New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team got off to a hot start and carried to to an 83-59 victory over Jennings County in Friday's first game at the Ray Furney Classic at Lawrenceburg. The Dragons split the day, as they fell 72-66 to Newport (Ky.) in the second game. The Dragons finished second in their three-team pool and will play in the silver bracket in Saturday's second day of the 12-team tournament. The Dragons will meet Bethesda Christian at 11:30 a.m. at Greendale Middle School, with the second game at 5 p.m. against either West Morgan (Ala.) or Pike Central. The winners play the 5 p.m. game at Lawrenceburg High School, the others at Greendale Middle School. Against Jennings County, the Dragons roared out to an early 10-2 lead, scoring on their first four possessions. Julius Gizzi scored eight first-quarter points and Moses Haynes seven, giving NP a 22-10 lead late in the quarter and 22-16 after one. The Dragons pulled ahead in the second quarter, with Ben Slagley leading the way. He scored 10 points in the frame, while Haynes drained a 3-pointer. The Dragons finished the frame on a big run to build a 40-26 halftime lead. In the third quarter, Gizzi took over. He scored the first 10 points of the frame - hitting a pair of inside shots and a pair of triples - then fed Haynes for a 3-pointer to push the lead to 53-26. Gizzi then added two more 3-pointers, a basket and capped the frame with two free throws to score 20 of the Dragons' 28 points in the quarter, building a 68-39 lead. Haynes added two 3-pointers in the frame. Keagan Harrison tallied seven fourth-quarter points to help the Dragons finish the game out. Gizzi finished with 30 points, including the 20-point third quarter. Haynes added a career-high 16 points. Slagley scored 12, all coming in the first half. Harrison scored a career-high nine points. Brady Armstrong had six, Austin McMahan and Alex Guhl four each and Landon Seib two. Rob Kent scored 26 for Jennings County. In the second game, Gizzi scored 35 points to lead the Dragons - his fourth consecutive 30-point game - but NP couldn't overcome an early deficit against Kentucky's eighth-ranked team. Gizzi scored nine first-quarter points, but NP trailed 22-15 after one. In the second, Haynes drained two 3-pointers, Slagley added a three-point play and Gizzi scored seven, but the Dragons trailed 41-31 at the break. In the third, the Dragons cut the deficit inside five on multiple occasions, but Newport was able to respond each time. Gizzi scored eight points in the frame, including a 3-pointer an a conventional three-point play. Slagley added five. In the fourth, the Dragons again rallied to within one possession on multiple occasions, but Newport was able to respond each time and put the game away at the line, with Gizzi scoring 11 points in the quarter and McMahan adding a pair of baskets. In addition to Gizzi's 35, Haynes added 11 points and Slagley 10. Harrison scored six points and McMahan four. The Dragons are now 5-2 headed into the second day of the tournament.