New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team tied a school record and recognized multiple milestones Saturday in a 73-68 victory over a solid Southport squad. The Dragons tied a school record with their 11th straight win to start the season, joining the 1978-79 and 1958-59 teams, which also started the year 11-0. Blaine Nunnally scored 22 points to become the 10th Dragon to reach 1,000 career points. He tallied 13 in the fourth quarter as the Dragons staved off a Southport run and now has 1,004 for his career, moving into ninth place on the career scoring list. Prior to the game, head coach Trent Whitaker was recognized for reaching 100 career coaching victories, moments before clinching his 104th win. The Dragons fell behind early 9-2 as Southport hit 3-pointers on its first three possessions, but the teams finished the quarter with a frenzy, as the Dragons emerged with a 21-19 lead after two late 3-pointers by Julius Gizzi, including one at the buzzer to put the Dragons on top for the first time in the game. Ian Stephens also scored six first-quarter points. The Dragons seized control in the second quarter. After four quick Southport points to tie the game at 23, Blaine Nunnally, Bryant Nunnally and Ian Stephens hit back-to-back 3-pointers, while the Dragons locked Southport down and didn't allow a point in the final four minutes of the quarter. Stephens and Ben Slagley added late baskets to cap a 13-0 run and give the Dragons a 36-23 halftime lead. The Dragons pushed the lead as high as 17 early in the third at 43-26, opening the frame with a 7-3 spurt that included a triple by Bryant Nunnally. Southport began to eat into the lead, with 6-6 center Nick Lemba scoring eight points in the frame and 6-5 forward Jayden Pinkston scoring six points, and cut the lead to 53-43 going into the final frame. Gizzi scored six points to lead the Dragons in the quarter. Southport continued to cut into the lead, getting it to single digits early in the fourth, with Pinkston leading the way with an early three-point play to cut the lead to seven. Led by Blaine Nunnally, the Dragons responded. He hit an early basket and a three-point play. Gizzi also hit a key 3-pointer early in the quarter to help the Dragons build a 61-53 lead. Two free throws from Bryant Nunnally and a basket by Blaine Nunnally were sandwiched around a 3-pointer by Southport's A.J. Dancler, giving the Dragons a 65-58 edge. Dancler then hit a four-point play with 1:03 left to cut the lead to three. Blaine Nunnally and Gizzi were both fouled and hit two free throws each - with Nunnally's giving him 1,000 career points - but Dancler answered both with long 3-pointers on the next two possessions, cutting the lead to 69-68. Blaine Nunnally was again fouled and hit two free throws to put NP up 71-68. Dancler tried a long 3-pointer to tie the game, but had to do so with Stephens' outstretched hand in his face. It missed. In the scramble for the rebound, Southport tried to throw the ball off Blaine Nunnally's legs out of bounds, but the Dragon instead corralled the ball, dribbled out of a double-team, drew a foul and calmly hit two free throws in the final seconds to seal the win. Nunnally scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, hitting 7-of-7 from the line. The Dragons were 11-of-11 from the line in the final frame and 17-for-18 for the game. He led four double-figure scorers, as Gizzi added 17, Stephens 15 and Bryant Nunnally a career-high 11 points. The Dragons hit eight 3-pointers, with Gizzi and Bryant Nunnally draining three each. Slagley added eight points. Dancler led Southport with 27 points, tallying 15 in the final quarter and 10 in a span of three possessions in the final two minutes. Pinkston scored 12 of his 17 in the second half before fouling out. Lemba tallied 10. The Dragons dropped a tight JV game 58-54, while the freshmen won 44-32. The Dragons are next in action Thursday at Pendleton Heights, a schedule change from a game originally to be played Friday. The game will be played at Pendleton Heights Middle School due to water damage in the PH main gym, with the JV and freshmen games to tip at 6 p.m. and the varsity at 7:30 p.m.