Rebels rally on the court: RA looks for strong end to regular season
Published 5:24 am Wednesday, January 29, 2020
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RESERVE — For years, the Riverside Academy basketball team has been a perennial powerhouse of the game and a frequent state championship contender. The 2018-2019 team put up a good fight but ultimately lost to Dunham in the state semifinals.
This year has marked a season of ups and downs for the Rebels, but head coach Timmy Byrd is confident the boys are hitting their stride and becoming more productive offensively.
This year’s squad features only two seniors: Dejuan Daniel and Herb Keys. The Rebels were clinging to a 12-10 winning record as of press time Tuesday morning, and they hope to increase that winning margin in the next few weeks.
“We developed some depth early in the season,” Byrd said. “At first, most of our production was from Gage Larvadain and Dejuan Daniel. Now we’re getting good contributions from several guys.”
Point guard Larvadain remains the leading scorer and playmaker, averaging 22 points per game. Daniel plays center and averages 14 points per game.
Defense is looking good, according to Byrd, and offensive players are stepping up.
Riverside Academy senior Dejuan Daniel takes a shot.
“As of late, our defensive specialists are Herb Keys, David Reynaud and Tairyn Lockhart,” Byrd said. “They are giving us really good effort on the defensive end.”
Over the past 10 games, the Rebels have been getting good offensive production out of junior Andre Murphy and sophomore Paris Holland.
Paris Holland has been scoring double figures during games.
Holland has been scoring in the double figures, according to Byrd. On Dec. 30, he had a monster game against Jeanerette where he put up eight three-pointers and a total of 37 points.
“We’re making sure our defensive guys are becoming more productive offensively,” Byrd said. “We’re shooting a better percentage. We’re going to keep working to become more efficient. Every day, we get better and better. My guys are finally in basketball shape, and they’re starting to play pretty well.”
With the regular season winding down, the Rebels are getting closer to the District 9-1A tournament to be hosted by Metairie Park Country Day. However, they must first face a handful of Class 3A and 4A opponents.
“We’ve got University High, the No. 1 seed in 3A coming up at home,” Byrd said. “We’ve got McMain and De La Salle coming up in away games. They are good teams. We like our chances in those games. We’re just going to have to play hard to win them.”
