New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team got off to a strong early start, building a nine-point lead midway through the first quarter, then pulled away in the second half to a 73-55 victory at Mooresville. The Dragons improved to 11-11 on the season with a win in their final road game of the season. Four players scored in double figures for the fourth time this season. Evan Study doubled his career high with 16 points. Will Davison also tallied 16 points. Evan Darrah added 14 - with 12 coming in the second half. Sam Hirschy added 12. They started hot, with Study hitting a pair of early 3-pointers and Davison added three points to help build a 12-3 lead. Mooresville finished the quarter on a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 13-12 after a quarter. The Pioneers tied the game with a free throw at the start of the second, but the Dragons immediately seized control by going on a 13-4 spurt to take a 26-17 lead. Cael Butler launched the run with a 3-pointer. Davison also hit a triple, while Hirschy turned two offensive rebounds into three points. The Dragons led 28-20 at the break, but quickly pushed the lead to double digits, as Davison opened the second half with a 3-pointer and Hirschy hit two free throws to make it a 33-20 game. The Dragons heated up from deep, hitting four triples in the quarter. Darrah and Study each hit triples as the Dragons and Pioneers traded baskets. With NP leading 43-30, Eli Parrett stole the ball at midcourt and turned it into a layup. He was fouled on the play, and a technical foul was also given to the Pioneers in the aftermath. He was unable to complete the three-point play, but Darrah hit a free throw and Liam Atkinson a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, giving the Dragons a 49-30 lead. Davison pushed the lead to 21 with a late basket before Mooresville hit a second-chance 3-pointer before the buzzer, giving the Dragons a 51-33 edge going into the fourth. Davison scored seven points in the quarter and Darrah six. In the fourth, Mooresville opened with a quick 7-2 run to cut the lead to 53-40, and had the ball with multiple chances to cut the deficit further, but the Dragons heated up from deep. Study hit a basket and a 3-pointer. Davison and Darrah each hit triples and Hirschy hit back-to-back baskets to push the lead to 66-51. A late three-point play by Darrah and a basket by Hirschy helped put the game away. Darrah and Hirschy tallied six points each in the final quarter. In addition to the four double-figure scorers, Butler tallied six points. Parrett scored four, Atkinson three and Kade Stephens two, as eight Dragons scored. Christopher Thompson-Moore scored 19 points to lead Mooresville, reaching his average. He scored 11 points early in the game, but was held to eight points after the early stages of the second quarter. The Dragons are next in action Tuesday at home against Franklin.