EDENTON – In poker, holding 3-4-5-6 can make a straight with any two. This is known as a straight draw.

Two also proved to be the winning hand for Hertford County High School here Friday night as they downed J.A. Holmes, 41-40, for the Lady Bears’ first come-from-behind road win of the season.

Vanessa Mitchell made an off-balance jump shot with less than ten seconds remaining, wiping a smile off the poker-faces of the Edenton fans and propelling the visitors to the victory.

Ashonta Basnight led Hertford County with 13 points while Kyara Rodgers scored ten.  Mitchell finished the night with eight.

Hadiya Bembry’s 19 points for Holmes led all scorers.

“Vanessa hit a big shot and we fought from the beginning of the game to the end,” said an exuberant but exhausted HertfordCounty coach Sha-Teisa Sharpe. “Everybody played well and this time we won a close game as we’ve usually been losing games like this.”

No luck involved in the start for Hertford County, just solid basketball to begin the first quarter. The Lady Bears opened the game 5-0 on a free throw by Desiree James and a pair of foul shots and a lay-up from Rodgers. Edenton fought back to tie it at 7-7 and then knotted the score again at 11-all.  Basnight made a running lay-up for a three-point lead, but Edenton shaved two of those off with a Ly’Taijah Jackson put-back.  It was 13-12, HertfordCounty, after the first.

The Bears built their lead up to six, 19-13 in the second quarter before Edenton mounted a comeback, scoring seven of the next nine points to pull within a pair, 21-19, as time was winding down before the break.  Alexia Pope launched a wild shot that found the bottom of the net with the clock expiring and HertfordCounty took a four point lead, 23-19, into the locker room at halftime.

The Aces stormed out of the gate to open the second half as they scored six straight, with four by Bembry to tie the game at 23-all and then take their first lead, 25-23.  A free throw by Keshondra Roberson – her only point of the night – and a bucket by Basnight gave the lead back to Hertford County, 26-25. The scoring then see-sawed back and forth and it was still a one-point lead in the Bears’ favor, 30-29, after the third quarter came to a close.

Four points from Basnight stretched the Hertford County lead to five, but their defense couldn’t keep Edenton at bay. The Aces flushed their way down to a three-point deficit, 35-32, before they orchestrated a four-point turnaround and took a 36-35 lead. With just under three minutes left to play Basnight’s lay-up gave the lead back to Hertford County; however, a field goal and a free throw handed it right back to the Aces.  Edenton led by three, 40-37, on a Bembry baseline shot, but that would be all the Aces could score this night.  Mitchell was fouled with 42 second left and made both to pull Hertford County within one. Then after an Edenton miss, Hertford County brought the ball into the front-court, worked it around to Mitchell, who jumped awkwardly and released.  The ball sailed high and thru the net for what turned out to be the win as the Bear bench erupted in joy and laughter.

Hertford County (4-13, 3-6, NCC) closes out the regular season this week with home games against Currituck County and rival, Bertie. In between they play their last road game at First Flight.