The Ponchatoula Green Wave came tearing into Tuesday's match with four straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 23.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Slidell and snuck past 73-71. Given Ponchatoula's advantage in MaxPreps' Louisiana basketball rankings (they are ranked eighth, while the Tigers are ranked 54th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Several Tigers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jaden Hookfin, who scored 19 points along with five 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 six games he's played. Mike Parlow was another key contributor, scoring 17 points along with six rebounds.
Ponchatoula is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 21-4 record this season. As for Slidell, their defeat ended an 11-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 20-8.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Ponchatoula will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against the Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. on February 1st. As for Slidell, they will face off against the Lions at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Covington will be looking to keep their five-game home win streak alive.
