposing team, especially in Regionals because (Bedford) is a basketball town.”
The team is led in scoring by Audrey Annee who averages 14 points per game, followed by Rachel Wirts (13 ppg), and Ava Grant (11 ppg). The Trojans will need all the scoring they can get against the Stars, who average 54 ppg as a team. Wirts says that composure and blocking out the noise that comes with these types of games will be a key to the team’s success.
“They are super aggressive on defense and talented on offense so we will have to stay true to our principles and stay composed on offense,” Wirts said. “We’ll also have to block out any outside noise and protect the foxhole.”
The Trojans score an impressive 61 points per game as a ball club and have put up over 61 points in 13 games, including five games where they eclipsed the 70 point mark. Scoring so many points has obviously been an important factor in their season and says that nothing projects to change in Bedford on Saturday.
“Scoring and running our offense is a big key against Bedford because they are good at defense and will guard us better than other teams have,” senior Aubree Booker said. “We just have to continue to move the ball and take the open shot.”
Bedford is led in scoring by Alabama commit Chloe Spreen, who puts up 21 points per game and also pulls down a team-high 7 boards a game, followed by Madisyn Bailey (11 ppg) and Miley Sherrill (9 ppg).
Bedford is used to being here: they boast five state championships, nine Final Four appearances, seven semi-state titles (fourth best in the state), 14 regional crowns (the most in state history) and 32 sectional championships (No.2 behind Rushville’s 33). Bill Ryan, the coach of the Stars, also reached his 400th win milestone this season, though this won’t intimidate the Trojans.
“We can’t let stats or rankings fog our mind,” Wirts said. “Our offense will come to us if each individual person does their job to the best of their ability and we are opportunistic as a whole.”
