New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team scored 27 fourth-quarter points to take command and beat Yorktown 58-51 in what had been a defensive slugfest. Will Davison scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in the final frame, but he ignited a fourth-quarter run with defense, while Sam Hirschy added in hustle and Eli Parrett critical shots. The Dragons trailed 36-31 going into the third quarter after Yorktown guard Mason Trammell took the game over with a 14-point quarter, draining a last-second shot to put the Tigers up five, equaling their biggest lead of the game. Davison began the fourth quarter by turning a midcourt steal into a breakaway dunk. On the next possession, Hirschy dove onto the floor to secure a rebound, and later in the possession, dove into the stands to keep the ball alive. That led to the first of Parrett's back-to-back 3-pointers, which tied the game at 36-all. His second gave the Dragons a 39-38 edge. Then, it was Davison’s turn to take over. Another coast-to-coast drive after a steal put the Dragons up 41-38. After Yorktown’s Jabin Barnes scored his second basket of the quarter on a drive, Davison launched and drilled a 3-pointer through contact. He completed the four-point play to extend the lead to five, then extended the lead to 50-40 with a basket and another 3-pointer. Yorktown cut the lead to 50-45 with two and a half minutes left, but three points by Evan Darrah on the same possession - as he hit a free throw, rebounded the missed second shot and later scored a driving layup - and a three-point play by Hirschy put the game away. Early on, the game featured a slow tempo. NP scored the game’s first six points and led 8-4 after a quarter. After Yorktown took the lead, Cael Butler scored six straight points off the bench to put NP up 14-9, but the Tigers again closed, led by Barnes, who scored seven points in the second frame to cut NP’s lead to 19-17. Davison was the Dragons’ lone double-figure scorer with 18 points. Parrett tallied seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter. Hirschy also tallied nine, while Darrah and Evan Study seven each. Butler scored six and Liam Atkinson two. The Dragons are now 7-8 overall and 4-1 in HHC play. They are back in action Saturday at home against Indian Creek with a 2 p.m. JV tipoff.