AHOSKIE – A game-high 26 points from Jordan Jones wasn’t enough.

Hertford County High School suffered its first loss in the Northeastern Coastal Conference in the 2010-11 season Tuesday night as the fell 68-59 to Northeastern High School.

The Bears got 45 of those points from the inside duo of Jones and Dontez Tyler, but came up short when three Northeastern players – Terry Williams, Maurice Baum and Kashawn Banks – scored 20 points each.

The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first period with Northeastern taking a 15-14 lead after a late bucket by Banks.

They also got the first hoop of the game when Williams started the festivities with a three-pointer. Jones, however, answered that bucket to close the gap to 3-2. Baum then scored from behind the arc on the other end to push the Eagles up 6-2.

Jones and Tyler followed with back-to-back hoops to get the Bears even, but a three-pointer by Banks and a field goal from Raekwon Harney pushed the Northeastern lead to five (11-6).

Jones had two straight buckets and Tyler added a field goal as the Bears pushed ahead 12-11 to gain their first lead of the game.

Baum and Jones then exchanged hoops before the Banks bucket gave the Eagles the 15-14 lead.

The Eagles started the second period with back-to-back three-pointers from Williams and Banks as they surged ahead 21-14, but the Bears came back with hoops from D’Isaac Jordan and Jones as they closed back within 21-18.

Williams then had five straight points as he gave Northeastern a 26-18 edge. Jones and Petey Boone responded with back-to-back hoops to close the gap to four (26-22).

The Bears then outscored their visitors 8-4 in the closing minutes of the period to tie the game at 30-all heading into the locker room at half time. Tyler had four of those points while Boone and Jordan added a bucket each.

Jones hit 1-of-2 from the line to open the third quarter as the Bears again claimed the lead at 31-30.

Northeastern, however, scored the next seven straight with baskets from Harney and Banks and a Baum three-pointers as the claimed a 37-31 advantage.

Jones and Tyler sandwiched two points each around a three-point play from Williams as they closed to within 40-35, but Northeastern scored eight unanswered to take a 48-35 edge with 3:37 to play in the period.

Jones had a three-point play to stop the spurt and then Tyler added a hoop and Dekimis Perry contributed a free throw as the Bears chipped the lead down to 48-41.

Baum, however, scored the final bucket of the period to give Northeastern a 50-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Hertford County opened the fourth period with a three-pointer by Boone and two free throws from Jordan as they closed the gap to 50-46 with 7:01 to play, but Northeastern scored 9 of the next 11 to take a 59-48 lead. The only score for the Bears in that run was a bucket by Jones.

Jones and Tyler then had back-to-back hoops to close within 59-52, but Northeastern again pulled away thanks to a 4-2 spurt that made it 63-54.

Tyler made a free throw to spark a 5-1 Hertford County run with Jones adding the other hoops as they closed within 65-59, but Northeastern closed out the game at the free throw line.

The Bears dropped to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the league with the loss.