New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team built an early lead, but saw Franklin take the lead with a third-quarter run and pull away to an 81-67 victory Saturday at NPHS. The loss drops the Dragons' record to 11-3 on the season and snapped their six-game win streak. The Dragons jumped out to a 24-16 lead after a quarter, bolstered by eight points - including a pair of 3-pointers - from Brady Armstrong. Julius Gizzi also scored nine points, including 5-of-5 from the free throw line. Gizzi and Franklin's Micah Davis led their respective teams, as Davis scored seven points in the opening frame, hitting 5-of-9 from the line. In the second quarter, Franklin held the Dragons without a field goal for the first five minutes and opened with a 12-3 run to take a 28-27 lead, led by Kolt Nelson, who scored nine points in the quarter. Gizzi answered with a basket, a pair of free throws and another hoop to give the Dragons a 33-32 edge at halftime. Gizzi scored eight points in the frame to give him 17 at the break. In the third, Ben Slagley two quick points and Moses Haynes hit a 3-pointer to give NP a quick 38-32 lead, but Franklin hit back-to-back breakaway layups to cut into the lead and used it to ignite a run that gave the Grizzly Cubs a 54-45 edge after three. Davis and Grant Hunter each scored seven points in the quarter for Franklin. Slagley scored six points in the frame and Haynes hit another triple. Franklin pulled away in the fourth despite three 3-pointers and a four-point play by Haynes and eight points from Gizzi, as the Grizzly Cubs scored 27 points in the frame. Gizzi scored 25 points to lead the Dragons, while Haynes added a career-high 21, hitting six 3-pointers. Slagley added nine points and Armstrong eight. Austin McMahan and Keagan Harrison each scored two. Davis led four Grizzly Cubs in double figures with 26 points. Hunter added 20 and Nelson 15. The Dragons next play Wednesday at Lawrence North.