The Bulldogs got upended by the Wabash County Timberwolves March 9 at Lewis Cass High School near Kokomo, while the Eagles were also dealt a loss at the hands of the Howard County Hoopsters.

The losses ended both teams’ Special Olympics play for the season. But they still have games coming up against the Poodles as well as a possible game against Anthony’s family.

This was the first time in over a decade BCS has participated in Special Olympics basketball, and it was a valuable learning experience for the coaches as well as the players.

For the players, learning to deal with the concept of out of bounds was a major difference, as the BCS home court has no boundary lines. Learning how hard other Special Olympics teams compete was also an eye opener.

For the coaches, figuring out the skill levels for the teams proved difficult on paper, which led to some mismatches at the tournaments. Going into next year, Coach Coralee Bowley said, they will have a better idea what level to assign the BCS teams. Rules on team names, rosters and uniforms also became more apparent as the season unfolded.

Both the Bulldogs and the Eagles definitely improved their skills this season as they upgraded their practices to fit the Special Olympics format. At this week’s practice, even though only fun games remain, the teams learned something brand new: Zone defense.

“I was on fire today,” Ashley Sergent reported afterward, noting that she’d made “at least six baskets.”