Basketball Game Preview: Northshore Panthers vs. Slidell Tigers

Northshore and Slidell are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2021, but not for long. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Northshore Panthers duke it out with the Slidell Tigers at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Northshore knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past 12 matches -- so hopefully Slidell likes a good challenge.

Last Friday, Northshore escaped with a win against Fontainebleau by the margin of a single free throw, 66-65. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 18th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 79th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Slidell played in conference for the first time on Friday and they got just the result they we're looking for. They blew past Chalmette, posting a 56-29 win. The Tigers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 20 points or more this season.

Northshore better keep an eye on Kolby Rachel. He was instrumental in Slidell's win, going 5 of 10 en route to 17 points along with seven boards and six assists. Rachel has been hot, having also posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. Jerry Birdlow was another key player, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Slidell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 22 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in November of 2023.

Northshore pushed their record up to 23-6 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.9 points per game. As for Slidell, they moved to 16-8 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.

Northshore came up short against Slidell in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 52-47. Can Northshore avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.