New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team was on a roller-coaster Saturday afternoon at Southport. In a game of runs, they found themselves up by eight early, down by seven at halftime, only to re-take the lead in the third and find themselves trailing by eight going into the final frame. But the Dragons seized control in the fourth quarter and rallied to beat host Southport 71-64. The Dragons opened the fourth with a 16-2 run to turn an eight-point deficit into a 65-59 lead, and continued to extend the lead from there, eventually building it to nine points. Evan Darrah scored 10 of his career-high 22 points in the fourth quarter to lead the comeback, while Will Davison tallied 19 points and Eli Parrett a career-high 16 to lead the Dragons. The Dragons trailed 57-49 going into the final quarter, thanks to Southport's inside-outside combo of guard Malakai Bravard and forward James Kalala, who combined for 17 of the Cardinals' 22 third-quarter points. But the Dragons started the fourth quarter with a pair of stops and 3-pointers from Darrah and Davison, sandwiched around baskets by Davison and Cael Butler - both off inbounds plays - to key a game-tying 10-2 run that tied the game at 59. After another steal, Eli Parrett drove in on a two-on-one, scored, drew a foul and completed the three-point play to give the Dragons the lead. Another turnover led to Darrah drilling his second triple of the quarter, putting the Dragons up 65-59 midway through the quarter. The teams went scoreless for the next three minutes, as the Dragons defense kept turning up pressure, forcing seven Southport turnovers in the fourth. A turnover in the final minute gave Southport the ball, and Bravard hit a 3-pointer out of the corner to cut the Dragons' lead to 65-62, but Darrah was fouled on the next possession and hit two free throws. After a stop, Sam Hirschy grabbed a rebound and hit two foul shots, and Darrah then hit two more after another stop to put the Dragons up nine - and complete a 17-point swing in the fourth quarter. Southport hit a late layup, but the Dragons' fourth-quarter avalanche was complete. Early in the game, Parrett and Davison sandwiched 3-pointers around a basket by Evan Study, and then Parrett drilled another triple to put the Dragons up 11-3. Southport answered back, going inside to Kalala, and that allowed the Cardinals to cut the NP lead to 18-17 after one, despite Parrett tallying 10 points in the quarter. Bravard's late 3-pointer gave him eight for the period and trimmed the Dragons' lead. In the second, Southport quickly took the lead, with Kalala scoring six points again and the Cardinals hitting three 3-pointers, while the Dragons' shooting struggled. Parrett hit another 3-pointer - his third of the half - to give him 13 points at the break. Darrah scored four points in the frame, but NP trailed 35-29 at half. Davison, who had been held to three first-half points, quickly made his presence felt in the third. He hit back-to-back 3-pointers to draw the Dragons within one at 36-35. Darrah then hit his second triple of the game to give the Dragons a lead. But Southport answered with a barrage of its own - Bravard hit the first of his three third-quarter 3-pointers and Kalala was a load inside, scoring eight points in a spurt that gave the hosts an eight-point lead going into the fourth. Kalala had 20 points in the first three quarters, but would not score in the fourth, thanks to strong interior defense by Hirschy and the Dragons contesting shots and intercepting entry passes. Bravard finished with a game-high 27. In addition to the three double-figure scorers, Study and Hirschy finished with six points each. Butler tallied two. The Dragons also won the JV game 51-42. The Dragons are now 9-8 on the season after their third straight victory. They are back in action Tuesday at Guerin Catholic.