BELHAVEN – Ridgecroft School topped Pungo Christian Academy 53-35 here Tuesday night.

The win gave the Rams’ varsity basketball team a victory in the Tarheel Independent Conference opener.

The Rams were led by 17 points from Michael Byrum while Austin Britton chipped in 14. Bobby Edwards added six and Landon Larabee had five. Kristopher Armstrong led PCA with 13.

Ridgecroft led from the beginning of the contest, jumping out to an 11-4 advantage after one quarter. The Rams pushed the advantage to 23-11 at halftime and led 40-20 after three quarters.

The win boosted the Rams to 1-0 in league play and 2-4 overall.

“The competition we have played in our nonconference schedule has fared well for this team,” Ridgecroft Head Coach Brandon Hodges said. “I’ve seen a lot of improvement from day one. We are going to keep working hard.”

The Rams will travel to Lawrence Academy Friday for another TIC outing.