CONCORD — This is Jennifer Shoaf’s fifth year as the coach of the Salisbury girls basketball team. Most of that time, it’s been a tougher job than selling Dean Smith posters at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Shoaf’s team has never won more than eight games in a season.

But there is every reason to believe her luck will change in 2000-01. Her current team is led by three capable, experienced seniors — Jenny Reilly, Keke Chunn and Ternisha Charleston — and after Monday’s 51-39 win at Concord, Shoaf is riding the fifth two-game winning streak of her career.

“We’re 2-1 now,” said a chuckling Reilly, who poured in 20 points against the Spiders and has scored 42 in her last two games. “That’s the first time I can remember having a winning record.”

Don’t laugh.

These Hornets are good enough that they weren’t jumping around after winning a road game against a pretty athletic bunch of Spiders. Winning’s not enough now. They want to play well. And they were disappointed they didn’t do a little better.

“With the talent we have we should be playing better,” said Shoaf. “Sure, we’re happy that we won. It feels good and gives us some confidence. But we’re definitely not satisfied. We ought to be able to beat some good teams this year — teams that people really respect — not just the OK teams.”

Shoaf says her team has set a goal of winning six of its nine pre-Christmas games.

“Seems like every year we’re a No. 5 or No. 6 seed at the Christmas Tournament and playing the top teams,” she said. “This year, we’d really like to do better.”

Don’t laugh. They might.

Shoaf said Salisbury’s confidence level got a real jolt on opening night when it was blown out of its own gym by a West Rowan team that played shockingly well.

“West surprised us,” said Shoaf. “Because we really believed we had a chance to compete with them.”

But then came a comeback win over South Rowan — without an injured Charleston. A bit of the confidence came back. And in their latest adventure, the Hornets picked up a little more swagger by surviving in black-and-gold Rimer Gym, never a friendly venue for visitors.

“We’re still missing layups and free throws — a lot of easy stuff,” said Reilly. “But we’re practicing better and that’s making us more confident in games.”

The Hornets showed progress in many ways. Led by Reilly’s 11 boards and Charleston’s nine, they outrebounded the Spiders. They made 25 turnovers against Concord’s man-to-man — still way too many — but a whole lot better than the opening-night disaster.

And with Chunn getting 11 points and freshman Ashton Hanrahan making five of her first six shots — including two 3s — for 12, the Hornets broke the 50-point barrier. They didn’t hit the nifty 50 last season — even with scoring machine Sherree Gillespie down in the paint— until they had played a dozen games.

The Hornets grabbed control against the Spiders in the final minute of the first half, pushing a precarious 22-20 lead to a 27-20 intermission advantage on two free throws by Reilly, one by Amber Wingerson and Anita Edwards’ layup off a set inbounds play.

But the young Spiders, playing their first game for new coach Greg Byrd, wouldn’t go away in the second half. Salisbury’s lead had shrunk to 39-34 with 7:21 left, when the Hornets, who never seem to catch a break, caught one. Hanrahan’s straight-on 3-pointer banked in. It was the key shot of the game. Reilly followed with a layup off a pass from Charleston and the lead was back to double figures.

The Hornets still had to survive one last ragged stretch in which they turned the ball over four straight possessions, but Hanrahan hit another jumper — no bank this time — to snap the drought.

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NOTES:The Hornets won’t play again until Nov. 28 when they go to South. They’ll be shooting to give Shoaf her first ever three-game winning streak. ... Charleston couldn’t get much of anything to fall, but the Hornets would have had a tough time without the slim guard’s rebounding and eight steals. ... Crystal Taylor had six boards, four of them in the fourth quarter. ... Adrienne Russell led Concord with 10 points.

SALISBURY (51) — Reilly 20, Hanrahan 12, Chunn 11, Charleston 3, Edwards 2, Seay 2, Wingerson 1, Penny, Taylor, Doby.

CONCORD (39) — Russell 10, Cunningham 7, Lynch 6, Earls 5, Patton 5, Edwards 4, Shue 2, Gilbert, Stevenson, Shaw, Kirk.

Salisbury 15 12 12 12 — 51

Concord 14 6 11 8 — 39