New Palestine High School

Brooklyn Crim's three-point play with 4.7 seconds left Thursday broke a deadlock and lifted the New Palestine girls basketball team to a 43-41 victory over Brebeuf Jesuit in the season opener for both teams. With the game tied at 40, the Dragons had possession. A drive into the lane led to a loose ball and a held ball. The possession arrow favored the Dragons. On the ensuing inbounds play, Haven Flagle found Crim coming off a screen at the left block. Crim finished through contact, then completed the three-point play at the line. The Dragons fouled at midcourt with 2.2 seconds left. Brebeuf missed the first and made the second. The Dragons inbounded to Crim, who dribbled out the clock. Crim finished the game with 19 points, including nine in the fourth quarter. Sadey Hughbanks added 15 points. The contest was tight throughout. Neither team led by more than five points - and that lead was quickly erased. NP trailed 33-31 going into the fourth quarter, but the Dragons quickly tied the game on a basket by Crim. Hughhbanks followed with her second 3-pointer of the game to push the Dragons to a 36-33 lead. Brebeuf went to the line early and often in the fourth quarter, going 4-of-6 in three trips to take the lead back at 37-36. Crim scored inside to re-take the lead midway through the quarter. Another free throw by Brebeuf guard Robyn Pate tied the game at 38-38, and the Braves re-took the lead at 40-38 with 2:10 to go on a rebound by Chloe Williams. On the ensuing possession, Crim took a feed from Gabbie Brown and finished through contact to tie the game. Solid defense in the post by Hughbanks and Crim forced a Brebeuf miss, but the Dragons missed in close range on the other end with 32 seconds left. But Brown hustled back on defense, stole the ball on the baseline and called timeout to save the possession, setting up Crim's winning three-point play. The game was tight throughout. Brebeuf built an early 5-1 lead before Hughbanks answered with a 3-pointer. The teams swapped ties and leads until the Braves went up 14-12 at the end of the frame. Hughbanks tallied five points and Crim four in the opening eight minutes. Brebeuf began the second quarter with a small run to go up 21-16, but the Dragons quickly answered, led by Hughbanks, who repeatedly drew fouls and was 5-of-6 from the line in the period. NP scored the next six points to go ahead 22-21, and again at 24-23 on Crim's second basket of the quarter, but a 3-pointer by Brebeuf freshman Leah Soloria gave the Braves a 26-24 halftime edge. Hughbanks scored 10 of her 15 points in the first half, all but three of which came from the line. She finished with a 9-of-10 performance from the stripe. As a team, the Dragons were 14-of-17. The third quarter was more of the same - the teams struggled to score in the first half of the quarter - each trading two free throws. A pair of foul shots by Hughbanks knotted the game at 28-28. Kendra Moore followed with a 3-pointer to put the Dragons up 31-28, but Brebeuf scored the last five points of the quarter - all from the line. The Braves hit four free throws in the final 10 seconds of the frame to go up 33-31. The Dragons' defense held Brebeuf to two second-half field goals - one of which was a putback - but the Braves maintained contact with an 11-of-19 performance from the line in the second half and 14-of-23 for the game. In addition to Crim and Hughbanks' points, Flagle, Moore and Brown scored three points each for the Dragons. Soloria led Brebeuf with 10 points, all of which came in the first half. The Dragons also won the JV game 27-18. The Dragons (1-0) travel to Batesville for a Saturday tilt. A junior varsity half will tip at 5 p.m., with the varsity game set to begin at about 5:45 p.m.