WINDSOR – Champions find a way to win.

Bertie High School did just that Friday night, using balanced scoring in the absence of their scoring leader, to defeat Pasquotank County High School 59-44.

Keon Moore led the Falcons with 14 points while Norman Cherry added 10 points. Darius Wesson added eight points.

“I’m awfully excited about the way we played defense,” said first-year BHS basketball boss Lester Lyons. “It was probably the first time we’ve had a team effort on defense this year.”

The balanced scoring was by design, the coach said.

“We had to do some different stuff with Tyson Perry out,” Lyons said. “I told them to move the ball around, look inside and execute the offense.”

The win improved the Falcons to 16-2 overall and 9-0 in the Northeastern Coastal Conference. That leaves the Falcons with a two-game edge in the race for the league title with just three games remaining.

The Falcons wasted little time getting out of the gate Friday evening.

Moore buried a triple just 12 seconds into the contest and that sparked a 10-4 run that gave the Falcons the lead for good. After the visiting Panthers closed to within 10-9, the Falcons again pulled away, getting a hoop from Richardson as they raced to an 18-9 lead after one period of play.

The second quarter remained all Bertie as the Falcons scored the first seven points of the period to go ahead 25-9. After a three-pointer by the Panthers, the Falcons rolled off the next four points as they lead 29-12.

Bertie went on to a comfortable 21-point lead (40-19) at the intermission.

The third quarter was a low-scoring affair with Lyons using his bench for much of the period as the Falcons scored nine points and led 49-30 heading into the final period of play.

From there, the league-leaders set it on cruise control and came out with the victory.

Bertie (16-2, 9-0) will travel to Currituck tonight (Tuesday) for another league contest before hosting Edenton on Friday.