New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team led No. 1 Lawrence North for much of the contest Wednesday night, only to surrender the lead in the final three minutes and fall 57-48 to the Wildcats. Playing without point guard Moses Haynes, who missed the game with an injury, the Dragons took the lead midway through the first quarter, held it through the midpoint of the third, then re-took the lead going into the fourth. NP led by five points at halftime and five again early in the fourth quarter. Julius Gizzi scored 36 points for the Dragons, his 10th 30-point game in his last 12 outings, while the Dragons defense held LN to its season-low point total - which included the Wildcats scoring six points in the final 15 seconds, including a breakaway layup at the buzzer off a 60-foot baseball pass with two seconds left. The game looked to be a shootout early - the Dragons led 16-15 at the midpoint of the first quarter after Gizzi drilled a 3-pointer for his ninth point of the game. Brady Armstrong hit an early 3-pointer, while five different Dragons scored in the opening frame. LN's Azavier Robinson scored seven quick points as the lead changed hands multiple times in the opening four minutes. The game slowed down after that, and NP led 18-17 after a quarter. The Dragons used a 2-3 zone in the second to slow down the Wildcats and held them to four points - including just one field goal. Gizzi scored eight in the frame, giving the Dragons a 26-21 lead at halftime. LN used a quick 8-1 run to begin the third quarter and take a 29-27 lead, but immediately, Gizzi answered with a 3-pointer to re-take the lead at 30-29. The Wildcats scored two more baskets, but Keagan Harrison then drained a 3-pointer to tie the game at 33. Gizzi followed with a basket to give the Dragons the lead back. He added six more points in the quarter - four of which came from the line - to put NP up 41-38 after three. Gizzi scored on the first possession of the fourth to put the Dragons up five. LN began to turn up its defensive intensity and held the Dragons scoreless for six and a half minutes. NP's defense remained strong, but the Wildcats were able to use multiple offensive boards to nibble away at the lead, finally taking the lead at 44-43 on a driving shot by Azavier Robinson. After three LN free throws, Gizzi answered with a spin move and a shot off the glass to cut the deficit to 47-45. The Wildcats missed two free throws with less than a minute left. Slagley raced to the other end and took a shot through contact on his arm. It fell short, LN rebounded and turned a runout into a dunk by Kai McGrew, then followed with a steal and a dunk by Robinson to go up 51-45. Gizzi hit two free throws to cut the deficit to four with 22 seconds left, but the Dragons had to foul. LN hit two free throws. NP was called for an illegal screen in the backcourt, allowing the Wildcats to add two more free throws. After Gizzi was fouled with less than four seconds left, he hit one of the two foul shots, but LN rebounded the second and threw the ball 60 feet for a breakaway layup at the buzzer by Kobi Bowles. In addition to Gizzi's 36 points, Harrison scored five and Armstrong three. Austin McMahan and Ben Slagley scored two each, while playing strong interior defense on the much taller Wildcats. Robinson led LN with 21 points, scoring 14 in the second half. McGrew scored 10. The Wildcats were 18-of-30 from the line in the game, including 11-of-19 in the fourth quarter. The Dragons hit 10-of-12 from the line in the game -- all by Gizzi -- who scored all but three of the Dragons' 30 points in the final three quarters. The Dragons fell to 11-4 on the season. They next play Friday at Yorktown. Lawrence North improved to 16-0. LN won the JV game 66-50.