On paper, it wasnt supposed to happen, but the young Slidell Tigers stuck with the game plan andupset top-seeded East Ascension 37-35 on the road in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.

We have a very young team and they realize the importance of playing together, Slidell coach Dale Chimento said by phone Tuesday night. They are playing more intelligent and this was a good example believing in the team concept.

The 16th-seeded Tigers will travel on Friday to take on ninth-seeded Bonnabel, a 68-54 winner at eighth-seed Ruston.

Tylor Harris led the Tigers with 12 points, while Travis Harrington added six and Jonathan Merriman followed with five.

Slidell (24-7) was effective in not allowing East Ascension (27-7) to score in transition, which had been one of their primary strengths during the regular season. In fact, going into the half, the Tigers were in front, 17-16. The message was calm and simple as to what needed to happen the rest of the way.

I told them I thought we could play better in the second half and not turn the ball over as much, said Chimento. We focused on improving.

Just as they did in the first half, Slidell outscored East Ascension by one in the second half. It was even in the third with seven points each, but the Tigers outscored the Spartans 13-12 in the fourth to hang on for the win.

Our goal was to not let them get penetration, said Chimento. They have a really good point guard and we had to keep him from getting into a flow.

Slidell had gotten off to a fast start in the 2016-17 season, winning 10 of their first 11 games and then endured a stretch where they lost three of their next four. They finished by winning seven of their last nine in the regular season, including a 67-64 upset of District 6-5A champion St. Pauls, ending the Wolves' 28-game winning streak in league play.

Slidell has not faced any of the teams remaining in the Class 5A playoffs during the regular season. That list includes No. 2 Ouachita Parish, No. 3 Natchitoches Central, No. 4 Chalmette, No. 9 Bonnabel, No. 10 West Monroe, No. 21 Helen Cox and No. 22 Landry-Walker.

View post:

Slidell 37, East Ascension 35: Tigers upset top-seeded Spartans in Class 5A playoffs - NOLA.com