High school boys basketball: Juke injured, but Hornets still romp in Round 3
Published 3:09 am Wednesday, March 6, 2024
- Salisbury head coach Albert Perkins during the North Rowan boy’s basketball game against Salisbury High. Photo Credit: Sean Meyers
Staff report
SALISBURY — The perceived worst-case scenario for Salisbury’s boys basketball team was foul trouble or an injury to superstar Juke Harris, but the Hornets showed they’ve got a lot more than Harris.
Harris exited Tuesday’s 2A playoff game late in the first quarter with an eye injury with the Hornets leading 13-8. He returned to the bench in the third quarter, but by that point Salisbury had the game well under control. The second-seeded Hornets obliterated 23rd-seed Bandys 90-58 in a third-round game.
Bandys had pulled off road upsets in the first two rounds, but the Trojans were overwhelmed and overmatched by the speed of coach Albert Perkins’ Hornets (26-3), who won their 19th in a row.
Harris made a corner 3-pointer to break a 6-all tie. That turned out to be the shot that put Salisbury ahead to stay.
He had seven points when he was injured.
Salisbury’s lead after a quarter was only 15-12, and it looked like a potentially dangerous situation with Harris ailing, but then the Hornets outscored Bandys 25-10 in the second quarter. It was mostly Braylon Taylor, who got 10 of his 17 in the quarter. Deuce Walker battled for three buckets in the quarter on his way to a 14-point night, and Hank Webb contributed a series of hustle plays. At halftime, the Hornets led 40-22, and they were just starting to gather steam.
Walker and Bryce Dalton (15 points) led a solid third-quarter effort, and the Hornets held the visitors to nine points in the quarter. At that point, it was 61-31.
Mike Geter had some fun in the fourth quarter, knocking down three triples, as the Hornets surged ahead by as many as 37. Dalton, Macari House and Trey Davis also made 3s in the quarter.
Salisbury made a dozen 3-pointers in the game, with Geter making four and Taylor and Dalton connecting on three each.
Next for Salisbury at home on Friday is sixth-seeded Randleman, a 62-59 road winner against No. 3 seed Newton-Conover.
Harris’ status isn’t known yet, but the Hornets will hope to have him back in the lineup on Friday.
Bandys closed the books with a 17-11 record.
Bandys 12 10 9 27 — 58
Salisbury 15 25 21 29 — 90
SALISBURY — Taylor 17, Dalton 15, Geter 14, Walker 14, Harris 7, Davis 7, Matthews 5, Webb 4, D. Brown 4, House 3.
