Salisbury coach Jennifer Shoaf just smiled. She knew exactly what had gotten into her team — confidence.

Salisbury is only 2-10, with both wins coming in recent days over rebuilding South, but the Hornets showed in a startling 27-2 fourth-quarter blitz that they can be dangerous when they put their minds to it.

“I’ve said all along that it’s just a mental thing for this team,” said Shoaf. “We finally played with some confidence in the fourth quarter. We were patient, we executed and we converted.”

The first three quarters of the game gave absolutely no hint of what was to come. There were 10 lead changes and five ties, as the teams seemed destined for another down-to-the-wire game just like their first two meetings — a 47-46 South win at Salisbury and a 42-40 Salisbury win in the Christmas Tournament.

South’s 6-1 sophomore Brittney Gaddy was unstoppable for a good chunk of the contest. She converted lobs from Morgan Andrews and Katie Willett, hit the offensive board and ran the floor for finishes against the Hornets’ press. She scored all 15 Raider points in the second quarter and had 23 points halfway through the third quarter. But she didn’t score again. And when Gaddy was quieted, the Raider offense stumbled.

“What happened was that we just stopped pressing them and played zone with a lot of help on Gaddy,” said Shoaf. “It’s a shame we can’t press South, but we actually got more turnovers out of our zone.”

Turnovers were South’s undoing. The Raiders (2-10) had 29 of them, and they came early and often. The game was nearly three minutes old before South got off its first shot.

Neither team could score until Gaddy connected on a free throw at the 4:45 mark. South led by as many as five at 16-11 midway through the second quarter and the teams were tied 23-23 at the half. South led 31-30 five minutes into the third quarter and trailed only 35-34 when Jennifer Morgan ended the third quarter with a buzzer-beating drive.

But the fourth quarter was a Hornet whirlwind. Salisbury shot 9-for-16 from the field in the period and outrebounded South 13-7. Meanwhile, the Raiders were turning the ball over 10 times and shooting a miserable 1-for-16 from the floor.

Sherree Gillespie got things rolling for the Hornets early in the quarter with a three-point play for a 38-34 lead. Then Anita Edwards made an improbable 3-pointer from the right wing that took a high kick off the rim, nudged the backboard and dropped back through to make it 41-34. That four-leaf clover 3 seemed to be the momentum-turner, deflating South and energizing Salisbury.

After Edwards’ shot, Gillespie, quiet in the first half, took over. She made a spin in the lane to push the lead to nine. She made two free throws to make it 45-34. Then Edwards broke South’s press and fed the Hornet star for easy scores on the next two possessions for a 15-point lead.

South coach James Greene called for time, but the Hornets weren’t about to be stopped. They poured it on the rest of the way as South failed to score until there were only 48 seconds left in the game. By then it was 57-36 and all over.

“I think it was that talk I gave the girls at halftime,” grinned Shoaf. “I got a little spiritual with them — gave a little sermon. Something about practicing after Thursday night’s wrestling match if we didn’t start playing better.”

The Hornets responded to her words of wisdom.

Gillespie finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. Jen Reilly, who scored steadily all night, tossed in 16. Ternisha Charleston scored 10 and did a nice job of running the team in the absence of the ill KeKe Chunn. Tiffany Robinson added six points and boxed out taller players for seven boards. Then there was Edwards, whose huge fourth quarter included five steals.

“Reilly and Robinson stepped up all night,” said Shoaf. “Then when Edwards and Charleston got going in the fourth quarter, we were really something. Maybe the girls saw what we’re capable of doing when everything’s clicking.”

The Hornets left the building loose and laughing, kidding Gillespie about her mystery prom date three months down the road.

Between now and the prom, though, the Hornets look like they’re going to win some ballgames. And, oh yes, there won’t be any practice after tonight’s wrestling match.

SALISBURY (62) — Reilly 16, Gillespie 23, Charleston 10, Edwards 5, Robinson 6, Bauk, Wingerson, Taylor, Atkinson 2.

SOUTH (36) — Morgan 4, Gaddy 23, Andrews 1, Easley 2, Willett, Roberts 1, Khan 2, Yost 1, Efird, Miller 2, Sheets.

Salisbury 9 14 12 27 — 62