New Palestine High School

The New Palestine boys basketball team has a chance to clinch the outright Hoosier Heritage Conference championship tonight as the Dragons host Mt. Vernon for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The Dragons then travel to Whiteland for a Saturday tilt. Friday New Palestine Dragons (18-2, 6-0) vs. Mt. Vernon Marauders (13-7, 4-1) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: NPHS Tickets: $6, available at the door or online at https://public.eventlink.com/tickets?t=29692 Audio: NewPalRadio.com Video: IHSAAtv.org/NewPalestine Saturday New Palestine Dragons (18-2) at Whiteland Warriors (8-12) Time: 6 p.m. JV, 7:30 p.m. V Site: Glenn Ray Gymnasium, Whiteland Tickets: $6, available at door or online at https://whitelandsports.com/tickets Audio: NewPalRadio.com SETTING THE SCENE The Dragons seek to clinch the outright Hoosier Heritage Conference championship with a home game against arch-rival Mt. Vernon. The Dragons have already clinched a piece of their fifth HHC title - having also won in 2000, 2003, 2013 and 2020. They are seeking their first outright title since 2013. The Dragons have won 12 conference titles in their history in four different conferences. The Dragons and Marauders meet in their traditional third Friday in February date - which began the year prior to Mt. Vernon’s consolidation, when NP faced Vernon Township on this date in 1963. This is the 89th all-time meeting between the schools. NP trails the series 54-34. The teams have met twice in four of the last five seasons. The Dragons lost both meetings last year but have won the last two meetings played at the Dragons’ Den. NP has played MV or one or more of its predecessor schools in each year of its recorded basketball history. The Dragons dropped three spots in the IBCA poll to No. 13 this week. The Dragons play their final road game of the regular season Saturday at Whiteland. The Dragons trail the series 25-23, but have won two straight meetings. Whiteland is the third of four Mid-State Conference schools on the Dragons’ schedule. The Warriors play league rival Martinsville Friday. DRAGONS NOTES The Dragons’ 18 wins is tied for 8th-most in school history. One win this weekend would tie for the second-most wins in school history. The 1988-89 team won 21 games. The Dragons’ 37 wins the last two seasons are the most in back-to-back seasons for the basketball program. Senior Blaine Nunnally is the Dragons’ career assists leader and added eight to his total last weekend, improving it to 391. He also had two big scoring games, tallying 23 against Shelbyville and 21 against Connersville, moving him into third place on the NPHS career scoring list with 1,161 points. Sophomore Ben Slagley had a big weekend. He tallied 15 points and 14 rebounds against Shelbyville - the rebound total one shy of his career high - and followed it up with a 14-point, seven-rebound game at Connersville. Senior Ian Stephens tallied 12 points against Connersville. Nunnally is third in the HHC in scoring at 17.6 ppg, with Stephens ranking eighth (16.0 ppg). Stephens (8.1) and Slagley (7.1) rank first and third in rebounding. Nunnally leads the league and ranks 21st in the state in assists (5.2 apg), with Moses Haynes seventh in the HHC (2.7 apg). Stephens ranks seventh in steals (1.4 spg). SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS MV has won two straight and is 6-2 in its last eight, beating Mooresville 79-53 and Pike 72-64 last week. Freshman Julien Smith leads MV, tallying 13.7 points per game. Freshman Luke Ertel adds 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. Senior Eli Bridenthal tallies 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds. SCOUTING THE WARRIORS Whiteland enters the week having won back-to-back games, beating Indian Creek 51-41 Feb. 2 and Decatur Central 67-62 last Friday. Junior Wiatt McLaughlin leads Whiteland, tallying 16.6 points per game. Senior Austin Willoughby adds 9.9 points per contest. Senior Brayden Roy grabs 7.9 rebounds per game.