The big stage brought out a big finish from Sharmari Spears and the Salisbury’s boys basketball team Tuesday night.
Trailing by five points with 2:30 remaining, the Hornets cranked up the volume, finished the game on a 7-0 run and escaped with a 49-47 win over visiting Central Davidson in their CCC Tournament opener.
“This is all uncharted territory for these kids,” coach Drew Mathews said after fourth-seeded Salisbury (10-14) earned a second-round date against host Lexington on Thursday night. “It’s a new experience for them. The farther they go, the more they’re gonna learn about themselves.”
Mathews wanted to talk about his blue-ribbon class of sophomores — Julian Greene, Jack Campbell and Patrick Doleman — each of whom made valuable contributions.
But it was cool-headed senior Chris Geter who tied the score 47-47 with a tape-measure 3-pointer with 1:40 to play. And it was Spears — the 6-foot-4 sky’s-the-limit freshman — who settled things with a 10-foot jumper from the left baseline with seven seconds to go.
“That 3-pointer, I was hitting that shot in the shootaround,” said Geter. “And the last shot, it wasn’t a designed play or anything, but Sharmari wanted it. He knew it was his time.”
It almost wasn’t. Spears had been bottled up inside and frustrated from the perimeter throughout the game. He totaled only nine points, his lowest output since a four-point effort against West Rowan in the season’s fifth game.
“Sharmari was not focused tonight,” explained Mathews. “He’s a freshman and he’s got to learn that when it’s tournament time, you’ve got to come and play for 32 minutes. Nobody in our league can stop Sharmari Spears but Sharmari Spears.”
At least he didn’t bogey the final hole. “I knew he was going to take that shot,” Central coach Brian Hege said after the Spartans (10-14) closed up shop. “You could see his eyes light up.”
Salisbury had built a 10-point lead in the second quarter thanks to some high-voltage play from Greene (10 first-half points) and junior Greg Edward, who knocked down a pair of last-minute shots.
But the Hornets surrendered 10 straight points and fell behind 29-27 just two minutes into the third quarter. Salisbury was charged with seven turnovers in the period and trailed 36-35 entering the fourth quarter.
Salisbury trailed 45-40 after Nick Wilson converted two free throws with 2:53 left. “We knew they were gonna come at us hard and they did,” said Geter.
The Hornets’ sprint to the finish line began after Greene and Central’s Michael Baldwin traded layups. Then Campbell hit his only basket, an 8-foot jumper that shaved the deficit to three with 2:15 to play. Next came Geter’s scud missile from the parking lot and Spears’ game-winning pop.
“I thought that was our game to win,” said Hege. “But give them credit. The 49 points they scored, they worked extra hard for.”
CENTRAL DAVIDSON (47) — Wilson 14, Baldwin 14, Anthony 5, Rivas 5, Lanier 5, Beasley 2, Parsons 1, Ecker 1.
SALISBURY (49) — Greene 12, Edward 10, Spears 9, Geter 5, Butler 4, Roten 3, Bruce 2, Doleman 2, Campbell 2.
C. Davidson 9 10 17 11 — 47
Salisbury 13 14 8 14 — 49
Today's News
