The Slidell Tigers came tearing into Friday's matchup with 12 straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.7 points) and they left with even more momentum. They slipped by Hammond 48-47. Given Slidell's advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked 48th, while Hammond is ranked 138th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Slidell to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jaden Hookfin, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and three steals. Hookfin is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Mike Parlow was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with three steals.
Slidell has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 16 of their last 17 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 20-7 record this season. As for Hammond, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 14-11.
Slidell will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against Ponchatoula at 7:15 p.m. As for Hammond, they will head out on the road to square off against Covington at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Covington will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
