New Palestine High School

The New Palestine girls basketball team returns to action with a pair of road games to open the 2023 portion of the schedule. Tuesday New Palestine Dragons (8-8) at Triton Central Tigers (13-3) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Triton Central HS, Fairland Tickets: $6, cash at gate Friday New Palestine Dragons (8-8, 3-2 HHC) at Pendleton Heights Arabians (9-8, 5-1 HHC) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Pendleton Heights Middle School Tickets: $6, tickets must be purchased in advance at https://www.spicket.events/arabians because of capacity restrictions. SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons open 2023 with a road game against a traditional foe - one they’ve played every year but four since the program started in 1974-75. The Dragons are 27-18 all-time against the Tigers, including two straight victories. The Dragons won last year’s meeting 54-44, with Isabella Gizzi’s 16 points leading three double-figure scorers. The Dragons and Arabians meet for a Friday night HHC tilt. The Dragons trail the all-time series 27-18 and lost two meetings to PH last season, 69-67 in OT in the regular season and 66-46 in the sectional. This game was initially to be part of a doubleheader, but water damage at PHHS changed it to a traditional JV/varsity matchup and caused a venue change to Pendleton Heights Middle School. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons closed 2022 by finishing as the runner-up in the Dec. 30 Plainfield Winter Classic. Isabella Gizzi scored 34 points in the championship-game 60-53 loss to Roncalli. She added seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Vivian Miller added 10 points and four assists. In the semifinal round, the Dragons won their first-ever road game over Plainfield 52-46, with Gizzi scoring 26 points and adding five rebounds. Allie Blum had 10 points and three steals, while Miller scored eight points and dished three assists. In the Dec. 20 game against Lawrence Central, Blum tallied her first career double-double, with 14 points and 11 rebonds. It was the Dragons’ first since Gizzi tallied one Nov. 16, 2021 at Franklin Central. Blum’s 11 boards tied a career high previously set Nov. 23, 2021 at Rushville. Gizzi is already the Dragons’ career scoring leader and now has 1,473 points. She also crossed the 200 assists mark against Roncalli. She has 389 points this season, needing 79 to tie the single-season record of 468 set by her mother and coach Sarah (Haynes) Gizzi in 1993-94. Four Dragons have scored in double-figures this season. Gizzi has done it 15 times in 16 games (and 70 times in 89 career games). Miller has eight double-figure games, Blum five (six career) and Kylee Beranek one. At 24.3 ppg, Gizzi leads the HHC in scoring. She is also seventh in steals (2.9). Vivian Miller is second in the league with 2.6 assists per game. SCOUTING THE TIGERS Triton Central won the Shelby County Tournament last week, beating Morristown 45-32 and Waldron 60-29. The Tigers enter this contest having won 11 straight games. The Tigers are led by senior Lizzie Graham (13.5 ppg) and freshman Maryrose Felling (12.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg), as well as senior Hallie Schweitzer (9.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg). SCOUTING THE ARABIANS The Arabians finished runner-up in the Madison County Tournament last week, beating potential sectional foe Anderson 56-33 and Alexandria 71-57 before a 42-38 championship-game loss to Lapel. PH is led by the Warfel sisters. Kacie, a sophomore, averages 20.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 steals per game. Whitney, a senior, tallies 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. Senior Berkeley Shelton adds 7.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.