New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team continues sectional play this weekend at Greenfield-Central, looking to win its second straight championship and fourth in six years. The Dragons (20-5) face Pendleton Heights at 6 p.m. Friday, with the winner meeting either Greenfield-Central or Muncie Central at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are expected to sell out. Only single-session tickets remain. Online advance purchase is recommended to guarantee you will have a seat. SEMIFINAL: New Palestine (20-5) vs. Pendleton Heights (11-12) Time: 6 p.m. Friday Site: Greenfield-Central HS Tickets: $7, ONLINE ONLY https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=70784&p=109451 Broadcast: NewPalRadio.com CHAMPIONSHIP: New Palestine/Pendleton Heights vs. Muncie Central/Greenfield-Central Time: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Site: Greenfield-Central HS Tickets: $7, ONLINE ONLY https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=70785&p=109460 Broadcast: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons continue sectional play with a second straight matchup against a Hoosier Heritage Conference foe, as they face Pendleton Heights in the semifinal. The Dragons beat PH 57-54 Jan. 12. Julius Gizzi scored 35 points in that contest. NP and PH are even in the all-time series, each having won 20 games. The Dragons are 3-4 all-time in postseason games. NP has won eight straight in the series. The winner faces either Greenfield-Central or Muncie Central. NP leads the all-time series with G-C 30-29. Against Muncie Central, the Dragons are 1-1, with both meetings coming in the tournament. This is the Dragons’ 107th appearance in the IHSAA tournament, dating back to 1916-17. NP has won 10 sectional titles in its history, six of which have come since 2009. Head coach Trent Whitaker has led NP to three championships. In Class 4A (2012-15, 2018-present), the Dragons are 18-6 in sectional games and have won four sectional championships. The Dragons finished in the IBCA the Top 20 for the second straight year. The Dragons finished No. 14 in 2023. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons outlasted Mt. Vernon 58-56 Tuesday in a tremendously-played game that saw the Dragons take the lead twice in the final 20 seconds. Julius Gizzi’s three-point play with 17 seconds left put NP up 56-54. After MV tied it on a long jumper, Ben Slagley drew a foul and hit two free throws with four seconds left, then stole a pass at the buzzer to seal the victory. The victory over MV gave the Dragons their third 20-win season in school history, joining last year (23-3) and 1989 (21-3). Gizzi, the state’s second-leading scorer, led the Dragons with 21 points against MV, including 10 in the fourth quarter. He tallied that figure on 6-10 shooting from the floor. Gizzi also had eight rebounds. Moses Haynes added nine points on 3-4 3-point shooting against MV. After tallying a career-high 24 points in the regular season finale against Greenwood, Haynes has hit 10 of his last 12 3-point attempts. Slagley also tallied nine points in his return to action after a three-game absence. The Dragons shot 55.6% (19-34) against MV. Gizzi, the state’s leading second-leading scorer at 29.8 ppg, now has 737 points this season, extending his school record. He has 976 career points, moving past Matthew True into 11th place on the all-time list. He needs 26 points to both reach 1,000 points and move into the NPHS Top 10. He has tallied 20-plus points in 23 games this season and 30-plus points in 13 of the Dragons’ 25 contests. Haynes has 167 assists this season, a school record. He is currently sixth on the NPHS career assists list with 241. He ranks fourth in the state at 7.1 apg. Gizzi (8.4) and Slagley (7.2) are first and second in the HHC in rebounding. Haynes is also fifth in the HHC in steals (2.1). SCOUTING THE SECTIONAL PH drew a bye and faces the Dragons in the sectional semifinal for the second straight season. Senior Josiah Gustin is one of the HHC’s top scorers (14.7) and rebounders (7.1). Evan Mozingo adds 10.1 ppg and Seth LaRavia 9.1 ppg. G-C is the state’s lone unbeaten team. The Cougars are led by junior Braylon Mullins, who averages 26.1 ppg, and junior Boston Willard (11.3 ppg). Muncie Central upset No. 12 Richmond in Wednesday’s first round, snapping a five-game skid. Senior Demarkis Cole (12.8 ppg) leads the Bearcats. LOOKING AHEAD The winner of tonight’s game meets Pendleton Heights at 6 p.m. Friday at Greenfield-Central. The championship game is slated for 7:30 p.m. Saturday. 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. Photo credit: Aaron Smith