NEW PALESTINE — With the energy and intensity still in the building prior to tip-off after a close varsity girls game, the New Palestine and Pendleton Heights boys teams added to it.
In a close game that came down to the final moments of the fourth quarter, the Dragons erased an early 14-point deficit to defeat the Arabians 57-54.
“We talked before the game that they’re better than their record, and we knew that. We wanted to get off to a great start and that definitely didn’t happen,” New Palestine head coach Trent Whitaker said. “The thing our kids do though, even down 20-6, they find ways to battle back. We know that we can’t get it all back in one possession. After the first quarter, the kids came over and started talking about what we needed to do better. We have some kids that are starting to become leaders not in stats, but just in talking to the team and it’s making us better.”
Scoring from six different players led by forward Josiah Gustin’s six first-quarter points, the Arabians jumped out to a 20-6 lead before a Julius Gizzi 3-pointer at the buzzer made things 20-9.
Down 34-25 midway through the quarter, the Dragons began their comeback.
A pair of Gizzi baskets made it 34-29, a Moses Haynes steal and layup on an Arabians inbounds pass brought the Dragons within three, and two Gizzi free throws made it a one-point game entering the break.
After scoring just nine points in the opening quarter, the Dragons exploded for 24 second-quarter points led by Gizzi’s 15.
“The biggest thing was that we got stops in the second quarter. We held them to 14 points instead of 20. When you give up 20 it’s hard to get the basketball and run like we want to do,” Whitaker said. “[Pendleton Heights] did a nice job, defensively though. [Aaron] Cookston is going to sleep well tonight after the way he was chasing Julius around. Late third quarter, early fourth we could tell that they were getting a little gassed though.”
Out of the half, a Ben Slagley bucket gave the Dragons the lead, and from there the two teams traded leads.
The Arabians top scorer on the night, Seth LaRavia knocked down a trey to put Pendleton Heights back in front, but Gizzi answered right back with five straight points.
A Cooper Sims 3 to open the fourth quarter cut the lead to one, and later in the quarter another LaRavia 3-pointer and Gustin’s first basket of the second half put the Arabians back ahead 52-51 with just under four minutes remaining.
After a Gizzi free throw tied things up, a Haynes steal and assist on the fast break to Keagan Harrison put the Dragons back in front until the one-minute mark.
A Gustin putback evened things at 52, but out of a timeout, a designed play for Gizzi freed him up under the basket for the go-ahead score.
Gizzi exceeded the 30-point mark for the sixth time in the last seven games with a game-high 35 points.
“It’s weird to say, but they did a nice job on him. The kid just finds ways. He hits tough 15-foot jumpers, he’ll step back and hit a 3,” Whitaker said. “Nothing really fazes him when it comes to having the basketball in his hands. He’s done a nice job of moving the basketball too, it doesn’t just stick with him.”
Gizzi hit a free throw with 15 seconds remaining to make it a three-point game, and the Arabians missed both of their game-tying attempts at the buzzer.
LaRavia and Gustin each scored 17 points to lead Pendleton Heights.
Along with Gizzi’s 35, Haynes and Evan Darrah each scored seven for the Dragons.
New Palestine is back in action Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Richmond.
–
New Palestine 57, Pendleton Heights 54
Pendleton Heights;20;14;10;10;—;54
New Palestine;9;24;15;9;—;57
Pendleton Heights (6-8, 0-2): Josiah Gustin 6 4-4 17, Evan Mozingo 1 2-2 4, Seth LaRavia 6 2-2 17, Cooper Sims 3 0-0 8, Aaron Cookston 2 0-0 4, Isaac Wilson 0 0-0 0, Dontrez Braxton 1 2-2 4 Totals: 19 10-10 54
New Palestine (9-2, 3-1): Julius Gizzi 10 12-14 35, Ben Slagley 1 1-2 3, Moses Haynes 3 0-0 7, Brady Armstrong 1 0-0 3, Evan Darrah 2 1-3 7, Keagan Harrison 1 0-0 2, Austin McMahan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 14-19 57.
3-point goals: Pendleton Heights 6 (Laravia 3, Sims 2, Gustin); New Palestine 7 (Gizzi 3, Darrah 2, Armstrong, Haynes).
