By Bret Strelow
bstrelow@salisburypost.com
The goal for Salisbury’s girls changed, but the threat remained the same.Bubbles Phifer and Jessica Heilig scored 12 points apiece to lead the Hornets to a 68-34 victory against visiting Central Davidson on Friday night. Ashia Holmes also reached double figures with 10 points.
Salisbury (15-1, 6-1 CCC) led 27-0 after one quarter but was outscored in each of the next two.
An offensive eruption from Central’s Jazmine Charles led Hornets coach Andrew Mitchell to spend halftime discussing the possibility of a 7:30 a.m. practice. Charles didn’t score in the third quarter, but the Spartans (7-10, 3-5) had 32 points entering the fourth.An early Saturday session was back in the works if Central reached 40.”Play hard or practice in the morning, I think I’d rather play hard,” Salisbury senior De’Rya Wylie said.
Salisbury’s starters played the odd-numbered quarters and its second unit the even ones. Each group oversaw one stingy stretch.
Central, which was outscored 12-2 in the fourth quarter, went 0-for-6 from the field and committed 11 turnovers in the opening eight minutes.
The Spartans totaled eight points in a home loss to Salisbury, and Charles posted 13 in the first 41/2 minutes of the second quarter Friday. Her 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer cut the Hornets’ lead to 42-17.
Charles edged Salisbury’s entire team by a 16-15 count in the quarter.
“(Charles) scored 11 straight points before we realized she could shoot the ball,” Mitchell said. “I gave them some options: Shut her down or 7:30 tomorrow morning. We came out and played a little better in the second half.”
Salisbury’s starters registered 14 points and allowed 15 in the third quarter even though Charles missed her only field-goal attempt.
Heilig had scored 10 points in the second quarter sharing the court with fellow post players Jasmine Clinding and Isis Miller, but a three-guard lineup kept Central from reaching the sleep-depriving mark of 40.
“A lot of times we have to motivate this team that way,” Mitchell said. “Give them some ultimatums or they’ll take advantage of it.”
CENTRAL DAVIDSON (34) ó Charles 18, Ch.Tysinger 5, L.Beck 3, Guterman 2, Ca.Tysinger 2, Reid 2, Tuttle 2, Hildebrand, E.Beck.
SALISBURY (68) ó B.Phifer 12, Heilig 12, As.Holmes 10, Shipp 9, Rice 7, Wylie 6, N.Phifer 4, Clinding 4, Ay.Holmes 2, Miller 2, Young.
C. Davidson 0 17 15 2 ó 34
Salisbury 27 15 14 12 ó 68