Staff report

CHARLOTTE — The Salisbury girls basketball team will go into the Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic as a No. 5 seed, but they’ll also enter the tournament on a five-game winning streak.

The Hornets, two-time defending 2A state champs who were hit hard by graduation, are getting better and rallied to beat West Charlotte 63-54 at a neutral site on Saturday. The game was played at Olympic High as part of the BAM Winter Classic.

West Charlotte (4-5) started hot and used four early 3-pointers to put the Hornets in a 16-8 hole.

Albany signee MaKayla Noble kept the Hornets in the game almost by herself for the first 10 minutes. She scored Salisbury’s first 11 points.

Salisbury’s first non-Noble bucket was a layup by Shamya Arnold to start the second quarter, and Noble assisted on it.

Noble’s three-point play tied the game at 16-all.

Jamyrah Cherry, a solid ball-handler and rebounder who averages about 15 points per game, got going in the second quarter and Noble no longer had to carry the scoring burden alone. Cherry produced a nine-point second quarter that included a 3-pointer and a three-point play, and she pushed the Hornets to a 35-31 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, West Charlotte cooled off considerably, and Salisbury’s defense had something to do with that. Noble made a 3-pointer to give the Hornets a 51-39 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Cherry had two buckets in the fourth quarter, and the Hornets did enough positive things to hold the lead.

Noble was named MVP for scoring 22 and pulling down 11 rebounds, although she didn’t have her sharpest shooting night.

Cherry scored 18 and had 10 rebounds and five assists.

Arnold had 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and played a smart, hustling game. Keira Spruill contributed seven rebounds, while Torese Evans scored seven points.

Chakira Generette scored 18 to lead the Lions.

Salisbury will take on rival North Rowan, the 4 seed, in the first round of the Christmas tournament at Catawba. That’s the 6 p.m. game next Thursday.

Salisbury       11     24     16    12    — 63

W. Charlotte  16    15      8      15   — 54

SALISBURY — Noble 22, Cherry 18, Arnold 10, Evans 7, Spruill 4, Pearson-Hasty 2.