New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team only trailed once Friday - after the opening basket - but had to hold off multiple Delta rallies to beat the Eagles 66-53 at the Dragons' Den. The Dragons hit 11 3-pointers and had three double-figure scorers. Cael Butler scored a career-high 16 points off the bench. Evan Darrah added 14 and Will Davison 13 points. All eight Dragons who played scored. The Dragons opened the game with a barrage of triples. After surrendering the opening basket, Darrah answered with a 3-pointer. He hit two, Liam Atkinson one and then Butler drilled one to put the Dragons up 16-8. Davison also tallied four points in the frame. Delta scored the last three points of the quarter to cut the lead to 16-11 after one. Delta cut the Dragons' lead to 18-16, and NP answered with a 9-0 run, fueled by Butler. He scored seven points in the run, capping it with a triple to put NP up by 11. Sam Hirschy also had a basket in the spurt. Delta answered with three points, and the Dragons followed with a 3-pointer from Carson Rush to restore an 11-point lead. Delta scored the last seven points of the quarter - holding NP without a point for the last three and a half minutes of the half - to cut the Dragons' advantage to 30-26 at the half. But the Dragons again quickly pushed the lead to double digits. Liam Atkinson hit a 3-pointer and a basket. Eli Parrett also hit a triple to put NP up 42-31. Delta, again, went on a spurt at the end of the quarter, fueled by back-to-back 3-pointers from Ryan Lynch. Triples from Darrah and Davison kept NP in front 48-43 going into the fourth. The Dragons opened the final quarter with another run. Darrah had a quick three-point play, Davison hit a 3-pointer and Butler forced a midcourt steal, tracked the ball down and hit a flying layup to put NP up 10, and then added another hoop for six points in the quarter to extend the lead to 60-48. Davison later added a three-point play to extend the lead to 16 - the largest of the night - before a late triple by Delta. In addition to the three double-figure scorers, Atkinson scored 18 points. Hirschy tallied six. Parrett had four, Rush three and Evan Study two. The Dragons are now 6-5 on the season and 3-0 in HHC play. They next play Jan. 16 at home against Pendleton Heights. The Dragons JV also won 50-42 over Delta. The freshman team also won.