AHOSKIE – Hertford County dominated quarter one and never looked back here Friday night.

The Bears raced out to a 25-9 lead and rolled to a 70-55 victory over visiting Pasquotank County High School. The win boosted the Bears to 5-4 overall and 2-2 in the league.

“We played one of our better first halves of the season,” said HCHS skipper Charles Simmons. “We got an opportunity to play several kids and everyone responded well. This was a good conference win.”

Things started slowly for HCHS with Pasquotank taking an early 2-1 lead, but the Bears rolled off seven unanswered to surge ahead 8-2. Jordan Jones started the spurt with a hoop that was followed by a Petey Boone bucket and a three-point play by Antonio Vaughan.

Jeron Moore had a pair of free throws for the Panthers, but Vaughan responded with a three-pointer for HCHS that make it 11-4. After a Seth Hampton bucket, Vaughan again reacted with a three-pointer.

Following a Tyrell Gallop bucket, the Bears scored 11 of the final 12 points of the quarter. Dontez Tyler had successive buckets to start the run and was followed by hoops from D’Isaac Jordan and Michael Morris. After a Jones free throw, Morris added another hoop that gave the Bears a 25-9 lead.

Hertford County continued to pull away in the second period, scoring six of the first seven points thanks to hoops by Boone and Jones and a pair of shots from the charity stripe by Dekimis Perry. They led 31-10 midway through the quarter.

Pasquotank rallied thanks to three free throws, but the Bears got a bucket from Perry and a triple by Morris to take a 38-15 lead. The home team held a 38-16 halftime edge.

The Panthers scored the first seven points of the third quarter to close the gap to 15 (38-23), but Jones and Tyler sandwiched a pair of baskets around a Gallop free throw to push the Bears’ lead to 42-24.

Vaughan then had back-to-back buckets to push the lead to 22 (46-24) before Pasquotank got three straight hoops from Delinte Gallop and a triple by Tyrell Gallop to close the gap to 46-33.

Boone closed the third quarter with a hoop and a triple to help HCHS lead 51-33 heading into the final period.

In the final period, Pasquotank outscored the Bears 22-19, but the visitors never got within 15 points of the Bears.

Hertford County was paced by 21 points from Vaughan while Boone had 15 and Tyler chipped in 10 points. Jones added nine for HCHS while Morris had seven, Perry six and Jordan two points.

Moore led Pasquotank with 16 points while T. Gallop had 13 and D. Gallop had 12 points.

The Bears will travel to Wilson for a non-league meeting with James B. Hunt High School today (Tuesday) before returning to league play against rival Bertie High School in Ahoskie Friday.