SALISBURY — Somebody came up with the saying a long time ago about keeping up with the Joneses.
Lexington was trying Wednesday night to keep up with North Rowan.
And the Yellow Jackets succeeded.
Devin Cross led four players in double figures with 13 points as Lexington seized control in the second quarter and fashioned a 61-51 victory over Salisbury in Central Carolina Conference action on Salisbury’s court.
Lexington (14-5 overall) pulled back into a tie for first place with North Rowan in the CCC. Both teams are 6-1 in conference play.
“That’s the main thing right now,” said Lexington coach Jon Weavil. “We’re taking it one game at a time. We’ve got three more to go and we’re trying to finish this thing out.”
Jakishe Page scored 12 points for the Jackets while Nolan Benson and Shakeem Peterson each had 10.
D.J. Alexander led Salisbury (12-8 overall, 4-3 CCC) with a game-high 17 points.
The only time Lexington trailed was 2-0. Lexington ended the first quarter on a 10-2 run, keyed by Page’s back-to-back 3-pointers, to open up a 17-6 lead.
Salisbury managed to slow the pace down in the second quarter but Lexington still led 26-17 at halftime.
With their press causing Salisbury problems the whole game, Lexington tore off an 11-2 run early in the third quarter. Cross stole the ball and drove in for a layup, giving Lexington a commanding 39-20 lead just over four minutes left in the period.
Alexander tried to ignite Salisbury by scoring 12 of his points in the fourth quarter but the closest the Hornets could get was the final score.
“They kept battling us,” Weavil said. “We did enough to pull out the win. Any time you go on the road and get a win, it’s a big win.”
Nick Brown added 10 points for Salisbury.
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It looked ugly, Lexington made just 18 of free throws, Yellow Jackets coach Lamont Johnson labeled it ‘terrrible’ and it was just plain rough all around.
It was also a win.
Alexis Fowler battled her way to 21 points as Lexington managed to grind out a 50-46 win over Salisbury in Central Carolina Conference action despite trailing most of the game.
“Terrible,” Johnson said. “We didn’t play well at all. We’re going to have games like that on occasion but we don’t want to have any more like that.”
The Yellow Jackets, fighting for a 2-A state playoff berth, improved to 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the CCC.
When they played the first time on Jan. 10, Lexington destroyed Salisbury 69-21. This one wasn’t anything like that.
Salisbury deployed a 2-1-2 which Lexington had trouble attacking all night.
Fowler proved to be the main difference even as she got mugged in the paint repeatedly by two and sometimes three defenders. The 5-foot-11 senior shot 15 free throws and Johnson felt like that wasn’t enough.
“I think because of her size, she gets no calls,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to criticize the officials but she doesn’t get any calls.”
Monifa Angle and Nyasha Harris led Salisbury (6-15 overall, 1-6 CCC) with 11 points each and Tyzarea Alexander had 10.
“I’m proud of my girls,” said Salisbury coach Lakai Brice. “The first time we played them we lost by 48. This time we lost by four. That tells you a lot about my team.”
Salisbury led 16-11 at halftime and held a seven-point lead at times in the third quarter.
The Hornets were still ahead 44-41 when Alexis Beverly stole the ball underneath the Salisbury basket and was fouled. Beverly, who was 4-for-4 from the line in the fourth quarter, made both free throws.
Fowler was fouled after rebounding a missed 3-point attempt by Beverly and made both free throws to give Lexington a 45-44 lead with 2:55 remaining.
Emerson Hayes drove in for a layup off a Salisbury turnover to extend the lead to three and Lexington held on.
Karrigan Ellison had 12 points for Lexington.
Lexington hosts West Davidson on Friday.
Girls
LEXINGTON (50) — Fowler 21, Ellison 12, Hayes 7, Wall 4, Beverly 4, Sanders 2.
SALISBURY (46) — Angle 11, Harris 11, Alexander 10, Philpot 8, Caldwell 4, Wolfe 2.
Lexington 6 5 20 19 — 50
Salisbury 6 10 17 13 — 46
Boys
LEXINGTON (61) — Cross 13, Page 12, Benson 10, Peterson 10, Reid-Bennett 7, Byrd 5, Boger 4.
SALISBURY (51) — Alexander 17, Brown 10, Petty 7, Troutman 5, Fazia 4, Oats 2, Rayner 2, Davis 2, Usry 2.
Lexington 17 9 17 18 — 61
Salisbury 6 11 12 22 — 51