Salisbury team. Jacqui Smith Watson photo.

Carson’s CP Perry goes to the rim against Salisbury brothers Myles Smith (5) and Blake Smith (20).

Brian Wilhite photos.

Salisbury’s Hank Webb contests a shot by Carson’s Drew Neve.

 

 

By David Shaw

For the Salisbury Post

SALISBURY — If you’ve seen even a little bit of Myles Smith this season, you probably want to see more.

The best is yet to come for Salisbury’s 6-foot-4 forward, the senior who grabbed the spotlight with a difference-making performance Saturday night at Goodman Gym. Smith poured in a game-high 29 points — including 20 in the pivotal fourth quarter — as the Hornets rallied past top-seeded Carson, 71-63, and won their second straight  Dale’s Sporting Goods Sam Moir Christmas Classic.   .

“He’s made me a believer,” second-year coach Albert Perkins gushed after Salisbury (9-3) earned its eighth consecutive victory. “He’s not Juke Harris, but he’s been a versatile player for us. I didn’t love all of his shot selections in the first half, and I told him that. In the second half he started playing with a little more intent and a lot more focus. When you do that, good things happen.”

Things like winning the tournament MVP award for collecting 75 points in victories over East Rowan, North Rowan and Carson. And things like orchestrating a turnaround that lifted the Hornets out of an 11-point, third-period ditch in the championship game.

“It was mostly communication,” said Smith, a transfer from Victory Christian Center in Charlotte. “In the first half it felt like we faced a lot of adversity and they were hitting big shots. We kept telling each other to just take care of our assignments.”

Smith brought playground artistry to the court against Carson (8-4). In the final quarter he helped fuel a 14-0 Salisbury scoring spree by threading a picturesque, 12-foot jump shot from the left side, followed by an authoritative dribble-drive down the lane that turned into a three-point play and put the Hornets ahead for the first time.

“He’s just a really good player,” quipped longtime Carson coach Brian Perry. “He’s super athletic and makes them a tough team to defend.”

Yet, for the better part of three-and-a-half quarters, the Cougars had their way. They held Salisbury scoreless for nearly four minutes to start the game, then landed eight of their 11 3-pointers in the opening half. They built nine-point leads on seven different occasions. Back-to-back 3-balls by sophomore sniper CP Perry gave Carson a 9-0 advantage before the game was two minutes old. Teammate Jonah Drye’s long-range connection produced 16-5 edge late in the first quarter. And later, when Perry burst across the lane for a contested layup, Carson led 43-32 with 4:33 to play in the third.

“We were playing hard,” insisted Perry, the shooting guard who netted 23 points and was named to the all-tournament team. “We had them beat until mistakes down the stretch started hurting us. A lot of people thought we couldn’t play with Salisbury, but we did. It just shows how important every play is.”

Perhaps none was more significant that Smith’s three-point play with 2:49 remaining. It gave Salisbury its first lead, 59-57, and the Hornets never looked back. A 21-6 finishing kick helped snap Carson’s modest two-game winning streak. The Cougars, plagued by foul trouble that landed three starters on the bench, made only one field goal in the closing five minutes — a 3-pointer by junior Maverick Walters in the waning seconds.

“Something changed,” SHS guard Braylon Taylor explained after contributing 20 points and making the all-tourney squad. “We began playing more as a team in the fourth (quarter). We stopped being selfish and moved the ball around, looking for the best shot. Last year when we won this, our game revolved around Juke. This year we needed everybody to win.”

They did, including the favored Cougars. “I thought we played well and played them tough,” said Coach Perry, sprawled on hallway couch downstairs from the gym. “We competed. It just came down to a couple of plays that we had to be better at and just weren’t. That’s what we learned here, that we have to be better.”

For Perkins, a former pro player in Europe, it’s a victory that comes with the union label attached. He believes the Hornets prevailed despite an overall subpar showing.

“Hard work, and lots of it,” he said before exiting the building. “We had to. Three games in as many days, tired legs and the guys just gutted through. It shows we can make adjustments, play through adversity and get ugly wins.”

NOTES: Carson was attempting to win its first Christmas tournament title since 2017. … Smith is averaging 22.6 points-per-game over 12 outings. He added five rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot. Teammate Hank Webb yanked down seven rebounds. The Hornets shot a pedestrian 38.6 percent (22 for 57) from the field. … The all-tourney team included Perry and sophomore Jacob Mills (25 points) from Carson; Smith, Taylor and Macari House from Salisbury; and North Rowan’s Emari Russell. Carson’s Jacob Rockwell received the RONZ award.

 

Salisbury     12    12    21    26 — 71

Carson         16    14    20    13 — 63

SALISBURY (71) — M.Smith 29, Taylor 20, B.Smith 9, Webb 7, Matthews 4, House 2, Davis, Cherry, Hairston.

CARSON (63) — Mills 25, Perry 23, Drye 6, Neve 5, Walters 4, Hales, Martin, Phillips.