Slidell was well on its way to a dominating win against Sophie B. Wright on Jan. 4, but Tigers guard Asia Eaglin wanted more.
The senior registered back-to-back second-half steals in the Tigers' half-court defense that led to easy transition baskets en route to a 66-7 victory.
"We definitely love a fast game," said Eaglin, who finished with 13 points and nine steals. "We definitely love our press. We just want to hustle on every play. It all started in the summer. Running bleachers and doing explosive drills really helped. We're small, so we know we have to take advantage of our speed."
The Tigers (15-1) have done just that en route to a white-hot start. Slidell's lone loss was a 40-37 road defeat to Chapelle, and the rest of the time, Slidell has leaned on its defense.
"We knew we were going to be smaller this year, so being aggressive on defense was the plan," Slidell coach Kristin Twillie said. "The girls have really embraced it. I wasn't sure how we would adjust. We played a lot of zone the last few years because we were a lot bigger. But they enjoy pressing and playing a fast game."
That commitment to defense was on full display against Wright as the Tigers forced 35 turnovers with 19 steals.
"Defense is the key," said senior guard Arionna White (14 points). "We put pressure on the ball, and that helps us get easy layups. It leads to good things. It's easy for us to get out and run. During the summer, we ran the track so much, and it's paying off. We stayed in the weight room."
Against Wright, the Tigers jumped out to a 35-0 lead before the Warriors recorded a basket. That 35-point margin triggered a running clock late in the second quarter, but Slidell didn't let up. They used the second half to focus on their half-court offensive sets as sophomore Jaelynn Elliott and senior Rakieyah Ward added 10 points each.
"We can make the layup, or we can hit the 3," Twillie said. "That has made our offense a little more diverse. Right now, we're playing good defense, and the offense builds off that. It's been our game plan."
Twillie added that her players have embraced the little things, such as improved passing, cutting and team chemistry.
"It's all about being coachable," White said. "Last year, we had some trouble with running plays and our attitude on the court. Changing that has really helped a lot. We can't drop down to anyone's level. We just have to keep playing our game and stay out of our heads."
The Tigers currently sit around No. 8 in the Division I nonselect power ratings and hope to improve that ranking before district play starts on Jan. 23 against Mandeville.
Eaglin, a three-year starter, said the Tigers are poised to make a run and build on last season's first-round road playoff upset.
"We've learned a lot over the years," Eaglin said. "That's why I think it's our year this year. We've grown so much. We have a lot to prove. We're not giving anyone any chances because we want to win."