By David Shaw
dshaw@salisburypost.com
Shi-Heria Shipp’s star got a little brighter Monday night.
The Salisbury senior scored her 1,000th career point in the second quarter of a 64-47 non-conference victory over visiting Davie County.
“It’s nice. It was real important,” Shipp said after the unbeaten Hornets won their ninth game. “But it’s just a plus. What I really want is to win a state championship.”
That’s a yet-to-be-written script, but Salisbury was certainly in post-season form against Davie (4-6). Playing without injured guard Bubbles Phifer for the second straight game, the hosts raced to a 15-0 lead in the opening five minutes and never looked back.
“We made some quick passes and got some good things to happen,” said SHS coach Andrew Mitchell. “That energized us on defense and helped us out.”
Shipp, who had 25 points, scored 10 in the early spree. Included were a pair of 3-pointers, one from the left elbow and one from the right.
“When I came out on the court, they were giving me the outside shot and the lane,” she said. “I was hitting right away.”
Salisbury padded its lead to 35-13 when Shipp sank a pull-up jumper in the lane midway through the second quarter. Davie cut its deficit to 12 points by scoring the last 10 of the first half.
“I think our defense could have been better,” said Nene Phifer. “We didn’t do everything we wanted to.”
Salisbury’s De’Rya Wylie did. Playing like a fullback in a small forward’s uniform, she turned the third quarter into a layup drill and scored 10 of her 13 points. Unfortunately, she was called for a technical with 1:19 remaining in the period and fouled out.
“She over-reacted to a call,” Mitchell explained. “De’Rya’s one of the sweetest people we have. The refs just made a call and she bent down and slapped the floor ó not at the referees, but out of frustration of herself. The ref may have read that wrong.”
It hardly mattered. In the fourth quarter Shipp hit three layups and a short jumper, nullifying 3-balls from Davie’s Alex Keiser and Tonesha Turner.
“It takes more than one player to win against them,” said losing coach Debbie Evans. “(Salisbury) was all arms and legs and very athletic. They were flying at us from all directions.”
Davie (47) ó Brown 16, Keiser 10, Turner 7, Evans 5, Smoot 3, Dixon 2, Steed 2, Stevenson 2.salisbury (64) ó Shipp 25, Wylie 13, Ay. Holmes 11, N.Phifer 6, As. Holmes 6, Rice 3, Clinding, Miller, Pearson, Young, Ross.Davie 9 14 6 18 ó 47
Salisbury 23 12 16 13 ó 64