The Salem High boys’ basketball team lost for just the third time this season when Cave Spring swept the season series from the Spartans last Friday night. The Knights took a 60-55 win in a packed Cave Spring High School gym.
With the loss Salem dropped to 13-3 on the season and all three losses have been to South Roanoke County teams, two against Cave Spring and one to Hidden Valley. The Spartans are scheduled to host Hidden Valley at SHS this Friday.
The Cave Spring gym was alive Friday in an exciting high school game. The Knights led 12-11 after the first quarter and 30-19 at the half, but the Spartans cut the lead to 47-41 after three periods and got as close as two points in the fourth quarter but never could draw even.
“I thought the difference was offensive rebounding,” said Salem coach Kevin Garst. “We had some pretty good possessions defensively that we couldn’t finish with the rebound. They hit a couple threes in the second half off offensive rebounds that kept us from getting over the hump.”
Braylon Smith led Salem with 13 points and Tanner Overstreet had a dozen and a team-high seven rebounds. Cave Spring outrebounded Salem 40-16 for the game with 16 offensive rebounds to just three for the Spartans.
The loss followed a 70-49 non-district win over Lord Botetourt last Wednesday, January 21.
“I thought we played consistent for four quarters,” said Garst. “Our scoring was very balanced. I thought we did a pretty good job of contesting their threes and running them off the three-point line.”
“We fell behind early against Salem with some poor decisions and shooting,” said Cavalier coach Josh Aliveto. “Against a team as talented as Salem you have to be able to eliminate mistakes and make the most of all opportunities if you want to give yourself a chance, and we did not do that.”
The Spartans were weathered out of a game with Blacksburg on Tuesday. On Friday Hidden Valley is here for a rematch of the Titans’ 60-48 win at Hidden Valley on January 6. The Titans are 14-1with their only loss coming at Patrick Henry.
