Staff report

LEXINGTON — Salisbury’s girls basketball team won its 20th straight game on  Wednesday.

The Hornets beat Thomasville, 69-50, in a Central Carolina Conference Tournament semifinal at Lexington.

Salisbury (20-1) had to overcome a shaky start and some early foul trouble.

“We played kind of tight,  got off to a slow start, I don’t know if was nerves or what,” Salisbury coach Lakai Brice said. “

The Hornets jumped out  to a 12-3 lead, but when Bryanna Troutman headed to the bench with two fouls,  Thomasville climbed back in the game behind standout Nia Long.

Salisbury led only 19-14 after a quarter and the lead was down to 20-18  early in the second when Jinika Glenn banked in a 3-pointer.

“Bryanna sat out all of the second quarter,” Brice  said. “Glenn gave us some offense off the bench.”

The Hornets (20-1) moved back on top at halftime, 33-23, and then knocked out the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (5-17) with a big third quarter.

“We went to a 2-3 zone in the second half and that led to some fast break buckets,” Brice said. “Long was getting into the lane and to the free-throw line against our man-to-man in the first half.”

Long scored 27 points for Thomasville.

Freshman Anayia Fulson led the Hornets with 18 points. Tyzarea had 14, Troutman scored 12, and Maria Capito and Glenn scored nine each.

Glenn made three 3-pointers, while Capito made two.

Salisbury advanced to Friday’s 6 p.m. championship game at Lexington and will seek the program’s first tournament title since 2011.

The Hornets will play the winner of Thursday’s East Davidson-West Davidson contest.

Salisbury 69, Thomasville 50

THOMASVILLE (50)

Long 27, Stegenga 6, Billie 6, Hart 5, Wilson 4, Gales 2.

SALISBURY (69)

Fulson 18, Alexander 14, Troutman 12, Capito 9, J. Glenn 9, Phifer 6, M. Glenn 1, Daniels, Oats.

Thomasville   14  9    8  19 —  50

Salisbury        19  14  19 17 — 69