New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team took command in the fourth quarter and used perfect free-throw shooting down the stretch Wednesday to beat Bishop Chatard 62-61 in the Dragons' home opener. The two schools were playing their first regular-season game in 56 years, and it lived up to the billing, with multiple lead changes. The Dragons trailed 38-34 in the final minute of the third quarter when they made the final run to take the lead. Liam Atkinson got loose for a 3-pointer that cut the lead to one with 11 seconds left. Chatard was called for an illegal screen, giving the Dragons possession. Will Davison sliced inside and hit a runner at the buzzer to put the Dragons up 39-38. It would be the game's last lead change. Davison started the fourth quarter with a quick flurry, scoring four quick points on the Dragons' first two possessions. He scored inside on the first of the quarter to extend the lead to 41-38. Chatard answered with a basket, but Davison was fouled and hit two free throws. After a Chatard hoop and a Dragons miss, Davison stole the ball and fed Evan Darrah for a fast-break layup that pushed the lead to 45-42. Another hoop by Davison extended the lead to five. After a Chatard triple, Sam Hirschy scored and Evan Study got free and drilled a big 3-pointer to push the lead to 52-45. The Dragons built a seven-point lead on Darrah's scoop shot to go up 56-49. The Trojans hit a 3-pointer, but Study answered with two free throws. Chatard again hit a triple, but Darrah hit two foul shots to make it a 60-55 game. Again, Chatard hit a 3-pointer with less than 15 seconds left, but Darrah was again fouled and hit both free throws to give the Dragons the cushion they needed. A 3-pointer at the buzzer wasn't enough as the Dragons held on to win. Davison led four Dragons in double figures with 15 points, as he scored 10 in the last 8:02 of the game. Darrah scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter. Eli Parrett tallied a career-high 11 points, while Sam Hirschy added 12 points. The lead changed hands several times early. Parrett's 3-pointer gave the Dragons a 9-5 lead, but Chatard answered with seven straight points to go up 12-9, before a Davison triple again knotted the game and the Dragons scored again before conceding the quarter's last four points to trail 16-14. Chatard then scored the first seven points of the second quarter to extend its run to 11 and extend its lead to 23-14. The Dragons began to chop into the lead with a Hirschy free throw, followed by baskets from Parrett, Atkinson, a free throw by Darrah and two more foul shots from Davison to score 10 straight and take the lead back, before Chatard's Alex Lake scored the final basket of the half to give the Trojans a 25-24 lead. It continued to swing in the third quarter. Hirschy scored five points inside and Parrett hit a 3-pointer, but Chatard led by four until the Dragons took the lead for good in the final stages of the frame. Chatard was led by Ari Sahm, who had 17 points, leading three double-figure scorers. The Dragons also won the JV game 70-61 in overtime behind 25 points from Kade Stephens. The Dragons (2-1) are next in action Friday at home against Greenfield-Central.