By Mike Duprez

Lexington Dispatch

LEXINGTON — Lexington entered Tuesday’s game with Salisbury needing a win and for Thomasville to lose to East Davidson in order to stay mathematically alive in the Central Carolina Conference race.

Under the best of circumstances, that was going to be difficult. And these were not the best of circumstances.

Elijah Moss scored 15 points while 6-6 center Tre Oats dominated the paint with 14 points, 14 rebounds and 6 blocked shots as Salisbury dominated Lexington, 84-50.

Lexington, which fell to 9-11 overall and 2-5 in the CCC, had to play without head coach Jon Weavil, who is serving a two-game suspension for being ejected in Friday’s 85-67 loss to North Rowan.

“It was a difficult day,” said Lexington assistant coach Matt Gryder. “We were all kind of scrambling around. I didn’t know I was going to be the coach until about 10 o’clock this morning. We were scrambling, trying to put something together. At the end, we played hard. We just didn’t get the job done, I guess.”

Marquise Jordan led the Yellow Jackets, who shot just 29.7 percent, with 15 points. No one else scored in double figures.

Tuesday’s result might have been expected since Salisbury beat the Yellow Jackets, 87-59, last week in Salisbury. But the Hornets got hammered, 81-62, by North Rowan on Saturday.

The Hornets (11-5 overall, 4-2 CCC) clearly fixed their issues from Saturday’s game. They shot 57.4 percent and out-rebounded Lexington, 50-25. Isaac Baker scored 12 points and backup forward Bill Fisher had 11, two of them coming on an exclamation point slam dunk late in the game.

“Hey, I don’t know sometimes,” said Salisbury coach Bryan Withers. “We got blown out Saturday by our rival. The last three games we played great. Just an adjustment. We were missing some kids. Other players had to step up. Tonight, it looked good.”

Lexington stayed with the Hornets for most of the first quarter. The Yellow Jackets crept within three points on an Adrian Craven three-point play, but trailed by eight at the end of the quarter.

Salisbury kept right on running in the second quarter and quickly expanded its margin to 14. The Hornets held a commanding, 54-34 lead at halftime. Oats had eight of his points in the second period.

The Hornets erased any doubt by scoring the first nine points of the third quarter.

Lexington is back in action on Friday at West Davidson. Salisbury visits East Davidson on Wednesday.

Mike Duprez can be reached at sports@the-dispatch.com.

SALISBURY (84) — Moss 15, Oats 14, Baker 12, Fisher 11, Robinson 9, Leckonby 6, Goodlett 5, Holmes 5, Harris 4, Davis 2, Gil 1.