New Palestine High School

The Dragons boys basketball team hits the road for a pair of games this weekend, with the team able to clinch a piece of the HHC title in Friday's game at Shelbyville before hitting the road Saturday to face 14-4 Connersville. Friday New Palestine Dragons (17-1, 5-0) at Shelbyville Golden Bears (9-9, 1-4) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Garrett Gym, Shelbyville (directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/New+Palestine+High+School,+South+Victory+Drive,+New+Palestine,+IN/Shelbyville+High+School,+South+Miller+Street,+Shelbyville,+IN/@39.6093978,-85.9808444,11z/am=t/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x886b3834ba1e9227:0x53431813faa9c8a8!2m2!1d-85.89055!2d39.7186612!1m5!1m1!1s0x886b17387f952067:0xee1d5a3fd193c23e!2m2!1d-85.787349!2d39.5059188!3e0 ) Tickets: $6 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Saturday Friday New Palestine Dragons (17-1) at Connersville Spartans (14-4) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Spartan Bowl, Connersville (note: the Spartan Bowl is *not* at Connersville HS) (directions: https://goo.gl/maps/irGtG2xAeua3e8MF8 ) Tickets: $6 Audio: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons enter the weekend seeking to clinch a piece of the Hoosier Heritage Conference title, which they can do with a Friday win at Shelbyville. The Dragons last won the HHC title in 2020. They also have won HHC titles in 2000, 2003 and 2013. The Dragons and Shelbyville are known for playing close games. The series is tied at 19-all, but NP has won five straight. Four of the five have been decided by three points or less, including the Dragons’ 63-60 victory last year. The Dragons dropped two spots in the IBCA poll and three spots in the AP poll this week but remain in the Top 10 in both polls. Saturday, the Dragons finish their “sectional tune-up” week with a trip to Connersville. Connersville leads the all-time series 8-2, with the Spartans winning a 56-55 thriller last season. The Dragons’ last win was a 56-47 victory in the 2019 sectional. Connersville beat conference foe East Central 38-29 Thursday DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons’ 17 wins is tied for 10th-most in school history. One win this weekend would tie for the eighth-most wins in school history, while two wins would give NP its tie for second-most. The 1988-89 team won 21 games. The Dragons’ 36 wins the last two seasons are the most in back-to-back seasons for the basketball program. Senior Blaine Nunnally became New Palestine’s career assists leader with three assists in Thursday’s win at Perry Meridian and added seven more against Guerin Catholic. He now has 383 assists for his career. He also scored 16 points against Guerin, tallying five in the final 90 seconds to lead the Dragons to a 67-63 victory. Both of his baskets came with the Dragons trailing by one. Nunnally now has 1,117 career points and has moved into fourth place on the NPHS scoring list. He needs 17 points to pass 2004 graduate Kent Raymond for third. Senior Ian Stephens tallied 23 points against Guerin, including seven in the fourth quarter, doing so on 7-of-9 shooting and 7-of-8 from the line. He added four rebounds. Sophomore Julius Gizzi added 17 points, two off his career high. He hit 5-of-7 from 3-point range in the contest. Nunnally is fourth in the HHC in scoring at 17.1 ppg, with Stephens ranking seventh (16.7 ppg). Stephens (8.2) and Slagley (6.7) rank first and third in rebounding. Nunnally leads the league and ranks 21st in the state in assists (5.3 apg), with Moses Haynes sixth in the HHC (2.7 apg). Stephens ranks sixth in steals (1.5 spg). SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS Shebyville improved to 9-9 Tuesday with a victory over Edinburgh. Senior Ollie Sandman, a DePauw commit, leads the Golden Bears, scoring 16.8 points per game. Sophomore Damon Badgley adds 8.6 ppg and freshman Caden Claxton 8.3 ppg. SCOUTING THE SPARTANS Connersville leads the Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference standings headed into the final weeks of the season. The Spartans enter the game having won eight of nine, led by senior Josh Williams, who tallies 16.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. Senior Lucas Barron tallies 11.4 ppg and senior Braxton Myers 9.9 ppg.