New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team takes a tour of Perry Township this weekend, as it faces Perry Meridian Thursday and then travels to Southport for a Saturday matinee. THURSDAY: Perry Meridian Falcons (4-14) at New Palestine Dragons (12-4) Time: 6 p.m. JV/F, 7:30 p.m. V Location: NPHS Tickets: $6/at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=67201 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine SATURDAY: New Palestine Dragons (12-4) at Southport Cardinals (5-9) Time: 1 p.m. JV/2:30 p.m. V Location: Southport Fieldhouse Tickets: $7/ONLINE ONLY https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=67514 (no cash sales at gate) Audio: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE It’s Perry Township weekend for the Dragons, as they face both teams from the far southside of Indy, starting with a home game against the Perry Meridian Falcons before traveling to Southport to face the Cardinals. Thursday’s game is the 12th between the Dragons and Falcons. NP leads the series 6-5 and has won four straight meetings, including a 45-34 tilt last year. Julius Gizzi scored 12 points in that game. This is the second of four games between the Dragons and Mid-State Conference teams this season. Saturday, the Dragons and Cardinals meet at the Southport Fieldhouse for a Saturday matinee. NP trails the all-time series 7-2, but has won two of the last three meetings. The Dragons are 0-4 all-time against the Cardinals at Southport Fieldhouse. Southport faces Decatur Central Thursday evening before facing the Dragons. DRAGONS NOTES Last week, the Dragons pushed No. 1 Lawrence North to the wire before falling 57-48, then beat conference rival Yorktown 66-58 two days later. Against Lawrence North, the Dragons led for much of the game, including 26-21 at halftime and 43-38 early in the fourth quarter, before falling 57-48. The Dragons had a possession to tie in the final minute. Julius Gizzi tallied 36 points to lead the Dragons, while Austin McMahan added 10 rebounds. Against Yorktown, the Dragons hit 25-of-46 (54.3%) and seized control in the second quarter. Gizzi scored 31 points on 11-21 shooting and 8-9 from the line. He also had a team-high nine rebounds. McMahan added a career-high 14 points on 7-10 from the floor. Ben Slagley tallied nine points on 4-5 shooting and grabbed eight boards. Moses Haynes had seven assists in his return to the lineup after a one-game absence. He also hit 5-6 from the line in the fourth quarter to seal the game. Gizzi has tallied 30 points in nine of his last 11 contests, the only player in NPHS history to tally nine 30-point games in a season. He is second in the state in scoring at 30.4 ppg, trailing only International’s Philip Randolph (31.8 ppg). Ben Slagley moved into third place on the NPHS blocked shots list after he tallied three blocks against Lawrence North. He has 57 career blocks. Haynes is seventh in the state in assists (6.2 apg). He leads the HHC in assists. Slagley is fourth in assists (3.5 apg). Gizzi (7.8) and Slagley (7.1) are first and third in the HHC in rebounding. Haynes is also fifth in the HHC in steals (2.0). SCOUTING THE FALCONS Perry Meridian has four wins under first-year coach Mark McFarland. The Falcons enter the week on a three-game skid. They fell 61-34 to Franklin Central and 58-48 to Greenwood in OT last week. Senior Anthony Towns leads PM at 10.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg. B.J. Sibanda adds 9.4 ppg. SCOUTING THE CARDINALS Southport has won two of its last three games, including a 73-68 overtime win Saturday at Franklin. The Cardinals are led by junior Michael Johnson, who tallies 13.0 ppg and 3.2 apg. Sophomore James Kalala adds 9.7 ppg and 8.3 rpg. LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons have a three-game week next week, as they travel to Guerin Catholic Tuesday before hosting Shelbyville and Connersville over the weekend. FOLLOW US Follow the Dragons on Facebook (@newpalestinedragons), Twitter (@NPHSDragons), Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and online (NewPalestineAthletics.com). All Dragons boys basketball games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. All home games are also provided via pay-per-view at IHSAAtv.org.