New Palestine High School

A late fourth-quarter run carried the New Palestine girls basketball team to a 53-50 victory over 3A No. 9 Delta in a hotly-contested game at the Dragons' Den. The Dragons improved to 9-1 on the season with the victory and 2-0 in HHC play, while handing Delta (8-1, 2-1) its first loss. Having led throughout much of the game, the Dragons surrendered the lead midway through the fourth quarter and trailed 49-45 in the final three and a half minutes. Adding to the adversity, two starters had fouled out. Haven Flagle stole an inbounds pass, drew a foul and hit two free throws to cut the deficit to two, then Sadey Hughbanks got open inside and hit a layup to tie the game at 49-49. A free throw gave Delta the lead back, but on the ensuing possession, the Dragons beat Delta's press. Kendra Moore found Ally White open down the lane on a 2-on-1. White scored a layup to put the Dragons on top. After another defensive stop, the Dragons got the ball back, spread the floor and Flagle drove down the lane for a basket to extend the lead with 33 seconds to go. The Dragons then forced Delta to use a lot of clock. When the Eagles' finally shot, it was a miss with five seconds left. Sawyor Murdick rebounded and the Dragons came away with the victory. Flagle scored 15 points to lead the Dragons. Hughbanks added 14. Flagle's first contributions came early. After a Delta run gave the Eagles an 11-6 lead late in the first, Flagle hit back-to-back triples to put NP up 12-11 after a quarter. It launched a 13-0 run that put NP up eight. Hughbanks and Gabbie Brown helped fuel it, as Brown scored six second-quarter points and Hughbanks hit an early basket inside. Delta cut the lead to 19-15 and 23-21, and the Dragons again answered. Kendra Moore hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to five, and White scored inside to push it to a 28-21 edge. In the third, Delta started the frame with a quick run to take the lead at 34-33. Moore hit two free throws to re-take the lead, and NP then added to the run to score seven straight points and go up 40-34, before Delta cut the edge to 42-37 at the break. NP was 8-of-10 from the line in the quarter, with Hughbanks and White scoring four points each. In the fourth, Delta began with a quick six-point run to take the lead back at 43-42, before a basket by Brooklyn Crim re-took the lead. Hughbanks added a free throw. Delta responded with a 3-pointer to go up 47-45, and added another two free throws, setting the stage for the Dragons' late run. In addition to the two double-figure scorers, White tallied a career-high eight points off the bench, while also providing outstanding defense and rebounding. Moore tallied seven points. Brown scored six - all in the second quarter. Crim scored three. The Dragons limited Delta leading scorer Jillian Barr - who battled foul trouble the entire game and fouled out early in the fourth quarter - to eight points. Addison Barnes led the Eagles with 14 points. The Dragons won a two-quarter JV game 23-18. The Dragons next play Tuesday at home against Shelbyville.