New Palestine High School

TUESDAY: New Palestine Dragons (18-4, 5-1 HHC) at Mt. Vernon Marauders (13-8, 4-1 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. JV/7:30 p.m. V Site: Mt. Vernon HS Tickets: $6/at gate or https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=69178 Audio: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons open the weekend with the 91st meeting against Mt. Vernon. It was scheduled for their traditional third Friday in February date - on which this game has been played since 1962-63, when NP faced Vernon Township the year prior to MV’s consolidation. It was moved to Tuesday due to heavy snows Friday afternoon. NP trails the series 54-36, but has won six of the last nine. They have met twice five times in the last six years. Last year, NP won a 66-52 game in the regular season and a 71-57 tilt in the sectional final. One of NP or MV has won the sectional six consecutive years, and they’ve met in the final in four of those seasons. The Dragons are ranked in the IBCA poll for the fourth straight week, moving up two spots to No. 12 after extending their winning streak to seven games. The Dragons and Marauders will meet again next Tuesday in the opening round of sectional at Greenfield-Central. It will be their sixth sectional meeting in seven years. DRAGONS NOTES Junior Julius Gizzi set an NPHS gymnasium record Saturday, scoring 44 points on 19-of-36 shooting in the Dragons’ 76-75 victory over Whiteland. Gizzi hit 5-of-5 from the free throw line and hit one 3-pointer. It was tied for the second-highest single-game total in program history. Ryan Curry’s 46-point game against Shelbyville in 2015 remains the record. Gizzi is the only player in NPHS history with two career 40-point games. He also had 43 against Franklin Central this season. He has 672 points for the year, extending his school record, which he set Feb. 10 against Connersville. Gizzi now has 911 career points, moving him past Al Cooper to 14th place on the NPHS career scoring list. He needs six points to catch Royce McDougall in 13th. Junior Moses Haynes had eight assists against Whiteland and now has a school-record 153 for the season. He moved up to sixth on the NPHS career assists list last week and now has 227 for his career. He is averaging 10 assists per game over his last six games. Haynes also had nine points against Whiteland, following up a 21-point, nine-assist game against Connersville. Gizzi also had a career-high 16 rebounds against Whiteland, making him the first Dragon since Ben Slagley in the 2022-23 season to mark back-to-back double-doubles. He had 34 points and 12 boards againt Connersville Feb. 10. He has four career double-doubles. Gizzi is the state’s leading scorer at 30.5 ppg. Haynes is fourth in assists at 7.2 per game. Each leads the HHC in their respective category. Gizzi (8.0) and Slagley (7.2) are first and second in the HHC in rebounding. Haynes is also fifth in the HHC in steals (2.0). SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS MV was hit by injuries early but has won five of six to improve to 13-8. The Marauders swept Mooresville (59-51), Madison (63-40) and Pike (70-66) the week of Feb. 6-10. Julien Smith (13.8 ppg) and Elijah Parra (10.4 ppg) lead MV, which has been bolstered by the return of guard Luke Ertel three games ago from a football injury. MV has not played since Feb. 10. LOOKING AHEAD The Dragons finish the regular season Friday at Greenwood. They open sectional play at Greenfield-Central next Tuesday against Mt. Vernon. 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.