New Palestine High School

The New Palestine girls basketball team played a tight game Tuesday, but dropped a 58-57 overtime decision to Triton Central. A back-and-forth game throughout, the Dragons fell behind early in overtime and were unable to re-take the lead. Three players scored in double figures - Sadey Hughbanks tallied 17 points, Brooklyn Crim 15 and Kendra Moore 13. The difference in the game came at the free throw line - NP was 16-of-28 from the stripe. TC was 17-of-20. The contest was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than five. Crim and Hughbanks broke the Dragons out to an early 9-4 lead, but TC came storming back to take an 11-10 edge. Hughbanks and Sawyor Murdick both hit triples to put NP up 16-15 after a quarter. Hughbanks tallied seven points in the quarter, Crim five. After TC scored the first basket of the second quarter, Moore hit a 3-pointer to put the Dragons up 19-17, and Crim followed with a basket to make it a 21-17 game. Moore added another 3-pointer later in the quarter, but TC hit a runner in the lane ahead of the buzzer to take a 30-28 halftime lead. The Tigers scored the first three points of the first quarter, but the frame turned out to be a defensive struggle. Brown ended a three-minute scoring drought with a 3-pointer to get the Dragons on the board and cut the deficit to 33-31. The teams traded baskets, with Hughbanks scoring for NP, but TC again hit a shot right ahead of the buzzer to go up 37-33 going into the fourth. In the final frame, the Dragons opened on a 7-2 run to take a 40-39 lead, as Haven Flagle hit a 3-pointer to draw NP within one, and then Moore hit two free throws to put the Dragons on top. TC answered with a 3-pointer, Hughbanks followed with two free throws to again tie the game at 42. Again, TC hit a triple. Crim was fouled and hit one of two shots. After a defensive stop, Crim was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and hit two of three to tie the game at 45. TC again scored inside to take a lead with a minute to go. With 21 seconds left, Crim scored inside again to tie the game. She blocked a shot on the other end and forced a tie-up, but a last-second 3-pointer was long. In OT, TC sandwiched four free throws around two from Hughbanks, so NP trailed 51-49. A basket by Crim tied the game at 51. TC answered with a 3-pointer to go up by three. Crim hit a free throw to cut the deficit to 54-52. But the Tigers hit four free throws in the final minute, sandwiched around two foul shots by Moore, who hit a last-second 3-pointer to set the final margin. In addition to the three double-figure scorers, Brown tallied five points, Flagle four and Murdick three. The Dragons JV won to remain unbeaten on the season. The Dragons are now 12-5 on the year. They next play Friday at home against Pendleton Heights.