New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team has set a lot of individual records this season. Saturday night, it was about setting team records. In 108 IHSAA tournament appearances, never before had a Dragons basketball team won three straight sectional titles. Until now. The Dragons pulled away late in the third quarter to beat Roncalli 65-55 to win the Class 3A Shelbyville sectional. In the process, they set a school record for wins as they improved to 24-3. The previous mark was 23, set two years ago when the five current seniors were sophomores and began the three-peat run. The seniors were instrumental again. Julius Gizzi scored 25 points to lead all scorers. Ben Slagley tallied 16, his highest point total since Dec. 27, and Moses Haynes scored 15. The two teams played a back-and-forth first quarter, in which the Dragons trailed 17-15, despite Slagley hitting two 3-pointers and Haynes tallying five points. Roncalli had three different players hit 3-pointers in the frame. The Dragons pulled ahead early in the second quarter, with Gizzi scoring six of the team's first eight points to put NP up 23-22. Haynes followed with a 3-pointer. Gizzi tallied 10 points in the frame, allowing the Dragons to build a 32-29 halftime lead, despite Roncalli center Joe Taylor tallying five of his nine points in the quarter and the Royals hitting two more 3-pointers in the quarter. Gizzi hit a basket and Haynes a 3-pointer early in the third to put the Dragons up 37-29 and gain a little bit of separation. A 3-pointer by Austin McMahan pushed the lead to 10, at 41-31. Roncalli followed with a basket, but Evan Darrah drilled a triple to push the lead to 44-33. Haynes, McMahan and Slagley added baskets to give the Dragons a 50-36 third-quarter edge, outscoring the Royals 18-7 in the frame. McMahan and Haynes scored five points each in the quarter. Roncalli went on an 8-0 run that featured two 3-pointers and a basket by Taylor to cut the lead to six late, but Gizzi scored his third basket of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 56-48. Taylor added a 3-pointer in the comeback attempt, but the Royals had to foul. Slagley went 6-for-6 from the line in the final minutes, while Gizzi hit 3-of-4, to seal the victory. Taylor scored nine of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Roncalli. The Royals (16-9) hit eight 3-pointers in the contest, from five different players. The Dragons advance to the regional, which will tip at 4 p.m. March 15 at Greenfield-Central. No. 3 NP will face No. 6 Guerin Catholic (23-4), who won the Frankfort sectional. The Dragons have faced Guerin this season, winning 66-51 in a Feb. 11 regular season game.