New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team has been used to turning big starts into victories at home this season. Saturday night, it was a big finish that propelled the Dragons to a 77-64 victory over Franklin Central. Ian Stephens, Julius Gizzi and Stephens again started the fourth quarter with conventional three-point plays, helping the Dragons break open what had been a 51-48 lead going into the final frame and push it to double digits on a Stephens putback to put NP up 65-54. The Dragons continued to break FC's press and made several free throws down the stretch to put the game away. The Dragons were 10-of-11 from the line in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points in the frame. Stephens scored 12 of his game-high-tying 24 points in the quarter. Gizzi scored all seven of his points in the frame. The game was a back-and-forth affair before the Dragons put it away in the final quarter. Stephens and Ben Slagley scored four points each in the opening frame as the teams went into the quarter break tied at 12. Blaine Nunnally had a big second quarter, scoring 11 of his 24 points in the frame, while Stephens added six and Bryant Nunnally hit his second 3-pointer of the game to give the Dragons a 32-31 lead at the break. Blaine Nunnally scored nine points in the third quarter, while Eian Roudebush and Slagley scored four each in a 19-point frame, putting the Dragons up 51-48 after three. Stephens and Blaine Nunnally led the Dragons with 24 points each. Slagley added 10 to give NP three players in double figures. Gizzi scored seven - all in the fourth quarter. Roudebush and Bryant Nunnally scored six each. The Dragons are now 6-0. They next play Dec. 28 at the Lebanon Holiday Tournament against Metropolitan. The Dragons won the JV game 57-56, with Rigg Mahurin and Keagan Harrison scoring 14 points each.