New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team begins the Perry Township Two-Step this weekend, as it faces Perry Meridian and Southport. THURSDAY: (11/3A 4) New Palestine Dragons (16-2) at Perry Meridian Falcons (5-12) Time: 6 p.m. F/JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Perry Meridian HS Tickets: $7, https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=114848 Audio broadcast: NewPalRadio.com SATURDAY: Southport Cardinals (9-7) at (11/3A 4) New Palestine Dragons (16-2) Time: 1 p.m. JV, 2:30 p.m. V Site: New Palestine HS Tickets: $6/cash at gate or online https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=113866 Audio broadcast: NewPalRadio.com Video broadcast: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine ($) SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons play their Perry Township doubleheader this week, opening with the Thursday trip to Perry Meridian. The Dragons enter the game on a nine-game winning streak and ranked No. 4 in Class 3A - their all-time highest ranking in a class. NP leads the series 9-5 and has won four straight, including a 71-52 decision last season. Julius Gizzi scored 27 points and Ben Slagley 11 in that contest. Saturday, the Dragons play another matinee, hosting a solid Southport squad. This is the first of five consecutive games to close out the season against Sagarin Top 64 teams for the Dragons. The Dragons trail the series with Southport 7-3, but have won two straight, including a 73-60 victory last year. Julius Gizzi scored 37 points and Moses Haynes 11. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons posted a 3-0 week last week, beating then-No. 5 Lawrence North 63-56 before scoring 90-plus points in the two weekend games against Yorktown and Indian Creek. On Friday, the Dragons hit a season-high 41 field goals against Yorktown and shot 63% (41-65), and did even better Saturday, hitting 67% (35-52) against Indian Creek. The 97 points were the eighth-highest total in school history and the most scored by a Dragons team since 1989. The weekend marked the first time since 1967 they had scored 90 or more points in back-to-back games. Ben Slagley tallied the first triple-double in the school’s recorded history Friday, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He nearly equaled the feat at Indian Creek, tallying career highs with 15 rebounds and 11 assists, to go along with seven points. It was the first time a Dragon had recorded double-doubles in consecutive games since Gizzi had four straight in February 2024, and the first time a Dragon had posted back-to-back double-digit assist games since Moses Haynes in February 2024. Haynes tied Maximus Gizzi’s school record Saturday with 115 career steals. Julius Gizzi scored 31 points against Yorktown and 34 against Indian Creek, giving him 30 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The last time he did so was Feb. 10-18, 2024, when he had 34 against Connersville and 44 against Whiteland. He was named IBCA Player of the Week. Gizzi crossed the 1,500 point barrier Saturday and now has 1,527. He needs 85 points to become NPHS’s career scoring leader. He is fourth in the state in scoring. Haynes is sixth in the state in assists (7.1 apg). His 127 assists this season are fifth-most in school history, and his 382 career assists are 41 back of Blaine Nunnally’s school record. SCOUTING THE FALCONS PM had dropped four straight before Friday’s 72-59 victory over Greenwood. Junior Bryce Mathis (16.9 ppg) and senior Sterlin Lewis (12.4 ppg) lead the Falcons. SCOUTING THE CARDINALS Southport enters the week after splitting last weekend - falling 75-50 to Columbus North and beating Franklin 54-47. Jack Turner (11.7 ppg) and James Kalala (10.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg) lead the Cardinals, who visit Decatur Central Thursday. FOLLOW THE DRAGONS All Dragons games, home and away, are broadcast at NewPalRadio.com. The Dragons are also on Facebook and Instagram (@newpalestinedragons) and X (@NPHSDragons), and can be found online at NewPalestineAthletics.com.