WINDSOR – Bertie High School completed the clean sweep.

The Lady Falcons’ varsity basketball team defeated Hertford County 65-31 Tuesday night in the opening round of the Northeastern Coastal Conference tournament. The win was Bertie’s fourth in as many meetings with the Lady Bears.

“We started off slowly,” BHS skipper Alice Lyons-Bennett said. “We picked it up in the second half.

“In the second half we were focused and ran our plays,” she continued. “We were looking up court and getting the ball to the open man. We also had balanced scoring.”

Bertie did indeed post balanced scoring with four players checking in with double figures. Ayanna Wilson led the charge with 14 points while Tierra Brown and Devona Bond had 11 each. Yashanti Bridgers added 10 points.

While Bennett may not have been pleased with her team’s first quarter effort, they Lady Falcons did take control of the game during that period.

Brown hit a field goal and a free throw to start the game followed by two shots from the charity stripe by Wilson.

Hertford County’s Raqueta Moore, who led her team with 11 points, had the Lady Bears’ only bucket in the period to close the gap to 5-2 with two minutes to play in the quarter.

Bertie controlled the rest of the quarter, getting a triple by Monica Outlaw, a basket from Bond and free throws by Wilson and Mia Harrell to take a 13-2 lead.

The Falcons’ scoring run continued into the second quarter when Bridgers and Satora Swain hit consecutive hoops and then Bridgers and Bond each hit two free throws to make it 21-2.

Swain scored again for Bertie, as did Wilson.

Joya Hardy stopped the Bertie spurt with a field goal at the four-minute mark of the second period, but Bertie led 26-4.

The two teams played evenly the rest of the quarter with the Lady Falcons eventually taking a 30-9 lead into the locker room at the half.

Montressa Perry started the third period with a hoop for Bertie, but was answered by Moore. Bond then hit a triple, but Moore answered that score as well.

Bertie rolled off the next 10 points to take a 44-13 advantage, but Hertford County put together a run of their own to close the quarter.

Moore hit a field goal and free throw before Briante Bond scored from behind the arc and Olivia Edwards hit a hoop to make it 45-21 at the end of the third quarter.

Jalisa Chinn and Tekia Williams hit back-to-back buckets to start the fourth quarter, closing Hertford County’s deficit to 45-26.

The Lady Falcons, however, put the game away as they rolled off 16 of the next 18 points.

Hertford County finished the 2007-08 campaign with a 4-19 overall mark.

Bertie, now 16-6, advanced to the semifinals of the Northeastern Coastal Conference tournament where they will meet third-seeded Edenton.

Lady Falcons (65): Ayanna Wilson n 14, Tierra Brown n 11, Devona Bond n 11, Yashanti Bridgers n 10, Satora Swain n 7, Monica Outlaw n 5, Mia Harrell n 3, Montressa Perry n 2, Tiffany Chamblee n 1, Latoya Gillam n 1

Lady Bears (31): Raqueta Moore n 11, Briante Bond n 8, Tekia Williams n 3, Danielle Downing n 2, Olivia Edwards n 2, Joya Hardy n 2, Jalisa Chinn n 2, Bardreda Williams – 1