New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team returns to action with a Thursday game at Perry Meridian. Thursday New Palestine Dragons (15-1) at Perry Meridian Falcons (3-12) Time: 6 p.m. F/JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Perry Meridian High School, Indianapolis (directions: https://goo.gl/maps/qfs3eU4qPA86nNL86 ) Tickets: $6, online at https://secure.payk12.com/school/pmhs/395/item/227948 Audio: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons continue their tour of the Mid-State Conference with a trip to Perry Meridian. The Dragons will play four Mid-State teams in January and February. Due to a scheduling quirk, this is the Dragons’ first trip to Perry Meridian since Jan. 31, 2019. The all-time series is tied 5-5, but the Falcons are 3-1 on their home court, with the Dragons’ last win at PM coming Nov. 25, 1995, a 75-52 win. The current series began in 2013-14. The Dragons have won three straight in the series, with a 54-45 victory last year. Ian Stephens scored 13 points in that contest. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons were the second-to-last team in the state to keep an unbeaten streak, but it was snapped by a single point Monday in a 59-58 loss to Lawrence North. The Dragons’ 15-1 start is the best in school history, and the 15-game winning streak was the longest in the program’s 114-year history. Senior Blaine Nunnally improved his career assists total to 373 with a six-assist game against Lawrence North. He needs two assists to tie 2020 graduate Maximus Gizzi as the Dragons’ career assists leader. Nunnally also improved his scoring total to 1,086 points Monday, passing 2022 graduate Steele Brasfield for fifth on the NPHS career scoring list. He needs 20 points to catch 2015 graduate Ryan Curry for fourth place. In Monday’s contest, the Dragons rallied from a late five-point deficit when Ben Slagley scored back-to-back three-point plays to put the Dragons up 51-50. LN answered with five straight points, but the Dragons continued to battle back and closed within one on a basket by Slagley and two free throws from Blaine Nunnally. The Dragons had four players in double-figures Monday, with Ian Stephens scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Blaine Nunnally added 12 points and six assists. Slagley talled 10 points and four boards, while Moses Haynes reached his career high with 10 points and added four assists. The Dragons improved to 5-0 in the HHC last Friday with a come-from-behind 60-53 victory over Yorktown. The Dragons trailed by five with three minutes to go and finished the game with a 12-0 run, sparked by Haynes’ second 3-pointer of the game and a three-point play by Blaine Nunnally to give the Dragons the lead. The Dragons then went 6-6 from the line in the closing seconds to seal the victory. Nunnally scored 20 points, including hitting 10-of-10 from the line and 8-of-8 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Dragons against Yorktown. He also had five assists, four rebounds and two steals. Ian Stephens led the Dragons with 22 points and six rebounds. He hit 8-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-3 from 3-point range. Ben Slagley added five rebounds. As a team, the Dragons were 15-of-18 from the line against Yorktown. The Dragons have clinched a winning season for the sixth consecutive year, equaling a program record of consecutive winning seasons set from 1983-89 under coaches Ed Frieje and Carl Hughes. Nunnally is fourth in the HHC in scoring at 17.2 ppg, with Stephens ranking fifth (17.0 ppg). Stephens (8.6) and Slagley (7.1) are the league’s top two rebounders. Nunnally leads the league in assists (5.3 apg), with Moses Haynes sixth (2.6 apg). Stephens ranks sixth in steals (1.6 spg). SCOUTING THE FALCONS PM enters the week with a 3-12 mark under legendary coach Mark James. The Falcons have tropped fice straight games, scoring no more than 38 points in those five contests. Their most recent contest was a 33-30 loss to Greenwood Friday. Senior Patrick Schott (11.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and senior Richard Dube (10.3 ppg, 3.7 apg) lead the Falcons.