New Palestine High School

In a game full of runs, the New Palestine girls basketball team had the last one Thursday night, scoring the game's last nine points in 40 seconds to beat visiting Bloomington North 45-37. The Dragons had built a nine-point lead late in the third quarter with a 16-0 run, but Bloomington North's Ashley Stegemoller scored a three-point play in the closing seconds to cut the Dragons' lead to 33-27. The Dragons then went dry for the first six and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, but held their own on the defensive end. The Cougars hit a pair of baskets to cut the lead to 33-31, and Ava Robbenholt hit a 3-pointer with two minutes left to put Bloomington North up 34-33. But the Dragons responded. Gabbie Brown got open on the right wing and nailed a 3-pointer in the final 90 seconds to put the Dragons up 36-34. The Cougars didn't get a shot off on their next two possessions, but two fouls by the Dragons put them on the line. They hit three of the four free throws to take a 37-36 lead with 53 seconds left. But the Dragons again quickly responded. Kylee Beranek rolled to the basket, caught a pass, scored and drew a foul with 25 seconds left, giving the Dragons the lead back at 38-37. She missed the ensuing free throw, but the Dragons rebounded it. On the ensuing possession, Sadey Hughbanks popped free in the corner and nailed a 3-pointer to push the lead to 41-37 and complete a five-point possession. Steals by Kendra Moore and Haven Flagle thwarted the Cougars' next two possessions, and Moore and Brown hit four free throws to put the game away. Brown led the Dragons with 16 points - scoring 12 in the second half. It was one shy of her career high. Beranek added 14 points, including 8-of-9 from the free throw line. As a team, the Dragons were 16-of-19 from the stripe. Hughbanks tallied eight points. Brooklyn Crim, Flagle and Moore scored two each. Tylar Whitaker tallied one point. The Dragons established their inside presence early, as Beranek and Hughbanks combined for 10 points to give the Dragons an early 12-6 lead. The Cougars scored the last two points of the quarter to cut the lead to 12-8, and then opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run to take a 19-14 lead. Three Cougars hit 3-pointers in that stretch. A free throw by Hughbanks and a steal-and-score by Brown helped cut the deficit, but North's Audrey Burton scored a three-point play late in the frame to put the Cougars up 22-17 at the break. In the third, North scored first to go up 24-17, but then the Dragons answered with a 16-point run. Beranek ignited it with four free throws and Crim scored a basket to draw the Dragons within one, and Brown drilled the team's first 3-pointer of the game from the wing to give the Dragons the lead. The run continued with four more points by Brown, a free throw from Whitaker and a basket by Beranek to push the lead to 33-24 before the Cougars responded with 10 straight points. The Dragons are now 7-7 on the season and have won two straight games. They next play Tuesday at Triton Central. The Dragons' JV won 43-21 to improve to 12-2 on the season.