Reidsville is organizing a repeat match this year after last season’s defeat in the state championship game against Farmville Central.

The Reidsville team emerged victorious over Salisbury with a score of 76-72 in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 2A western regional championship game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem on Wednesday evening. Looking ahead, the Rams are determined to redeem themselves after their defeat in last year’s state championship against Farmville Central.

The semifinal match delivered all the excitement expected from a high-stakes game featuring two teams with numerous Division I college basketball prospects on the court.

In the game, there were a total of twelve instances where the lead changed hands, and the score was tied six times. The outcome was ultimately determined by the number of points scored in the paint and off of turnovers. While Salisbury had only four more turnovers than Reidsville, the Rams were able to capitalize on these turnovers, resulting in a 22-4 lead in points.

Reidsville, led by second-year player Kendre Harrison, also held a 38-30 lead in points scored in the paint. Harrison put up 19 points and snagged 19 rebounds, 11 of which were on the offensive end, for the Rams.

Salisbury was ahead with a score of 18-16 at the end of the first quarter. However, Reidsville managed to gain a slight lead before the half. Al Lee made two consecutive three-pointers and Johnniyus Sharpe successfully completed a four-point play, resulting in Reidsville having a 38-31 lead at halftime.

In the opening half of the game, Sharpe scored a total of 15 points for Reidsville while Salisbury’s leading scorer was Juke Harris, a Wake Forest commitment, with 16 points.

Salisbury successfully drew a fourth personal foul from Dionte Neal in the beginning of the third quarter, causing the point guard to be sidelined for a longer duration. This gave the Hornets an advantage as they outscored Reidsville by 21-14 in the third quarter, resulting in a tied score of 52-52 going into the fourth quarter.

In the beginning of the fourth period, Salisbury regained the advantage as Mike Geter scored on a fast break, giving the Hornets a 56-54 lead. However, Neal reentered the game shortly after and quickly equalized the score at 60-60 with a three-point shot.

Reidsville regained the advantage for the rest of the game when Sharpe made two successful shots from the free throw line with 4:46 remaining, earning the Rams a 62-60 lead. Reidsville went on to score 8 unanswered points, securing a 66-60 lead with 3:46 on the clock after Harrison’s rebound and score.

For the last few minutes, Salisbury and Reidsville took turns scoring points, with Salisbury coming within four points multiple times. However, Reidsville responded to each of the Hornet’s points.

Sharpe was the top scorer for Reidsville, having a total of 21 points, which included two successful three-point shots. Harrison achieved a double-double, contributing 19 points and 19 rebounds to the team’s victory. Neal also had a notable performance, scoring 16 points, while Lee finished with 11 points.

During his last high school game, Harris scored 30 points for Salisbury on the same court where he will play for college. The only other Salisbury player to reach double digits was Bryce Dalton, with 17 points.

In the game against Reidsville, Johnniyus Sharpe scored 21 points, Kendre Harrison had 19 points and 19 rebounds, Dionte Neal had 16 points, Al Lee had 11 points, Cam’ron Jones had 7 points, and Mohamed Adbeldayem scored 2 points.

Salisbury’s top scorers were Juke Harris with 30 points, Bryce Dalton with 17 points, and Mike Geter with 9 points. Deuce Walker contributed 8 points, while Hank Webb and Dashawn Brown each had 6 and 2 points respectively.

Source: highschoolot.com