LASKER – The rubber match went to the Lady Eagles.

Ridgecroft School and Northeast Academy met for the third time this season here Tuesday night with each team having one a previous matchup. This time, the Lady Eagles pulled away in the third quarter and rolled to a 48-30 Tarheel Independent Conference win.

The contest was a two-point affair (19-17) early in the third quarter when Northeast rolled off an 11-2 spurt to take control of the contest.

Molly Hargrave hit a free throw to start the spurt and was followed by a bucket from Callie Burgess. Hargrave scored again before Emily Cooke had the Rams’ only hoop in the spurt.

Burgess responded with three additional points while Hargrave added two shots from the charity stripe to make it 29-19 in favor of the Eagles with two minutes to play in the quarter.

Sara Hackney scored for Ridgecroft at the 1:20 mark of the third, but Northeast had the final six points of the period to take a 35-21 advantage. Senior Betty Edwards buried a triple and was followed by a free throw from Jennifer Sykes and a bucket by LeAnn Barnes.

Cooke had a pair of free throws and Hackney scored for Ridgecroft answered by an Edwards three-pointer as the Lady rams closed to within 38-25, but Northeast scored the next six points to take a 43-25 advantage.

They went on to a 48-30 victory.

Edwards led Northeast with 14 points while Hargrave and Burgess added nine each. Sykes contributed eight points and Barnes had four.

Ridgecroft was led by 15 from Cooke and six from Hackney.

In the first quarter, Northeast raced out to a 13-6 lead thanks to Edwards rolling off five points.

Ridgecroft started the second quarter on a 6-0 spurt, with Cooke scoring twice and Caitlyn Harrison adding a hoop.

Cooke tied the game with a free throw at the 3:18 mark of the third quarter, but Northeast used late hoops by Sykes and Barnes to lead 17-15 at the intermission.