Staff report

LEXINGTON — MaKayla Noble scored 25 points for Salisbury in Wednesday’s 71-35 Central Carolina Conference win at Lexington.

But the most important number was 59. That’s how many in a row the Hornets have won in the CCC.

Salisbury hasn’t lost a CCC regular-season game since Feb. 5, 2019, when current Catawba star Lyrik Thorne led Ledford to an exciting win against the Hornets in Wallburg.

That 2018-19 Salisbury team was one led by senior Bryanna Troutman, who went on to star at Wingate. After the loss at Ledford, Salisbury regrouped, won its last three league games for a 16-2 conference record and claimed the first of what is now a string of five straight CCC championships.

Salisbury’s Kyla Bryant-led Class of 2023 not only won two state titles, it ran the table in the CCC four straight seasons.

Now a Noble-led squad is trying to make it six conference championships in a row for head coach Lakai Brice.

The challenge is going to come from North Rowan. The Hornets (10-4, 5-0) already have blasted the CCC’s other five squads.

Now a seven-team, mixed 1A/2A league, the CCC is not nearly as deep as it was in 2019 when Salisbury, Ledford and East Davidson were the stoutest members of a nine-team 2A conference, and West Davidson, South Rowan (with Janiya Downs), Lexington and North Davidson were all pretty good.

Lexington (5-10, 2-2) can be a tough place to play, but the Hornets took care of the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday.

Noble, who turned it on late for 16 fourth-quarter points, got plenty of help. Shamya Arnold matched her career high with 16 points, while Jamyrah Cherry, a Cannon School transfer in her first season as a Hornet, scored 15.

Noble came off the bench as a freshman and sophomore and also dealt with some injuries, but she’s still going to easily make it to 1,000 career points, as long as she stays healthy.

Noble emerged as a major star and Division I recruit as a junior and Wednesday’s effort pushed her past 900 career points. She has 911. She’s averaging a little more than 20 points per game.

SALISBURY scoring — Noble 25, Arnold 16, Cherry 15, Spruill 6, McNeely 4, Pearson-Hasty 3, Evans 2.