AHOSKIE – Sometimes you draw closer by getting away.

Maybe that’s what the girls basketball team of Pasquotank County High School feel in their first year participating in the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament sponsored by United Country Joe Murray Realty.

Back in their hometown of Elizabeth City they’ve had to share accolades for an undefeated season with Northeastern Coastal Conference rival, Northeastern.

But here in Ahoskie this week for the tournament they can be the toast of the town.

Things got off for a good start for the Lady Panthers when they won their opening round game with a 66-28 victory over Northampton County High School-East for their ninth win of the year against no losses.

Taking advantage of numerous turnovers by the Lady Rams that they turned into easy layups Pasquotank ran out – literally – to a big lead and never looked back.

“Yeah, we took advantage of it (the turnovers),” said Pasquotank coach Janey Cofield, “but I’m still not totally satisfied with the way we played defense.

“Normally we hustle a little bit better than we did tonight,” she added, “but I think being off for Christmas vacation had us off-sync a little bit.”

Nothing looked off for the Lady Panthers opening the game.

Both teams came out a little tight after the opening tip-off, but after Pasquotank’s Tyanna Green scored her team’s first two baskets things settled down a bit.

Pasquotank raced out to an 11-2 lead with about their only fault being going 1-for-5 from the free-throw line.  East began to relax themselves and closed the quarter with a five-point burst to trail, 11-7.

Cofield called for the full-court press to open the second quarter and steals and layups produced a seven-point run to make the score, 18-7, thanks to Brianna Elliott coming off the bench for the Lady Panthers and getting a pair of put-backs in the low post.

Dajenique Day broke the scoring run by hitting a big three pointer for East. The Rams added a free throw, but Pasquotank’s defense shut them down the rest of the way and the halftime score was, 28-11, favoring the Panthers.

Alexis Shoulders, who finished as East’s leading scorer with 11 points, warmed up in the third quarter and had help from Day plus a bucket underneath by Jamecka Deloatch.

Pasquotank, however, was just too strong and doubled the scoring for the third quarter, 20-10, and pushed their team’s total out to, 48-21.

The Panthers reasserted themselves again in the fourth quarter. When it was finished, Mikeara Jordan led four players in double-figures with 15. Elliott scored 13 while Ishira McClease and Tyann Green had eleven each.

“We just turned it over and kept giving it back to them,” said disappointed East coach Rick Heckler.  “In spurts we did pretty good, but this is a game of consistency and we just didn’t have it tonight.

“I was glad to get Jomecka back tonight in her first game since tearing her ACL last year,” he added. “She had 22 rebounds for us and that was huge.”

East faced Camden County in one of Wednesday’s consolation games.