Basketball Game Preview: Lexington Yellowjackets vs. Salisbury Hornets

Lexington hasn't had much luck against Salisbury recently, but that could start to change on Friday. It'll be a Battle of the Bugs the Lexington Yellowjackets take on the Salisbury Hornets at 6:00 p.m. Lexington is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.8 points per game this season.

Last Tuesday, Lexington didn't have too much trouble with West Davidson as they won 54-37. Given the Yellowjackets' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 148th, while the Dragons are ranked 333rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Lexington's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Maliyah Johnson led the charge by dropping a double-double on 14 points and 12 rebounds. That's the most boards Johnson has posted since back in December of 2024. Lily Ervin was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 11 rebounds.

Lexington smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Salisbury waltzed into their matchup on Tuesday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They enjoyed a cozy 53-35 win over the Golden Eagles.

Lexington is also on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 16-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.2 points per game. As for Salisbury, their victory bumped their record up to 11-7.

Lexington didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Salisbury in their previous matchup back in January, but they still walked away with a 62-56 win. Will Lexington repeat their success, or does Salisbury have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.