Slidell senior guard Julissa Gonzalez scored 27 points in the Lady Hounds’ (14-11, 3-4) 68-38 win against Tioga Friday and eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark. BRENDAN MARCHAND | WCMESSENGER
Slidell guard Julissa Gonzalez eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark to help lead the Slidell Lady Hounds to a homecoming victory against Tioga Friday, 68-38.
Gonzalez powered Slidell (14-11, 3-4) through a shaky start by landing a first quarter half-court buzzer-beater, then continued to carve up Tioga en route to her 27-point performance.
“The story of us this year has been that we’re just gritty, and you see that early tonight. Whether we start out hot or slow — because we’ve been kind of up and down this year — our kids have shown some determination,” Slidell coach Dallas Taylor said. “We’ve had some injuries this year — three ACLs, dislocated knee — and our kids are just resilient, so it’s good to see some success from them.”
Tioga flooded the paint to take a 9-6 lead after the opening tip, but Slidell was able to knot up the score at 12 after a pair of Elissa Howerton free throws. Jerry Hardin turned in a 2-for-2 effort from the line at the end of the first quarter, then Gonzalez launched her buzzer beater to take a 17-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Hardin said that even after the slow start, there was never a feeling that the Lady Hounds would be out of the game.
Jerry Hardin attemps a short-range shot in traffic against Tioga Friday. She scored 11 points in Slidell’s 68-38 homecoming win against the Lady Bulldogs. BRENDAN MARCHAND | WCMESSENGER
“We always have the mindset that no matter what happens, we can win the game,” Hardin said. “The way we work together as a team, it keeps us in the game and gives us the chance to always fight for a win.”
Slidell battled back and forth with Tioga into the second frame until Allison Weathers grabbed a steal, charged down the floor and crossed up her defender before sinking a mid-range jumper for a 25-22 lead to force a Tioga timeout. Haley McCasland poured in 5 quick points to force another Tioga timeout as the Lady Hounds outpaced the Lady Bulldogs 19-15 in the second quarter.
Gonzalez and Hardin lived at the free throw line in the third quarter, where Slidell collected all but two of their points from the charity stripe. The Lady Hounds scored 13 points while the defense shut down Tioga, holding the visitors to just one field goal.
“We’ve struggled from the line this year, but we’ve done a good job as of late getting it done from the free throw line,” Taylor said. “Down the stretch, that’s going to be huge for us. It’s nice to see the girls step up and knock those down.”
Slidell post Elissa Howerton battles for a rebound against Tioga Friday at home. Howerton recorded 13 points in the Lady Hounds’ 68-38 win. BRENDAN MARCHAND | WCMESSENGER
The Lady Hounds continued to outshoot Tioga into the fourth quarter as the Lady Bulldogs struggled to find their shot they had early in the game. Taylor was able to dump the bench within 90 seconds of the final buzzer as Slidell had built up a massive lead.
“It’s great to see the younger kids get on the floor and be successful. It’s always exciting,” Taylor said. “It’s also great for them to see the grit and the determination and the fight from the older ones out on the floor in front of them. It makes a coach’s heart happy to see them go out there.”
Gonzalez was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points and logged a 9-for-11 night from the free throw line. Howerton trailed her with 13 points by cleaning up the boards and doing most of her damage on second-chance points.
“I think that’s one of my roles on the team. I get everybody’s trash points,” Howerton said. “I like to be down there and do whatever helps the team.”
Slidell hosts Muenster Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Lady Hornets currently hold the top spot in District 13-2A while Slidell sits outside the playoff picture.
“Our kids are really executing the game plan,” Taylor said. “Down the stretch, it’s just about coaches doing their job and kids trusting the process and showing up and playing hard. Hopefully at the end of [district play] we’ll get a chance to be in the playoffs.”
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