This Bloomington North boys basketball team is happy to put the past behind them.
The big smile on Derrick Cross' face gives it away when asked the difference a year makes. Morale was tough to come by when coming to games and practices meant finding out who was not going to be available that day as injuries and illness ran rampant. The Cougars never found out what they could be.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThis team, this year, the esprit de corps winds its way from its four returning starters on down to the freshman ninth man, who looked like he was playing his 10th game, not his first. Their collective effort on both ends buried Bedford North Lawrence 71-50 in the season opener at the Cougar Den on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025.
"I'm super impressed with everybody," Cross said. "I think that we all just want to be here, we want to play. It's a lot different than the past few teams when it was low energy. Now, everybody here, they know their role, they want to play. It's an exciting environment to be around."
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNorth was uber active on both ends, forcing turnovers and tough shots on defense and shooting 46% and piling up assists on a majority of its 26 makes on the other. It's a product of the chemistry this group has finally been able to build.
North's Derrick Cross Jr. (13) shoots during the Bloomington North versus Bloomington South boys IHSAA sectional basketball game at Bloomington High School South on Tuesday, March 4, 2025."It's been so good, Cross said. "The feeling is, it almost makes me want to cry because my freshman and sophomore year, it was just everybody in and out, so many different starting lineups.
"And now, we're all just here and ready to work and it's just so fun. I'm so excited for this group."
That's just what head coach Jason Speer is looking for out of his kids as they move on from last year's frustrations.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"We need to play inspired," he said. "Sometimes, with all the basketball kids play, that sometimes you'd think that would be a given. But we talk about that a lot. Can we lead the league in high-fives, for example? Can we have pure joy when we're helping our teammate on defense? Or making an assist? That's the kind of mature basketball that we're looking for this season."
Cross led the way with 23 points and six rebounds, while Levi Lindeman had an efficient 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting and Tevin Bridgwaters had 10 points and six boards. Nate Walker had eight points and freshman Tal Shoulberg had seven.
"We've got to have guys that are going to come in and contribute," Speer said. "It's something that we've needed to have the last couple seasons with the injuries we've had. But to be able to play nine comfortably, it makes us a better basketball team."
It was December 21 before win No. 1 came last year, so this was a welcome start.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I thought we moved the ball well," Speer said. "And to get the ball to our scorers with JR and Levi. Defensively, I didn't really see us give up many straight-line drives. We made them work to take the ball off the bounce against us.
"We didn't help the helper as well as I probably would have liked, but we battled and it's a very good, scrappy team."
North's Levi Lindeman (15) looks to shoot past South's Vincent Mountardier (34) during the Bloomington North versus Bloomington South boys IHSAA sectional basketball game at Bloomington High School South on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.Big runs turn tide for North
The game was tied 13-13 with 2:30 left in the first quarter when the Cougars made their first move, ending the quarter on a 10-0 run bookended by 3s from Cross and Alex Miller and powered by a strong run on the offensive glass.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA couple more 3s and a nice feed from Nate Walker to Tevin Bridgwaters, who had 10 points and six rebounds in his first varsity start, built a 34-20 lead midway through the second. BNL was held to just six points in the last 4:50 to go into half down 42-26.
Another 3 by Cross to open the second half sent North on an 11-0 run that put the game away as the Cougars went up 57-34 after three. It's a tough way for a rebuilding group with a new coach to get the season started.
"We want championships here," BNL coach Jackson Ryan said. "We want to build perennial contenders. This is a big test. Our sectional, New Albany, Jeff, this size, the athleticism, we have to win possession by possession games like this.
"I thought North in the second half did a good job spreading us and just taking what we gave them defensively. We have to get to that point. Unfortunately, today, we weren't quite there. But good for us to see."
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North's defense forced BNL into 18-of-43 shooting with a lot of tough attempts and 13 turnovers.
"We definitely have some stuff we can work on," Cross said. "But overall, I thought we played with a bunch of energy and we had pride and we want out and we did what we've been doing in practice."
Dax Short drives to the bucket during BNL boys basketball practice Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025.Learning experience for BNL
The Stars battled foul trouble much of the night, especially with their two big men, but they did put together a good bit of play in the second half, outscoring North 18-13 in one eight-minute stretch.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"That group that played at the end of the third and into the fourth quarter, really impressed," Ryan said. "No. 1 defensively, they competed. We were outsized, outmatches, but they're at least go through a brick wall for you. I appreciated their effort.
"Offensive, they took what the defense gave them. The ball moved and we had opportunities. I need everyone to buy into that."
Parker Kern led BNL with 18 points, while Easton Moore had 12 off the bench and Dax Short had 10. Up next, it gets no easier with games vs. Brownsburg and Bloomington South.
"Our margin for error is very slim," Ryan said. "We knew coming in if this is in the 50s to 60s, then it's going to be tough for us to win. ... They did a great job of speeding us up and taking some tough shots. When those are going in, that's great, but obviously we don't have the depth to do that. It has to be a possession-by-possession game for us to compete."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBLOOMINGTON NORTH 71, BEDFORD NORTH LAWRENCE 50
Bedford North Lawrence (50): Conner f 3-6 0-0 6, Crane c 0-0 1-2 1, Kern g 5-9 6-8 17, Short g 4-11 0-0 10, Nicholson 1-5 1-2 4, Axson 0-0 0-0 0, Kirby 0-4 0-0 0, Moore 5-8 0-0 12, Alvey 0-0 0-0 0, Perrons 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-43 8-12 50.
Bloomington North (71): Lindeman f 6-8 3-4 18, Bridgwaters f 4-7 2-4 10, Cross g 7-17 5-9 23, Walker g 4-10 0-1 8, Speer g 0-2 0-0 0, Miller 2-5 0-0 5, Washington 0-1 0-0 0, Bargen 0-1 0-0 0, Shoulberg 3-6 0-0 7, English 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-57 10-18 71.
Bedford North Lawrence (0-1) 13 | 13 | 8 | 16 — 50
Bloomington North (1-0) 23 | 19 | 15 | 14 — 71
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement3-point goals: Bedford North Lawrence 6-17 (Short 2-4, Moore 2-5, Kern 1-2, Nicholson 1-4, Kirby 0-2), Bloomington North 9-23 (Cross 4-8, Lindeman 3-5, Miller 1-4, Shoulberg 1-4, Walker 0-2). Rebounds: Bedford North Lawrence 22 (Conner 5), Bloomington North 35 (Bridgwaters, Cross 6). Turnovers: Bedford North Lawrence 13, Bloomington North 8. Team fouls: Bedford North Lawrence 20, Bloomington North 15. JV: Bloomington North 51-27.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Bloomington North vs Bedford North Lawrence boys basketball opener
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