New Palestine High School

The New Palestine girls basketball team kept battling back from deficits Wednesday, but ultimately fell 59-44 to Franklin Central. The Dragons, returning home after back-to-back road victories, welcomed Vivian Miller back to the lineup for the first time this season. The senior scored the first two points of the game on a strong drive to the basket and finished with 10 points, as well as being very active on the glass and in driving the Dragons' offense. Miller and Natalie Sevier each scored four points in the opening quarter as the Dragons looked to keep contact after falling behind 7-2. NP cut its deficit to 9-8 and forced a steal with seven seconds left. However, a turnover led to a breakaway layup at the buzzer, and FC then opened the second quarter with a three-point play to go up 14-8. That led to a run that saw the Flashes build a 20-10 lead. Miller found Allie Blum open for a breakaway layup, then Blum had a steal-and-score to cut the deficit. Sevier added a basket to cap the six-point run and cut the FC lead to 20-16 at halftime. The Dragons closed the deficit to two after Sadey Hughbanks hit two free throws to open the second half, but the Flashes immediately answered as junior Lily Graves scored the game's next seven points. Hughbanks tallied a basket and a free throw, but Graves hit another 3-pointer to put the Flashes up 30-21, touching off another seven-point run that saw the lead jump to 15. Again, the Dragons answered, as Kendra Moore hit a 3-pointer and Blum back-to-back baskets to cut the deficit to 36-28. FC again scored to push its lead to double digits going into the fourth. The Flashes extended the lead with three fourth-quarter 3-pointers, but the scrappy Dragons kept battling back, as Miller hit two triples, Hughbanks two shots and Blum a pair of baskets. The Dragons closed the lead to 10 on a few occassions, but the Flashes hit four free throws in the final minute to extend the lead to 15, tying the largest of the game, at the buzzer. Blum led the Dragons with 12 points. Miller added 10. Hughbanks scored all nine of her points in the second half. Sevier scored six, Moore five and Kenna Tweedy two. Graves led FC with 23 points. The Dragons also dropped the JV game 48-27. The Dragons (2-2) are next in action Thursday at Warren Central.