New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team got off to a strong start, but Roncalli took control of the game with a run at the start of the third quarter and defeated the Dragons 69-58 Wednesday in the opening round of the Class 3A Greenwood sectional. Will Davison scored 35 points to lead the Dragons, the second-highest total of his career. He got the Dragons going with an early 3-pointer to answer a game-opening triple by Roncalli, and helped stake NP to an 11-9 lead after one, as he tallied seven first-quarter points. Davison then opened the second quarter with a four-point play to put the Dragons up 15-9. Evan Darrah followed with a triple to make it an 18-12 game. A basket by Sam Hirschy and another 3-pointer by Davison - his third of the game - put NP up seven before a late basket by Roncalli's Joe Taylor cut the lead to 29-24 at the break. Roncalli took control in the third, starting the quarter on a 7-0 run to go up 31-29, and eventually pushed the lead to seven on a handful of occasions. Conor Kesler scored 10 points in the frame for Roncalli, while Davison scored seven of the Dragons' nine points in the quarter. Cael Butler tallied the other two on a basket near the end of the quarter. NP was outscored 21-9 in the quarter. In the fourth, Roncalli got hot, hitting four 3-pointers to push its lead to double digits. The Dragons tried to answer - Evan Darrah opened the frame with two free throws and Davison hit two baskets and a 3-pointer, followed by a triple by Eli Parrett. But each was answered by Roncalli to push their lead back to double digits. Davison tallied 13 points in the frame. Darrah finished with 10 points. Sam Hirschy tallied six first-half points. Butler scored four and Parrett three. Kesler led four Royals in double figures with 17 points, tallying 13 in the second half, during which Roncalli outscored NP 45-29. The Dragons finish their season with a 13-12 record, extending their school record with the program's ninth consecutive winning season. During the four years in the program for Liam Atkinson, Darrah, Max Lewis, Nolan Lewis and Evan Study, the Dragons posted four winning seasons and won three sectional championships.