Slidell and Salmen are an even 4-4 against one another since December of 2016, but not for long. The Slidell Tigers will take on the Salmen Spartans at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Slidell is coming into the contest hot, having won their last six games.
Last Saturday, Slidell didn't have too much trouble with Fontainebleau as they won 53-35. Given the Tigers' advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 17th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 82nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Meanwhile, Salmen scored the most points they've had this season on Saturday, but it wasn't enough. They fell 92-84 to Northshore. The Spartans have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.
Despite the loss, Salmen saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Kendal Thomas went 13 of 28 en route to 35 points in addition to six assists and six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Thomas has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Neveah Magee, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 11 boards.
Even though they lost, Salmen smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive matches.
Slidell's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-5. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.7 points per game. As for Salmen, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 9-10.
Slidell was able to grind out a solid win over Salmen in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, winning 57-50. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Salmen's Destiny Bennett, who went 5 for 12 on her way to 19 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be easier for Slidell to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
