Keep sending those get-well cards to Jen Reilly. Her teammates need her back.
Without suiting up Tuesday night, Salisbury’s post made another headline. The Lady Hornets could have used the injured frontcourt force in their 51-47 girls basketball loss to visiting North Stanly.
“I think everyone really misses her,” teammate Ke-Ke Chunn said after Reilly spent a fourth consecutive game chained to the Salisbury bench with a pair of knee injuries. “When she got hurt she was averaging like 13 points a game and rebounding and playing great defense. Every time she plays, she’s a factor.”
Without her, the Hornets (6-8, 1-4 CCC) have lost three of four conference games and suddenly find themselves on the endangered species list.
“It’s hard to stay motivated and keep our confidence up,” said fifth-year coach Jennifer Shoaf. “It feels like there’s always something missing. I know Ke-Ke is frustrated. She’s had to carry the bulk of the load and she’s not getting much help.”
While Chunn contributed a game-high 21 points — including 16 in the second half — it wasn’t enough to overcome a somewhat reckless offense that produced far too many turnovers and an odorous display from the free throw line (19-for-45).
“We got everything we wanted,” said Shoaf. “We got the shots we wanted. We were physically able to drive the ball and we got to the foul line. But when you don’t make them, especially in a close game, you don’t win. We killed ourselves.”
Perhaps, but the Hornets didn’t succumb without making a final stand. North Stanly (6-8, 1-4 CCC) watched its 32-19 third-quarter lead disappear when Salisbury’s Ternisha Charleston drove the lane for a layup and 46-44 Hornet lead with 1:55 to play.
“Even so, we couldn’t get all excited like some of us were,” said Chunn. “We had to calm down and play good defense and try to get some steals.”
On the North Stanly bench, panic was setting in. “We were thinking, ‘Oh no. Another North Rowan,’” said senior forward Emily Coley. “We had them by 14 points and wound up losing by five. But we took a timeout, dug down deep and got everything straightened out.”
The Comets used a 7-1 finishing kick to bury Salisbury. Key baskets were LaSarah Cunningham’s criss-cross layup with 1:37 left and Lainie Hinkle’s short bank shot following a steal five seconds later.
“The last three minutes we played like we’re supposed to play,” winning coach Amanda Hartsell said after North snapped a four-game losing streak. “We played smart. We ran the plays, passed the ball, held it when we needed to and didn’t dribble. When you don’t dribble you don’t get as many turnovers.”
It helped produce a victory Hartsell hopes will steer the Comets into playoff contention.
“We’re still working on that,” she said. “My girls don’t get excited enough. They’re not hungry enough. It’s like they’re not ready to eat yet.”
The Hornets, on the other hand, felt like throwing their plates. They never found a rhythm until the middle of the third quarter when Chunn and Charleston (18 points) made a series of key defensive plays. It all went for naught following the unexpected fourth-quarter collapse.
“I guess people gave up,” said Charleston. “When we lost the lead, people stopped listening.”
“We had a good comeback,” added Chunn. “But it could have been better. We didn’t put our all into it.”
Shoaf lamented about the Hornets’ poor rebounding and, glancing in Reilly’s direction, seemed to wonder, “What if?”
“Our rebounding was hideous,” she said. “They beat us to every rebound there was. Could Reilly have helped? Sure. My seniors need her out there. It seems like we can’t win the big ones without her.”
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NOTES: Salisbury will complete the first half of its conference schedule Friday night at North Rowan. Reilly remains questionable. She’s waiting for a knee brace that hasn’t arrived.
NORTHSTANLY (51) — Coley 13,Hayes 10, A.Burleson 9, Noll 5, Cunningham 4, Hinkle 4, Isenhour 3, Watson 2, C. Burleson 1, Lowder, Whitley.
SALISBURY (47) — Chunn 21, Charleston 18, Doby 4, Seay 2, Wilson 2, Abel, Wingerson, Edwards.
N.Stanly 7 22 7 15 — 51
Salisbury 8 11 11 17 — 47
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