Indiana girls basketball in good hands as Juniors ‘had something to prove’ vs. Seniors

KOKOMO — When Laila Abdurraqib hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to end the first half of the Indiana All-Stars Juniors vs. Seniors game, she was mobbed by her teammates as if the group of 12 had been playing together for an entire season.

Some could say it even looked similar to Abdurraqib’s 2024 state championship Lawrence Central squad. But this was only the Junior All-Stars’ second time playing in an official game together.

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“It was a blast; it felt like a high-level AAU game,” Abdurraqib said.

After the first 10 minutes of play, the seniors were ahead of the juniors 27-6. Led by 2024 Indiana Miss Basketball and Alabama commit Chloe Spreen of Bedford North Lawrence, it looked like the “super team” was going to run all over its younger counterparts.

And yet, once Abdurraqib hit that electric 3-pointer 10 minutes later, the juniors only trailed by six points.

“We came in and we had something to prove,” said Maya Makalusky of Hamilton Southeastern.

Makalusky, an IU commit who averaged 26.1 points per game as a junior, said she and the entire junior team felt confident after the first quarter despite trailing by 21.

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“We knew it was gonna be a tough game,” Makalusky said. ” … We were excited because we knew that wasn’t all we had. We trusted the girls and the weapons we had on our team.”

By the time the third quarter had ended, the juniors had momentarily tied the score and cut the lead to just four points once the buzzer sounded.

“We hit our second gear,” Makalusky said. “It’s a hot gym, everybody’s sweaty, everybody’s tired, so who’s gonna fight harder to win? I think all of us had that; it’s a great class and it’s fun to be a part of.”

With 4:02 left to play, the juniors finally took their first lead. For the brief time remaining in Kokomo’s Memorial Gymnasium, the two sides traded leads until the final seconds.

It came down to a senior possession, controlled by Spreen. Jaylah Lampley, a Lawrence Central junior who was named the 2024 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, picked up Spreen on defense in the post. At first, Lampley said she considered trying to draw a charge. But she stuck to her defensive assignment, forcing a missed layup, grabbing the rebound herself and instantly calling a timeout.

Makalusky was fouled out of the timeout, hit a free throw and the juniors grabbed the lead, secured further with two more free throws before time expired.

“We kept saying over and over, ‘We’re trying to beat them. We’re trying to make a statement,’” Lampley said. “Just because we’re younger than them, that doesn’t mean we’re gonna let them bully us and let them beat us.”

LC teammates Lampley and Abdurraqib have been together for a plethora of statement wins over the course of the past year, but their bond goes much further back. Abdurraqib said she and Lampley have been playing basketball together since second grade, and being side-by-side for all of their on- and off-the-court accomplishments has been something Abdurraqib doesn’t take for granted.

As for Lampley, she said her on-court approach and relationship with her teammates started in her hometown. She learned from her parents turning defense into offense is what wins championships, made evident through her junior year averages of 18.9 points and 2.1 steals per game.

On Wednesday, Lampley finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.

“We know what it takes to win a state championship; everybody has to be determined, even the bench,” Lampley said. “Everybody has to contribute in some type of way, and I felt like we did a great job of doing that tonight.”

Abdurraqib did come off the bench, dropping five points in her effort. While Abdurraqib started most games for LC, she didn’t approach a supporting role in the All-Stars game with any animosity. She even said it is indicative of the talent the class of 2025 has in girls basketball.

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“We’re really skilled, and that’s really a blessing because a lot of states don’t have this much skill in their programs,” Abdurraqib said. “Shooting, attacking, defense, a lot of people don’t really have that.”

Juniors coach Kaley May knows all about what it takes to be a successful player in Indiana. A graduate of Avon and former Butler Bulldog, the Danville head coach recognized how much versatility the junior class has as well.

She said it’s their talent mixed with their confidence that gave her no reason to feel worried after a disastrous first quarter. With a combined 163 points scored and more than half of Memorial Gymnasium filled with fans clamoring to watch the 22 future high-level college athletes play basketball, May said the Junior vs. Seniors game fosters confidence women’s basketball will continue its meteoric rise.

“I’m very excited about the energy that’s around women’s basketball,” May said. “It’s been great in quality for years, it just needed to be recognized. I think now that we finally have the platform, you’re finally seeing the ripple effect not just in the WNBA, but in college and high school. Getting that interest and appreciating the talent these girls have is unbelievable.”

Abdurraqib, who has earned offers from Division-I programs like Ball State, further cemented the future of girls basketball in Indiana is in good hands.

“We are really in touch with what’s going on right now in the world,” Abdurraqib said. “The Angel Reese’s, the Caitlin Clark’s, the (Kamilla) Cardoso’s of the world … we see what they’re doing and build off that. We just want to go out of Indiana and spread all of that.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re here to stay.”

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Contact Kyle Smedley with comments via email at KSmedley@Gannett.com or via X @KyleSmedley_.