CREEKSVILLE – It was an important non-conference game for Hertford County.

The Lady Bears stepped out of Northeastern Coastal Conference play Saturday night for a contest with rival Northampton County High School – East. On the lien was a chance for the Lady Bears to win their third straight and even their overall record at 4-4.

HCHS did just that as Briante Bond poured in 26 points and led the Bears to a 53-31 win.

The second quarter was the key for the Lady Bears as they broke open a close game to take an eight-point advantage by the end of the first half.

Northampton’s Patrice Williams scored the first bucket of the second quarter to deadlock the game at 12-all, but Hertford County scored seven of the next eight points to surge ahead 19-13.

Camryn Jones, who had nine points during the contest, hit the first bucket and was followed by a free throw from bond. Deondra Morrison and Bond then hit consecutive buckets while allowing only a Nikki Peebles free throw to account for the spurt.

Two Peebles free throws ended the run for but Bond and Peebles each scored again as Hertford County went back ahead 23-17.

A late 4-0 spurt – two points from Bond and one each from Jones and Jaleesa Chinn – gave Hertford County the eight-point lead (27-19) at the intermission.

The Lady Bears continued to roll in the third quarter as Bond sandwiched a pair of hoops around a Morrison deuce to make it 33-19, HCHS.

After Ashley Boyce, who led the Lady Rams with 10 points, stopped the run, Jones answered with a hoop for the Bears.

Northampton was able to muster a 6-2 run to close out the third quarter and close their deficit to 10 (39-29). Peebles, Boyce and Brittany Boone had scores during the spurt for the Lady Rams.

Bond scored the first two buckets of the fourth quarter to push Hertford County back to a comfortable 43-29 lead with 7:31 to play.

After a Peebles free throw, the Lady Bears scored the next seven points to all but seal the win. Bond had three points during the spurt while Olivia Edwards and Shaniece Futrell added two each to give HCHS a 50-30 lead.

They then went on to the 52-31 victory.

In addition to the 26 points from Bond and nine from Jones, Hertford County second-year skipper Diego Hasty got six points from Morris, four from Raqueta Moore and three each from Chinn and Edwards. Futrell finished with two points.

Boyce (10), Williams (9) and Peebles (8) paced the Northampton-East attack while Boone and Kierra Wiggins had two each.

Both teams will be back in action Friday during the opening round of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Holiday Classic sponsored by United Country Joe Murray Realty.

East will open at 5 p.m. against Bertie High School while the Lady Bears will meet Gates County High School at 6:30 p.m.