New Palestine High School

In a fourth quarter where each team kept throwing haymakers, Ben Slagley delivered the knockout punch Friday ngiht. Slagley's three-point play with 13 seconds left, lifting the New Palestine boys basketball team to a 61-60 victory over New Castle. It was the fourth lead change in as many possessions, and the final one, as the Dragons' pressure forced the Trojans to take a contested shot at the buzzer that was not close. The Dragons led by 11 in the first half, largely led by Gizzi, who scored 19 of the Dragons' first 23 points and had 21 in the first half. But New Castle began a 3-point barrage that whittled the lead to 31-28 at halftime. After the Dragons scored the first basket of the second half, New Castle went on a 12-3 run in four possessions to take a 40-36 lead. The Dragons responded with seven straight points on a putback by Keagan Harrison and a 3-pointer by Gizzi to give the Dragons the lead. Moses Haynes followed with a steal-and-score to put the Dragons up 43-40, but NC responded with its fourth 3-pointer of the quarter to tie the game, then took the lead with a basket. A late three-point play by Haynes gave the Dragons a 46-45 lead, but NC answered with its fifth 3-pointer of the quarter to go up 48-46. The Trojans' Caden Blackford hit a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter, putting NC up 51-46. Slagley and Gizzi scored for the Dragons, but each was answered by NC's Cade Logston on a drive, putting the Trojans up 55-50 midway through the fourth. The Dragons responded with a 6-0 run, touched off by a putback by Austin McMahan. After the Dragons' press forced a turnover, Slagley hit a rebound basket to draw NP within one. On the next possession, Haynes stole the ball at midcourt, leading to a fastbreak layup that gave the Dragons a 56-55 lead. Logston scored again on a drive to re-take the lead for New Castle with 2:30 left. The Dragons quickly responded with a basket by Gizzi, taking a 58-57 lead with two minutes to go. NC held the ball for a minute and a half, finally finding Logston open in the corner for a triple with 24 seconds left to go up 60-58. The Dragons brought the ball across halfcourt and called timeout. Coach Trent Whitaker drew up a play that saw Gizzi and Haynes find Slagley cutting down the right side of the lane on a give-and-go. He finished through contact and hit the ensuing free throw with 13 seconds left. The Dragons forced a turnover on the ensuing inbounds, but an charging foul - the eighth offensive foul whistled against the Dragons in the game - gave the ball back to New Castle with 11 seconds left. However, the Trojans couldn't get off a clean look thanks to the Dragons' press and NP held on for the victory. Gizzi scored a career-high 31 points, tallying 21 in the opening half. Haynes scored 10, with seven coming after halftime. Slagley scored seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter. McMahan and Harrison scord four points each, while Brady Armstrong hit a second-quarter 3-pointer. Tucker Griffin hit five of New Castle's 12 3-pointers and scored 15 points to lead the Trojans. Logston scored nine of his 14 points in the final frame, while Mason Miller also scored 14, but was held scoreless in the fourth. The Dragons are now 3-1 on the season and 1-1 in HHC play. NC fell to 3-4 (0-2). The Dragons are next in action Saturday at Franklin Central. The Dragons won the JV game 60-55 behind 14 points from Liam Atkinson and 12 from Evan Study.