By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

SLIDELL — While games between Riverside and Salmen typically result in things coming down-to-the-wire, Friday’s clash saw what’s become a familiar sight this season: a decisive Rebels win.

Herb McGee scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Rebels. Malik Crowfield scored 18 — going 6 for 6 from 3-point range — and Jordan Andrews added 10 for Riverside.

Chris Vickers led Salmen (14-4) with 24 points.

Riverside led by four at halftime but secured firm hold of the game in the third quarter, extending its lead to 13.

Rebels coach Timmy Byrd said the second half defense of McGee and Von Julien upon the 6’6” Vickers, who scored just four points after a strong 17-point first half, made the big difference.

“He was shooting really well from the outside, and those two were pretty much able to shut him down when we moved them on him,” Byrd said. “They had trouble finding offense from there. I think he had one 3 and one put-back, and that was all in the second half. Malik hit a couple crucial 3s during that stretch.”

Byrd said McGee attacked the basket relentlessly in the second half, which paced the offense.

The junior guard has long been known as a capable scorer, but his offense was overshadowed by his defensive prowess in prior seasons.

This year, though, he’s taken his offensive game to a new level: McGee is leading the Rebels in scoring this season.

Byrd said McGee’s improvement was apparent in the team’s work in the summer and before the season, primarily due to a much more consistent jumper.

“He could always get to the basket, but he was a streaky shooter,” Byrd said. “He’s put in a lot of work in the gym, and it’s really paying off. His shot is a lot more consistent, and you can see the production.”

Riverside (14-4) travels this weekend to compete in the Montverde Invitational tournament in Lake County, Fla.

That tourney could yield a rematch of the Sugar Bowl Prep Basketball Classic championship game, where Montverde defeated Riverside, 92-75, in a game that was close for three quarters before Montverde pulled away in the fourth behind LSU commitment Ben Simmons.

For that rematch to happen, the Rebels would have to win two games to reach the finals, the first coming against Lake Minneola and 7’5” center Tacko Fall.

Byrd said his team will attempt to speed up the game against Lake Minneola in an attempt to wear out Fall.

And if the Rebels are to get a second shot at Simmons and Montverde, he said his team will attempt to slow things down, in contrast to the last meeting between the teams, where a fast-paced game led to heavy foul trouble for the smaller Rebel players.  

“We’ll take the air out the ball and make them play defense for long periods of time,” Byrd said.