AHOSKIE – Northeastern High made up for a loss in Elizabeth City earlier this season by ‘stealing’ back a win here Tuesday night, 63-51, over Hertford County and tightened up the race for the top-seed in the 2A Northeastern Coastal Conference.

Aaron Carver led three Northeastern players in double-figures as he pumped in a game-high 27 points for the Eagles. Teammate Gedari Liverman added 17, with 13 more from Trey Carver. That trio was practically the whole show for Northeastern as the rest of the team only scored six points.

Jquwan Ruffin’s 24 point effort led HertfordCounty with Ryan Weaver adding 10 more.

The Bears trailed the entire game as Northeastern opened the contest with a five-point bulge, 7-2. Ruffin’s jump shot made it a three-point game before a 7-0 Eagles run pushed the visitors out to a ten-point lead, 14-4. The two clubs matched buckets the rest of the way and Northeastern led it 17-8 after the first quarter.

Two more rainbow jump shots from Ruffin had it down to a five point lead, 17-12, early in the second quarter. The Eagles pushed that lead to 11 twice in the frame before Ruffin led a Bear comeback that whittled the lead down to four at 25-21. But the Eagles continued to attack Hertford County inside and they were able to head to the break leading it by eight, 33-25.

Carver hit a baseline jumper to open the second half and secure a ten-point lead for the visitors. Evan Simmons got a three-pointer to aid the Bear cause but Northeastern stayed comfortably in front until midway thru the quarter when the Bears got the lead down to five, 43-38. However, Northeastern closed with a 9-2 flurry and were up by a dozen, 52-40 headed into the fourth quarter.

By now, the Eagles were packing it in with a zone and daring the Bears to attack the basket. Weaver and Ruffin commanded the perimeter, but the lack of size inside proved costly for the Bears.  Northeastern let the lead slip to ten just once, 54-44, but coasted the rest of the way before claiming a win by a dozen.

The victory left Hertford County (13-4, 6-1, NCC) trailing the Eagles by a half-game in the standings as Northeastern went to 12-3 overall and 7-1 in conference.

HertfordCounty now desperately needs a win Friday night on the road at Edenton Holmes.  The Bears will then have to follow that one up with a Saturday contest, still on the road, this time at Pasquotank.