New Palestine High School

The New Palestine girls basketball team used an outstanding defensive effort Friday to clinch a spot in Saturday's sectional championship game at Indian Creek. The Dragons took command in the second quarter and never looked back in a 35-27 victory over Shelbyville in the 3A Indian Creek sectional semifinal. They advance to face Roncalli (15-8) - a 62-38 winner over Beech Grove in the first semifinal - in Saturday's 7 p.m. championship game. With the victory, the Dragons (12-11) clinched their third straight sectional title game appearance, and their seventh championship-game appearance in eight years. NP is seeking its seventh sectional title in school history and first since 2020. Sadey Hughbanks scored 15 points to lead the Dragons, but they used a suffocating defensive effort to The Dragons did so with a suffocating defensive effort. Hughbanks hit two early shots to put the Dragons up 4-3, but Shelbyville answered with a basket and a 3-pointer to take a four-point edge, before Gabbie Brown's free throws pulled NP within 8-6 after a quarter. The Dragons took command in the second, outscoring the Golden Bears 14-4 to take a 20-12 halftime edge. Kendra Moore opened the frame with a 3-pointer to put the Dragons on top, followed by back-to-back baskets from Kylee Beranek. Hughbanks capped the quarter with a triple to extend the lead to eight at the break. She and Moore scored five points each in the second. The Dragons extended the lead to 30-17 after three. An aggressive, attacking offense got them to the line 12 times in the frame. Hughbanks hit two 3-pointers, while Beranek was 4-of-6 from the line in the frame. Hughbanks' second triple put NP up 13 going into the final frame. Defensively, the Dragons held Shelbyville to two total field goals in the middle quarters in outscoring the Bears 24-9 to take control of the game. Moore's early fourth-quarter 3-pointer helped stave off a Shelbyville comeback, but the Dragons' defense also did its job. Shelbyville scored 10 points in the quarter - hitting 6-of-6 from the line - but the Dragons kept them at arm's length. Hughbanks' season-high 15 points were two shy of her career high, which she also tallied in the 2023-24 season against Shelbyville. In addition, Beranek and Moore scored eight points each. Whitaker and Brown tallied two each. Hannah Baker and Jayla Ash scored nine points each for Shelbyville. Coupled with the Dragons' 51-23 victory over Greenwood in Wednesday's first round, it marked the first time since Nov. 11-14, 2020 the Dragons have held back-to-back opponents below 30 points. It also marked the first time since the 2018-19 season the Dragons have held four teams below 30 points in a game in a season. The victory clinches the program's 11th consecutive season with a .500 or better record, extending the longest such streak in the program's 51-year history.