Staff report

SALISBURY — Forest Hills has been bad news for Salisbury boys basketball and has provided a lifetime’s worth of disappointment during the last five seasons.

There was a season-opening overtime loss last season.

There was a 60-59 playoff loss to end the 2019-20 season.

There was the 71-67 regional final loss in 2017-18 when the Hornets were step away from the 2A state championship game.

There was the 81-79 playoff loss in 2016-17.

But there were no problems for the Hornets on Monday in the Salisbury gym. While they haven’t been able to win a close one against the Yellow Jackets, they didn’t let this one be close. Sophomore Jayden “Juke” Harris scored 28 points as Salisbury (4-3) briskly kicked the Yellow Jackets (3-6) to the curb, 76-52.

Forest Hills was was only able to stay in it for a quarter. Salisbury led 18-12 after one.

Separation arrived in the second quarter. Buckets by Harris and Cam Stout put the Hornets up double digits at 22-12.

When Jalen Chunn hit a 3-pointer, it was 29-15. It was 36-17 after a Stout 3-ball.

Salisbury enjoyed a dominant second quarter (25 to 9) and sprinted to a 43-21 halftime lead.

When Mike Geter (13 points) made a 3-pointer early in the third quarter and Harris banged a pair of 3s from the same spot on the floor, it was 59-33, and time to start the bus for Union County.

Stout had 15 of his 17 points by halftime. Harris, who tallied a career high, scored 14 in each half.

Ty Burch scored 29 for the Yellow Jackets.

Salisbury (which would lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with West Rowan) appears locked into the third seed for the Christmas tournament. Tuesday’s Davie-West Rowan winner would be seeded second, while the Davie-West loser would be seeded fourth.

Forest Hills   12   9      15    16   — 52

Salisbury      18    25   17    16   — 76

SALISBURY SCORING — Harris 28, Stout 17, Geter 13, Brandon 3, Chunn 3, Neal 2, Walker 2, Antosek 2, Hall 2, Freeman 2, W. Webb 1, H. Webb 1, Dalton 1.