NEW PALESTINE — In the final test for both teams before sectional play begins Tuesday, both New Palestine and Greenwood started sloppy.
The teams combined for more turnovers than made baskets in the first quarter, a trend that continued through halftime.
A 7-0 run from the Dragons to start the second quarter opened up a nine-point lead, and with the Woodmen struggling to shoot, the hosts were able to stay out in front.
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New Palestine opened a double-digit lead early in the third quarter and withstood a fourth-quarter comeback attempt, holding on to win the regular-season finale Friday night, topping Greenwood, 47-34.
“Any time you get momentum going into the tournament, that’s a good thing,” New Palestine coach Trent Whitaker said. “It was Senior Night, and we’re able to send off our six seniors with a win. They contributed early, they played well. They bust their tail every day in practice, and sometimes they don’t get the recognition they deserve, but they are just as much a part of this team as anyone else. That was the message after in the lockerroom.”
Whitaker did something a bit unconventional at the beginning of Friday’s game, rolling out a totally different starting lineup from the norm.
New Palestine started the game with five seniors of their six seniors on the court, including three who don’t see regular varsity action. That group — regular starters Matthew True and Dylan Romine, along with Luke Ramsey, Justin Rightley and Jacob Hockett — jumped out to a 9-6 lead before the rest of the regular starting lineup subbed in over halfway through the first.
“This is the first time I’ve had that many seniors that don’t play a lot of minutes,” Whitaker said. “You know what? They deserve this night. It’s just my appreciation to them for all their hard work. They go through, they grind just as much as Matthew and Maximus (Gizzi) and those guys who get the spotlight. They deserve an opportunity, and they did a nice job. Got off to a great start.”
After the strong start, turnovers became an issue for both teams. The first quarter was turnover-laden, leaving the game close, but New Palestine opened the second quarter hot to open a big lead and went into the half up seven.
After the Dragons opened a 15-point lead in the third quarter, Greenwood stormed back, cutting the deficit as low as seven in the fourth quarter.
The Woodmen had the ball with a chance to make it a two-possession game. A quick shot against strong New Palestine defense didn’t fall, and the Dragons started to pull away again.
“We’re not taking care of the basketball, and that’s crushing us right now,” Greenwood coach Joe Bradburn said. “I thought from the second-half standpoint, we competed the right way. We gathered ourselves at halftime and pretty much left things on the court from an effort standpoint. We still made too many mistakes with the basketball to recover.”
The New Palestine defense flustered Greenwood much of the night, as the Woodmen shot just 12 of 39 from the floor. New Palestine was 17 of 36 from the floor.
True led the way for the Dragons, scoring 20 points and nabbing four steals and three rebounds. Gizzi had eight points and four assists. Romine and Maxen Hook added five points, Eric Roudebush had four, Eastes finished with three and senior Jack Walker scored two.
“Just satisfied with how things have ended so far,” True said. “We know we have a little bit to go. It’s a new season starting tomorrow for us. We’re just enjoying the moment for now.”
Both teams play in Tuesday’s sectional opening round, with Greenwood meeting Center Grove for the third time this season and New Palestine playing Greenfield-Central for the second time this year. Both games are at 6 p.m. at Center Grove and Richmond, respectively.
“It starts Tuesday,” Whitaker said. “We don’t talk about past that. We’re looking at win number 15.”
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New Palestine 47, Greenwood 34
Greenwood;8;6;11;9;—;34
New Palestine;10;11;17;9;—;47
Greenwood (9-13): Spencer Aaron 4 4-6 12, Bryce Hoffman 3 2-2 11, Rasheed Elemikan 3 0-0 6, T.J. Price 1 0-0 3, Devin Lester 1 0-0 2, Brock Kincaid 0 0-0 0, Ian Raker 0 0-0 0, Matthew Allen 0 0-0 0, Ethan Dyer 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 6-13 34.
New Palestine (14-8): Maximus Gizzi 2 3-4 8, Matthew True 7 3-5 20, Dawson Eastes 1 0-0 3, Dylan Romine 2 0-0 5, Kyle King 0 0-0 0, Maxen Hook 2 1-2 5, Eric Roudebush 2 0-0 4, Jack Walker 1 0-0 2, Luke Ramsey 0 0-0 0, Jacob Hockett 0 0-0 0, Justin Rightley 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 7-11 47.
3-point goals: Greenwood 4 (Hoffman 3, Price), New Palestine 6 (True 3, Gizzi, Eastes, Romine).
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