CREEKSVILLE – Hertford County High School’s 2003-04 varsity basketball season opened with mixed results here Friday night where the boys ran away with a 14-point win at Northampton-East while the girls dropped a narrow four-point loss.

Four Bears do the damage

In varsity boys action, Lorenzo Benthall (16), Pert Simons (15), Curt Jenkins (13) and Brandon Long (11) all scored in double figures as the Bears spanked the Rams, 74-60.

The Bears trailed only once, 4-3, following a Seville Sanford basket early in the game. Sanford went on to lead all scorers with 23 points.

From there, HCHS fashioned an 11-4 run to take control of the contest. A pair of baskets from Simons plus a hoop and a free throw by LaMarcus Bond highlighted that spurt as the Bears went on to grab an 18-14 edge by the end of the first period.

Benthall began and ended the second quarter with a successful shot from beyond the 19′-9&uot; arc. In-between, Benthall added a deuce and another trey as the Bears continued to add to their advantage, one that stood at double digits (35-24) at halftime.

That lead grew as high as 22 points (52-30) with 3:10 left in the third quarter after a hoop from freshman Taydrek Powell capped a 17-6 run to open the second half. Jenkins added five free throws during that spurt while Benthall and Long each chipped in a basket and a charity toss.

Despite staring at a huge deficit, the Rams, who were off to a 2-0 start, refused to quit in the fourth quarter where NCHS-East caught fire behind the three-point arc. From that range, Adrian Sawyer, Jeremy Taylor and Sanford each buried a trey – lighting the fuse on a comeback effort that drew the Rams as close as 11 (69-58), but the Bears big lead was just too much to overcome.

Hertford County (74)

Lorenzo Benthall – 16, Pert Simons – 15, Curt Jenkins – 13, Brandon Long – 11, Powell – 6, Bond – 3, Gatling – 3, Valentine – 3, White – 2, Wiggins – 2.

NCHS-East (60)

Seville Sanford – 23, Williams – 9, Mason – 6, Pugh – 6, Sawyer – 5, Taylor – 5, Barnes – 4, Shoulars – 2.

Lady Rams ride big 1st quarter

Generally speaking, games are not won or lost in the first quarter. The exception to that rule was duly noted in the varsity girls game at NCHS-East on Friday night.

The Lady Rams rode the strength of a 10-1 run over the opening eight minutes of action en route to beating Hertford County by four, 38-34.

Lacajah Lesuer scored four of her game-high 14 points in the first quarter to highlight her team’s early lead. She went on to add a basket and three free throws early in the second quarter where the Lady Rams built as much as a 15-point (19-4) lead. However, the Lady Bears finally awoke from their early hibernation as a pair of Chaquitta Holloman hoops lit a fire under her team as HCHS closed the first half on a 9-2 run to close to within 21-13 at intermission.

The Lady Bears kept chipping away at their deficit, finally tying the game at 22-22 three minutes into the second half after a flurry of free throws from Erika Mizelle plus baskets by Holloman and Jamie Britt.

Back came the Lady Rams as back-to-back hoops from Chasity Majette and Shamekia Long staked NCHS-East to a lead they never would surrender.

Lady Rams (38)

Lacajah Lesuer – 14, Vaughan – 7, Majette – 6, Long – 4, Swain – 4, Creech – 3.

Lady Bears (34)

Chaquitta Holloman – 11, Erika Mizelle – 10, Britt – 6, Cofield – 3, Grant – 3, Majette – 1.