Carter knocks down eight treys, scores 50, in wild 115-108 victory on the road

BY DAVID PURDUM

Pontchartrain Newspapers

SLIDELL-There was a three-minute stretch in the second quarter of Reserve Christian’s 115-108 win over Slidell Monday night in which the two teams combined to make 10 3-pointers, including one on six consecutive possessions.

Reserve’s Demond “Tweetie” Carter hit eight 3’s in the first half en route to dropping 50 on the Tigers.

Not to be out done, Slidell’s Nick Johnson connected on nine 3-pointers for a season-high 27, and John Pichon posted his first triple-double of the season, finishing with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. The two teams combined to hit 38 3-pointers (Slidell 21, Reserve 17), and scored 111 points in the first half.

“What is there to say … Lord Mercy,” said an exhausted Slidell head coach Rick Spring. “I couldn’t get out of here without telling my kids how proud I was of them. I mean … Reserve Christian … They’re a great basketball team.”

Carter, hit six of his 3’s in a second quarter to help the Eagles (17-5) open up a 49-35 lead. But back came the Tigers (9-3).

Johnson hit three consecutive 3’s, then Pichon and Heath Geauthreaux connected on back-to-back 3’s, as Slidell cut the deficit down to three, 57-54 at halftime.

The Tigers opened the second half with a 12-4 run, capped off by a Carl LaRosa spinning lay-up and another Johnson 3-pointer, to regain the lead, 66-63 midway through the third.

Carter, who cooled down from the outside in the second half, scored consecutive baskets late in the third, and Konstantinos Brozos hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give the lead back to the Eagles, 81-78 heading to the fourth quarter.

Brozos scored eight of his 24 early in the fourth, and his lay-up gave the Eagles their biggest lead at 99-84 with four minutes to play. But, again, back came the Tigers.

Paul Holmes scored 11 of his 27 in the fourth, most coming on offensive rebounds and put-backs, and Pichon scored five consecutive points, before LaRosa banked in one his five 3-pointers to bring Slidell within six with :53 to play.

Carter would end the Tiger comeback though, picking LaRosa’s pocket and making six consecutive free throws to seal the Eagles third win in a row.

“Tweetie has been putting up extremely large numbers for us this year,” said Reserve head coach Timmy Byrd.

“He’s averaging 33 points and 10 assists a game. He’s been incredible for us, and he’s been carrying us. He shows up every game.”

The Eagles made 10 of 11 free throws, including six for seven in the fourth quarter. Slidell connected on only 7 of 14 from the foul line.

“We talked about that a little bit,” said Spring, “And we make them in practice. Sometimes you get in a game situations, and they just don’t fall.”

After the Tigers’ fourth game in five days, Spring admitted his team tired late, but said he would take his that kind of performance every game.

“We’re so unselfish, and I’d much rather have a team that is going to make the extra pass, find Nick Johnson when he’s hot, find Carl (LaRosa) when he shot, find this little, moppy-headed Heath (Geauthreaux) coming off the bench,” Spring said. “They don’t mind finding him too. (Cedric) Cooper comes in firing them up. I just like the chemistry the way we do that.

“We just told our guys that now that we know that we have that in them, we’re going to want to see that every time.”

LaRosa finished with 21 for the Tigers, who head to crosstown rival Salmen Friday night.

Reserve, which was missing three varsity players due to exams, got 26 points from highly-touted sophomore forward Kevin Branch.

“Branch stepped up well for us tonight,” said Byrd.

“He’s still young, but he’s a big-time player, and I just wish we could have played a little better defense. But I tell you what, Slidell’s got a lot of skilled guys that could flat out shoot it, and we just couldn’t account for all of them. We did our best to try to shorten the game.”