WINDSOR – Lessons taught and lessons learned.

As they gear up going into what they hope will be a successful post-season it’s time to pull out all the stops.

Literally.

Tuesday night at home when they couldn’t stop Currituck one way they resorted to the ‘tried and true’ and that’s what worked best; producing a 46-36 win in Northeastern Coastal Conference play.

Zekkeya Morris led the way for the Lady Falcons with 19 points, six rebounds and three assists.  Chaquasja Veale added 12 points while Tyessence Martin had eight points and seven rebounds.

Amanda Gerni had 15 points to lead Currituck.

“This is also a teaching process,” reminded Bertie coach Joan McCullough. “We have to try some things now that we hope can be effective for us because the playoffs are coming up.

“We came out a little flat”, she added, “but we recovered in the second half and ultimately won the ball game.”

Bertie jumped out to a 5-4 lead thanks to a three-pointer by Veale to open the contest and a short jump shot by Morris.

But the Lady Falcons opened the game in a zone defense and while that proved effective early, Currituck seized the advantage by going on a 7-0 run to make the score, 11-5, before Bertie closed the quarter with a three-point shot from Morris and an 11-8 deficit.

Hurting Bertie’s effort in the second quarter was missing four straight free throws while the Lady Knights cashed in a couple of layups to gain a 15-8 advantage. Currituck equaled that same lead moments later to make it 17-10.

But Veale and Tenethia Cherry kept Bertie close.

Veale got a free throw and a layup off a turnover while Cherry drained a rainbow three-pointer.  The halftime buzzer sounded with Bertie still trailing by three, 19-16.

In the second half, McCullough dialed up her trademark full-court pressure defense and the tide turned with Bertie outscoring the visitors, 18-5.

Morris became the spark plug, scoring all but two of Bertie’s first 12 points on a pair of layups off turnovers, a trey from behind the crooked line, and connecting on 3-of-4 foul shots. Those exploits produced a 28-24 Bertie lead.

Martin closed out the Bertie scoring with a turnaround jump shot and a layup off a turnover. Veale added another layup and Bertie led it by 10, 34-24, entering the final eight minutes.

Bertie upped their lead to 14 points twice in the final frame, the last time being, 40-28, on a steal and layup by Morris.  In all, Currituck committed a dozen second half turnovers.

Each team played the final quarter scoring 12 points each.

“Our half-court game-plan worked in the first half,” said Currituck coach Lindsay Cahoon, “but in the second half their transition game was too much.”

After a road game at Edenton on Friday, Bertie finishes the regular season at home a week later with another showdown against Hertford County.