New Palestine High School

The New Palestine girls basketball team kicks off a four-game homestand Tuesday against Triton Central. TUESDAY: Triton Central Tigers (14-3, 6-0 ICC) at New Palestine Dragons (8-9, 4-1 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. JV/7:30 p.m. varsity Location: NPHS Tickets: $6/at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=63812 Audio: NewPalRadio.com (free) Video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine ($) SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons and Tigers play their annual mid-January contest. This is the 47th meeting between the schools, with the Dragons holding a 27-19 lead in the series. NP has won two of the last three meetings. Tonight opens a four-game homestand for the Dragons to open 2024. Last year, the Dragons dropped a 58-46 decision at TC. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons opened 2024 with a 57-49 loss at Bloomington North Thursday. Senior Allie Blum scored 19 points and classmate Vivian Miller added 13. Blum and sophomore Natalie Sevier both had six rebounds. Blum added five steals. Sophomore Kenna Tweedy followed up her 10-point performance against Franklin County with eight points against Bloomington North, hitting two 3-pointers. Tweedy scored eight fourth-quarter points for the Dragons in the Dec. 28 victory over Franklin County, including the go-ahead 3-pointer. In the Dec. 28 victory over Franklin County, the Dragons outscored the Wildcats 30-15 in the final quarter and a half to turn a 10-point deficit into a 52-47 victory. Tweedy scored eight points in the fourth quarter, Sadey Hughbanks had a big game-tying 3-pointer earlier in the fourth, while Blum scored 19 points and Miller 15. Hughbanks grabbed six rebounds in the contest. Blum has scored 66 points in her last three games - an average of 22.0 ppg - including 19 each in the Dragons’ last two contests. She also had 28 points against Southport. She has also led the Dragons in assists in those three contests. She hit 600 career points in last week’s game at Bloomington North. The Dragons have won four of their last five games on their home court. Miller leads the HHC in assists, dishing 3.8 per game. Blum is seventh at 2.3 assists per contest. Blum ranks third in the HHC in scoring at 18.2 ppg. Miller is 10th at 11.0 ppg. Blum also ranks third in the conference in steals at 3.9 per contest. Miller is tied for eighth (2.5 spg). SCOUTING THE TIGERS TC is 14-3 after winning the Shelby County Tournament last weekend with a 53-43 victory over Waldron and a 52-22 victory over Morristown. The Tigers have won thre straight and 12 of their last 13 after dropping two of their first three. NP is one of three 4A schools on TC’s schedule - the Tigers lost to Roncalli 58-23 in the opener. They play Kokomo Thursday at home. TC is led by sophomore Maryrose Felling, who averages 18.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. Senior Brooklyn Bailey adds 13.0 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest. TC has already clinched a piece of the Indiana Crossroads Conference title. LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons continue their four-game homestand Friday with the annual doubleheader with Pendleton Heights, with a 6 p.m. tipoff. The JVs will play Thursday at PH. A victory would pull the Dragons even with PH in the loss column in the HHC race. Next week, the Dragons have a single game, Thursday at home against Waldron. The IHSAA sectional draw will be held Sunday, Jan. 21. The Dragons will compete in the sectional at Pendleton Heights this season. FOLLOW US Follow the Dragons on Facebook (@newpalestinedragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons), Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com). All Dragons home games are broadcast live at NewPalRadio.com and available via pay-per-view at IHSAAtv.org. NewPalRadio.com also broadcasts all IHSAA tournament games and select road games.