New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team hits the road for two games this weekend, starting with an HHC contest at New Castle . FRIDAY: Dragons (2-1, 0-1 HHC) at New Castle (3-3, 0-1 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. JV/F, 7:30 p.m. V Location: New Castle Fieldhouse (directions: https://maps.app.goo.gl/aU9VC2ASATSKcgQq8) Tickets: $6/cash at gate Broadcast: NewPalRadio.com SATURDAY: Dragons (2-1) at Franklin Central (2-3) TIme: 6 p.m. JV/F, 7:30 p.m. V Location: Franklin Central HS Tickets: $7/ONLINE ONLY. https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=56995 Broadcast: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE It’s another HHC Friday night as six of the eight teams are in league play tonight. The Dragons play their annual mid-December meeting with New Castle. NC leads the all-time series 17-8. The home team has won six consecutive meetings in the series. The Dragons won last year’s contest 85-60. Julius Gizzi had 11 points and Ben Slagley 10. They were among five double-figure scorers in the game. Saturday night, the Dragons and Flashes meet for the 77th time. They have met intermittently since the 1938-39 season, and annually since 2011-12. The Dragons have won two straight games in the series, including a 77-44 decision last year. Ben Slagley had 10 points in that game. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons are shooting the ball well, hitting 52% from the floor through three games this season. Junior Julius Gizzi has tallied 20-plus points in each game so far this season, as he scored 20 last week against Greenfield-Central. He also had seven rebounds to lead the team. He becomes the first Dragon to score 20 or more in three consecutive games since Steele Brasfield did so in five straight in February 2022. Junior Ben Slagley had a strong all-around game with 12 points, six rebounds and five assists against G-C. His assists total was one shy of his career high. Sophomore Evan Darrah hit three 3-pointers Friday and tied his career high with nine points. Junior Moses Haynes had seven assists against G-C, tying his career high. He also had seven assists in the season opener against Eastern Hancock. In the season-opening victory over Eastern Hancock, two Dragons had double-doubles. Gizzi tallied career highs with 24 points and 10 rebounds. It was his first career double-double. Slagley dded 19 points and 11 boards for his fifth career double-double. It marked the first time two Dragons tallied double-doubles in the same game since Slagley and Ian Stephens Jan. 6, 2023 at Delta. The Dragons have a large multi-sport presence on the roster. Brady Armstrong had three interceptions and four takeaways for the Dragons’ football team this fall. Keagan Harrison, Austin McMahan, Alex Guhl and Landon Seib were also members of the football team. Guhl was the second-leading tackler as a linebacker. Gizzi ranks second in the HHC in scoring at 21.3 ppg. Slagley is eighth (12.3 ppg). Gizzi (7.7) and Slagley (7.3) are 1-2 in rebounding. Haynes (5.7) leads the league in assists. Slagley (3.3) is sixth. SCOUTING THE TROJANS New Castle is 3-3 on the season after last week’s 56-44 victory over Jay County and finishing a 53-47 loss to Shelbyville Thursday. Junior Landon Thompson leads NC with a 13.8 ppg average. Senior Colin Taylor adds 11.3 ppg and sophomore Mason Miller 9.8 ppg and 3.3 apg. SCOUTING THE FLASHES FC is 2-3 entering the weekend, but has a signature win over Brownsburg Dec. 1, beating the Bulldogs 49-46. The Flashes are led by FC graduate Kyle Ballard, who comes over after winning two sectional titles in four years at Triton Central. FC visits conference foe Zionsville Friday night before facing the Dragons. LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons return to conference play next week to begin a double-weekend at New Castle. The weekend concludes at Franklin Central. Today is the Dragons’ last home game until Jan. 5, when Delta visits the Dragons’ Den. FOLLOW US Follow the Dragons on Facebook (@newpalestinedragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons), Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com). All Dragons boys basketball games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. All home games are also provided via pay-per-view at IHSAAtv.org.