New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team had to rally in the final minute, then took command on the opening possession of overtime and calmly sank free throw after free throw to pull away to a 67-60 victory at Warren Central. With their first-ever win on the Warriors' home floor, the Dragons finished the regular season with a 21-3 mark - the best regular-season record in school history. Julius Gizzi tallied his second straight 30-point game to lead the Dragons to the victory, tallying 16 in the fourth quarter and OT. In the process, he improved his career total to 1,682, becoming the all-time leading scorer - boys or girls - in NPHS history. He passed his sister Isabella's mark of 1,676 points. Julius and Isabella Gizzi are one of six sets of siblings in Indiana to hold their schools' respective career scoring records. With the Dragons trailing 52-48 after WC displaced Gizzi out of the way while receiving a pass and hit two FTs in the final minute, Gizzi drew a quick foul and hit both free throws to cut the deficit to 52-50. With 30 seconds left, WC missed two free throws and the Dragons pushed the ball into the frontcourt. Gizzi drove to the middle of the lane and hit a 10-foot jumper through contact to tie the game at 52-52 with 15 seconds left. WC had a 3-pointer in the corner to win, but it fell off. In the extra session, Ben Slagley helped the Dragons secure the tip and quickly finished the possession with a layup to put the Dragons up 54-52 - their first lead since the late stages of the third quarter. After the Dragons forced a turnover, Moses Haynes was fouled and hit a free throw. WC answered with a basket to cut the lead to 55-54, but Gizzi and Evan Darrah hit two free throws each to push the lead to 59-54, and it eventually became 60-54 after another Haynes free throw. WC hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 60-57, but Haynes was fouled and hit two shots. The Dragons continued to get stops, and NP put the game away at the line. The Dragons were 13-of-16 from the line in the fourth quarter and 23-of-32 for the game. Gizzi was 16-of-22 from the line, hitting 5-of-6 in the final quarter and 7-of-8 in OT. Haynes was 4-for-6 in OT and finished with 11 points. WC built an early lead thanks to 6-foot-5 forward Jevon Guess, who scored seven early points, but the Dragons got six early points from Austin McMahan and 3-pointers from Darrah and Haynes to forge a 14-12 lead after one. The Dragons opened the second with a 7-2 run - fueled by a Will Davison 3-pointer and baskets from McMahan and Gizzi - to go up 21-14 before the Warriors scored six straight. NP maintained the edge and led 27-24 at the half, with Gizzi scoring six of the Dragons' 13 second-quarter points. In the third, the Dragons struggled to find offense, with Gizzi scoring six points, but WC's Kaleb Elkins drilled four 3-pointers - including one at the buzzer - to put the Warriors up 38-37, their first lead since the first quarter. The Warriors held the lead for much of the fourth, despite the Dragons answering. NP had played zone for the first three quarters, then switched to man-to-man for the fourth, before going back to the zone for OT. WC scored first, but Gizzi hit a free throw and a basket to tie the game at 40, before the Warriors scored again to take a 42-40 edge. Darrah hit a 3-pointer to put the Dragons up one, but it was answered by a triple from WC's Keyshaun Harlan to re-take the lead at 45-43. Slagley scored a three-point play to put the Dragons up one, but the Warriors again answered with a basket by Guess, and a free. throw from him on the next possession, to take a 48-46 lead. Gizzi answered with two FTs - drawing the fifth foul on Guess, which opened up the interior for the Dragons - before the Warriors scored twice to take a four-point lead, setting the stage for the Dragons' final-minute comeback. In addition to the two double-figure scorers, McMahan and Darrah scored eight points each for the Dragons. Slagley tallied seven - all in the second half - while Davison scored three. Elkins led WC with 21 points. Guess tallied 14. The Dragons JV also won to finish the year with a 20-1 record.