Staff report

SALISBURY — Salisbury’s boys basketball team hasn’t had to turn it on in the fourth quarter often during a dominating season, but that doesn’t mean the Hornets can’t.

Braylon Taylor scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the fourth-seeded Hornets used a late run to beat 12th-seeded Lincolnton 67-59 in Tuesday’s third-round struggle in the 2A West bracket.

Taylor, Salisbury’s No. 2 scorer all season, had been having a silent night when head coach Albert Perkins sent him back on the floor for the fourth quarter.

“I didn’t have to say one word to him,” Perkins said. “(Senior guard) Bryce Dalton told Braylon in the huddle it was time to lock in and finish strong. Our guys hold each other accountable and lift each other up.

“Then when Lincolnton showed us man-to-man defense, we opened up the floor for Braylon to use his offensive gifts. He took advantage of the mismatch.”

Lincolnton has a five-star sophomore in guard LJ Smith, who is being courted by schools such as UNC, but the Wolves closed the books at 24-6. The young phenom came in averaging 34 points. He got 25 against the Hornets. They didn’t stop him, but they contained him.

“We knew what he was capable of doing, so the goal was to make every shot he took a contested shot and to hold him under his average,” Perkins said. “We accomplished that with really good team defense. The danger with a player like that is that if you focus everything on him one of his teammates can have a career night and beat you, but we didn’t let that happen.”

Salisbury (26-3) won its 25th in a row and went undefeated at home.

In his final home game in front of a packed house, Myles Smith, who averages 23.1 points per game, scored 10 of his 28 points in the first quarter to get the Hornets started.

Blake Smith and Tre Davis scored five each in the second quarter. Myles Smith got the last bucket of the half as the Hornets took a 29-26 lead to the break.

Myles Smith scored 10 more in the third quarter. It was 47-all going to the final eight minutes. Myles Smith had carried the offensive load to that point, but then it was Taylor’s turn.

Salisbury trailed 56-55 when the Hornets put together a decisive 11-0 run. It was triggered by a Myles Smith dunk. Taylor got the next six before a clutch 3-pointer by Davis daggered the visitors. Davis gave the Hornets a 66-56 lead.

A trip to top-seeded Reidsville (28-0) will be next for  the Hornets. The Hornets have been on a serious roll of 75-13 the last three seasons, but Reidsville ended the last two playoff runs by the Hornets in tough ball games.

“Reidsville will be a challenging game,” Perkins said. “But this is the kind of challenge we’ve been preparing for all season.”

Lincolnton     15   11   21   12  — 59

Salisbury        15   14   18  20   — 67

SHS scoring — M. Smith 28, Taylor 17, Davis 8, B. Smith 8, House 4, Webb 2.