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The New Palestine boys basketball team hits the road Friday night to face Shelbyville. FRIDAY: (10/3A 5) New Palestine Dragons (19-2, 3-1 HHC) at Shelbyville Golden Bears (15-4, 3-2 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. F/JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Garrett Gymnasium, Shelbyville Tickets: $6 at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=115251 Audio broadcast: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons return to conference play to face Shelbyville. It will be the first visit to Garrett Gymnasium this season, but the Dragons will return in three weeks, as Shelbyville is the sectional host this season. This game is the third of five consecutive games for the Dragons against teams in the top 60 of Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings. Shelbyville entered the week No. 52, while the Dragons were No. 6. NP leads the series 21-19 and has won seven straight meetings, but several have come down to the wire. From 2014-22, six of the nine meetings were decided by one possession. NP won a 72-52 decision a year ago, led by Julius Gizzi’s 26 points and Ben Slagley’s 11. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons are 19-2 for the fourth time in school history, equaling the program’s best record through 21 games. They also posted 19-2 starts in 2022-23, 1988-89 and 1958-59. They are seeking the fourth 20-win season in school history - and third consecutive. NP won 22 games last year and 23 in 2022-23. The Dragons posted another ranked win Tuesday - their second in a two-week span - when they beat 3A No. 3 Guerin Catholic 66-51. Julius Gizzi had a strong all-around game with 26 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Moses Haynes added 10 points on 4-6 shooting, four rebounds, nine assists and six steals. Austin McMahan tallied nine points and seven rebounds. Defensively, the Dragons were strong against Guerin, holding them to 39% shooting from the floor. Gizzi posted his second straight 26-point game Tuesday, pushing his career total to 1,602 points. He needs 10 points to become New Palestine’s career scoring leader, a record currently held by his older brother Maximus, a 2020 graduate, with 1,612. Haynes already holds the school’s career steals record with 126. He has 48 steals this season and needs three more to equal his own single-season record of 51, which he set last year. Haynes is closing in on another mark. He has 413 career assists, 10 back of the record set by Blaine Nunnally in 2023. Haynes, who entered the week fifth in the state in assists with a 7.5 apg average, has 31 assists in his last three games. The Dragons have won 12 consecutive games, tying the third-longest winning streak in school history. The record is 15, set in 2022-23. The Dragons have posted nine double-doubles this season. Haynes and Ben Slagley have three each - one of Slagley’s is a triple-double and another is a rebounds/assists double-double. Both of Haynes’ are points/assists double-doubles. Gizzi has two and Austin McMahan one. At 26.6 ppg entering the week, Gizzi is fourth in the state in scoring and second in the HHC. He has scored 23 or more points in 11 consecutive games. SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS Shelbyville is enjoying its best season in nearly a decade. The last time the Bears won 15 gamesm was 2018, when they went 16-9. Shelbyville has solid balance, with five players averaging at least 6.7 ppg. Juniors Caden Claxton (15.7 ppg) and Mar Nicholson (13.8 ppg) lead the Bears in scoring, while senior Damon Badgley adds 9.9 ppg. Nicholson also leads Shelbyville with 4.9 rpg, while Claxton dishes 4.3 apg. LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons will host Mt. Vernon next Friday for Senior Night. FOLLOW THE DRAGONS All Dragons games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. The Dragons are also on Facebook and Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and X (@NPHSDragons), and can be found online at NewPalestineAthletics.com. Photo credit: Aaron Smith

The New Palestine boys basketball team is competing in Saturday's regional, meeting Guerin Catholic at 4 p.m. with a championship on the line. (10/3A 3) New Palestine Dragons (24-3) vs. (19/3A 5) Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles (16-8) Time: 4 p.m. Location: Cougar Gym, Greenfield Tickets: $10, https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=118657&p=182902 Audio: NewPalRadio.com (Note: New Palestine and Guerin Catholic fans have been asked to arrive after 3 p.m. to ensure fans from the first game have time to clear the gymnasium). SETTING THE SCENE After winning their 12th sectional title in program history - including their third in a row and eighth since 2009 - the Dragons seek their first-ever regional title today in a rematch with Guerin Catholic. While this is the first-ever regional game the Dragons have played at Greenfield-Central, they are no strangers to the gym in March. They won the 2024 sectional at Cougar Gym and finished runner-up in 2022. They also competed in the sectional at G-C from 1980-97 - winning in 1980, 1989 and 1997 - and 2003. Guerin becomes the 57th different school the Dragons have faced in an IHSAA tournament game since 1917. The Dragons won a 66-51 meeting in the regular season Feb. 11. Julius Gizzi tallied 26 points and Moses Haynes 10 for the Dragons. Bryson Cardinal had 21 points for Guerin. NP is 4-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles. They have met in the regular season each of the last four years. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons won the sectional title with a 65-55 victory over Roncalli to clinch the Shelbyville sectional. The Dragons trailed early, but took the lead for good in the second quarter and pulled ahead to a double-digit lead in the third. Julius Gizzi tallied 25 points to lead the Dragons. He also had seven rebounds and two steals. Ben Slagley added 16 points - one off his season high - and seven rebounds. Moses Haynes had 15 points, two steals six assists. The Dragons were suffocating on defense in the sectional, forcing an average of 23.7 turnovers and 16 steals per game. In the semifinal, the Dragons ground out a 55-45 victory over Beech Grove. The Dragons finished the game on a 12-2 run, with Gizzi going 8-8 from the line in the final minute. Against Beech Grove, Gizzi tallied 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half. He also had four rebounds, five assists - one off his career high - and four steals. Slagley added 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Austin McMahan tallied nine points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals. The Dragons’ defense has been suffocating in the two tournament games. They forced 28 turnovers in each of the two games, including 39 steals. The Dragons have set a school record for most wins in a season, breaking the mark set by the 2023 team of 23 wins. The Dragons’ senior class is the winningest in school history - they are 88-19 since 2021. Gizzi became the first Dragon to tally 1,700 points during Tuesday’s sectional opener against Rushville. He now has 1,753 for his career. He entered the sectional fourth in the state in scoring (26.4 ppg). Haynes has extended his school career assists record to 449 and steals record to 143. He also holds the single-season assists (194) and steals (65) marks. Slagley will play in his 100th career game in the regional, the first Dragon to do so. He also has moved into 15th place on the NPHS career scoring list (882) and sixth on the single-season assists list (131). He is seventh in career assists (277), fifth in rebounds (595) and second in blocks (100). Haynes entered the sectional fifth in the state in assists (7.5 apg). SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES Guerin Catholic advanced with a 63-39 victory over Tri-West in the sectional final at Frankfort. The Golden Eagles also beat Lebanon (73-61) and Brebeuf Jesuit (59-45). They are led by senior Bryson Cardinal (19.5 ppg, 9.3 rpg), sophomore Jake Grisson (12.7 ppg) and senior Ryne Paris (10.4 ppg). Guerin has won six straight games. LOOKING AHEAD The regional winner will advance to next week’s semistate. The site and opponent will be determined at a 3 p.m. selection show. FOLLOW THE DRAGONS All Dragons games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. The Dragons are also on Facebook and Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and X (@NPHSDragons), and can be found online at NewPalestineAthletics.com.

The New Palestine boys basketball team hosts Mt. Vernon for Senior Night, as the Dragons will honor seniors Julius Gizzi, Keagan Harrison, Moses Haynes, Austin McMahan and Ben Slagley. FRIDAY: (RV/4A --) Mt. Vernon Marauders (15-4, 4-1 HHC) at (6/3A 4) New Palestine Dragons (20-2, 5-1 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. JV/7:30 p.m. V Location: New Palestine High School Tickets: $6/at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=115726 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine SETTING THE SCENE A tradition that dates back more than a century continues, as the Dragons host arch-rival Mt. Vernon. This is the 93rd meeting in the series, which dates to the 1963-64 season, but prior to that, the Dragons played at least one of MV’s predecessor schools in every year of their recorded history. This game has been scheduled on the third Friday in February every year since 1963, when NP met Vernon Township. The Dragons trail the all-time series 55-37, but have won seven of the last 10 meetings. They have played twice in three consecutive years. NP won the most recent meeting 58-56 in last year’s sectional behind 21 points from Julius Gizzi and two free throws in the final seconds from Ben Slagley. Tonight is the Dragons’ Senior Night, as they will honor Gizzi, Slagley, Moses Haynes, Austin McMahan and Keagan Harrison. Combined, they are the winningest class in program history, with an 84-18 four-year record, two sectional titles and an HHC title. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons are 20-2 for the third time in school history, equaling the program’s best record through 22 games. They also posted 20-2 starts in 2022-23 and 1988-89. They have clinched the fourth 20-win season in school history - and third consecutive. NP won 22 games last year and 23 in 2022-23. The other 20-win season was a 21-3 mark in 1988-89. The Dragons continue to roll, having won 13 consecutive games - the second-longest streak in program history. The longest is 15, set in 2022-23. Their most recent win was a historic 63-42 victory over Shelbyville, in which they set three individual school records. Julius Gizzi led four double-figure scorers with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Slagley added 13 points, Austin McMahan 11 and Evan Darrah 10. With a second-quarter 3-pointer last Friday, Gizzi passed his older brother Maximus to become the Dragons’ career scoring leader. He now has 1,622 career points. Gizzi has 573 this season, and is averaging 26.0 ppg. He has tallied 20-plus points 20 times this season and 30-plus points five times. Moses Haynes broke two records Friday night. He had 13 assists to became the school’s career assists leader with 426, breaking Blaine Nunnally’s two-year-old record. The 13 assists were one off his school record of 14, set in 2024 against Guerin Catholic. Haynes has double-digit assists in three of his last four games, averaging 11.0 apg in that stretch. He is 10 assists away from his single-year mark of 181. Haynes, who became the NPHS all-time steals leader Feb. 6, extended that mark to 131 with five steals against Shelbyville. That also gave him 53 for the season, breaking his own one-year-old mark of 51. He is averaging 4.0 spg in his last four games. The Dragons were all over the glass Friday night, outrebounding Shelbyville 39-17. The Dragons have posted 10 double-doubles this season. Haynes, Gizzi and Slagley have three each - one of Slagley’s is a triple-double and another is a rebounds/assists double-double. Both of Haynes’ are points/assists double-doubles. McMahan has one. At 26.0 ppg entering the week, Gizzi is fourth in the state in scoring and second in the HHC. At 7.8 apg, Haynes is fourth in the state and first in the HHC in assists. Slagley leads the HHC in blocked shots (1.3 bpg). Slagley has 97 career blocks and is three away from becoming the second Dragon to tally 100 in his career. SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS MV is enjoying its second straight 15-win season under coach Joe Bradburn. Purdue commit Luke Ertel leads the Marauders with 21.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg and 3.9 apg. Elijah Parra adds 9.3 ppg. MV has five players averaging at least 7 ppg. MV has won three straight games and seven of its last eight, including a 3-0 week last week with wins over Pike (66-58 OT), Marion (73-56) and Southport (67-43). LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons close the regular season next Thursday at Warren Central. They will learn their path in the Shelbyville sectional at 5 p.m. Sunday. FOLLOW THE DRAGONS All Dragons games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. The Dragons are also on Facebook and Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and X (@NPHSDragons), and can be found online at NewPalestineAthletics.com. Photo credit: Landyn Muffler

The New Palestine Dragons will challenge the Mt. Vernon Marauders at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in New Palestine's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season.

Last Friday, New Palestine got the win against Shelbyville by a conclusive 63-42. The victory continues a trend for the Dragons in their matchups with the Golden Bears: they've now won eight in a row.

New Palestine got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Julius Gizzi out in front who dropped a double-double with 20 points and ten boards. Gizzi's evening made it 24 games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Ben Slagley, who went 6-for-10 en route to 13 points and six rebounds.

New Palestine smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Shelbyville only pulled down one offensive board.

Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They put the hurt on the Cardinals with a sharp 67-43 victory. Given the Marauders' advantage in MaxPreps' Indiana basketball rankings (they are ranked fifth, while the Cardinals are ranked 70th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

New Palestine better keep an eye on Luke Ertel. He was instrumental in Mt. Vernon's win, going 10-for-17 to rack up 33 points and three steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Ertel has scored at least a third of Mt. Vernon's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Elijah Parra, who posted 12 points.

Mt. Vernon's win bumped their record up to 15-4. As for New Palestine, they pushed their record up to 20-2 with the victory, which was their ninth straight on the road.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: New Palestine has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 27.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Mt. Vernon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

New Palestine skirted past Mt. Vernon 58-56 in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. Will New Palestine repeat their success, or does Mt. Vernon have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.

Basketball (Boys V) New Palestine High School

Friday was a record-setting night for the New Palestine boys basketball team. Julius Gizzi broke the school scoring record with a 3-pointer in the second quarter, while Moses Haynes later broke the school assists mark. They helped lead the Dragons to pull away to a 63-42 victory at Shelbyville. The Dragons improved to 20-2 - the fourth 20-win season in school history and third consecutive - with their 13th straight win. They are now 5-1 in Hoosier Heritage Conference play. Both entered the game 10 away from their respective school records. Gizzi scored 20 points to give him 1,622 for his career - breaking the mark of 1,612 held by his older brother Maximus Gizzi since 2020. Haynes' 12 assists give him 425 for his career, breaking a mark set by Blaine Nunnally in 2023. He also had five steals, giving him 53 for the season, breaking his single-season record of 51 set last year. Haynes is also the school's career steals leader with 131. The Dragons again started slowly, as they trailed after a quarter for the third consecutive game. Shelbyville built a 13-8 lead after one, despite Gizzi scoring six points. But the Dragons opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run to go up 18-15. Austin McMahan helped lead the spurt, as he scored six points in the run. Shelbyville responded to tie the game at 20-20, but the Dragons finished the half on an 8-2 run, as McMahan scored another basket to put the Dragons on top, followed by a Keagan Harrison free throw and a 3-pointer and two free throws by Gizzi. The triple pushed him into the school scoring record. The Dragons gradually pulled ahead in the third quarter. Gizzi and Slagley opened with baskets and Evan Darrah followed with a 3-pointer. Slagley and Gizzi scored four points each in the frame, as NP outscored the hosts 13-7 to build a 41-29 lead going into the fourth. NP had a big fourth quarter, with Darrah scoring seven points, Slagley four and McMahan a three-point play as the Dragons broke the game open, outscoring the hosts 22-13. Gizzi led the way with 20 points, his 20th 20-point game of the season. He added 10 rebounds for a double-double. He led four Dragons in double-figures. Slagley added 13 points, McMahan 11 and Darrah 10. Slagley and McMahan also had seven rebounds each. Haynes added four points, five steals and 12 assists. Will Davison scored three points, while Harrison tallied two. Mar Nicholson scored 14 points for Shelbyville, with half coming in the fourth quarter. Damon Badgley led the Bears through the first three quarters, scoring 11 points. The Dragons' JV won 50-40 and the freshmen won 49-35 for a program sweep of the evening. The Dragons are next in action Friday, Feb. 21 against Mt. Vernon. It will be NP's Senior Night.