AHOSKIE – One play doesn’t win or lose a ball game. It can, however, spike the momentum.

That may have been the case here Saturday as Bertie twice fought back from a 19-point deficit to tie Hertford County, but couldn’t sustain ‘Big-Mo’ after a controversial technical foul call and fell to the Bears 84-74. The win broke a three-game losing streak to the Falcons for HCHS.

Bertie seemed to be constantly fighting from a hole much of the game. They opened down 6-0 as Derek Hunter – one of three seniors starting on Senior Day – hit back-to-back buckets. Still the Bears maintained a slim lead, never going up by more than five before settling for an 18-17 lead after the first quarter.

Bertie took its first lead on a pair of Anthony Rascoe free throws, 19-18, before Hertford County went on a 13-1 run to stake the home team to a 31-20 advantage. With Bertie floor general Bobby Askew saddled with foul trouble, the Bears’ lead grew to 17 points with 2:45 left in the period, 39-22, and the margin stayed at that same number into the halftime break, 46-29.

The Bears raised that lead to 19, 48-29, and kept up a comfortable margin for the first five minutes of the frame. Jaquarii Roberson got an alley-oop dunk to delight the home crowd and make the score 58-47. However, Bertie closed the period on a 9-2 run – Hertford County’s points coming on an Evan Simmons dunk – but the Falcons had trimmed their deficit down to four points, 60-56, headed to the final eight minutes.

Chris Morning opened the fourth quarter with a put back for Bertie to pull the Falcons within two. Then, a Bear turnover led to Darquil Wilkins getting a dunk to tie the game, but Wilkins was whistled for a technical foul for hanging on the rim, and Bertie never saw the lead again. Bertie kept it close the first two minutes, getting within one, 65-64; but then Simmons, Roberson, and Talik Totten ignited a 15-1 Bear attack that put the game out of reach, 80-65, with time ticking away. Morning got a dunk before the buzzer, but it was still a 10-point win for the Bears.

Hertford County (14-7, 8-4, NCC) tied Bertie (15-7, 8-4, NCC) for second in the conference at 8-4, but received the third-seed in the Northeastern Coastal Conference tournament ahead of 7-5 First Flight. That’s also where the tournament begins Wednesday (Kill Devil Hills) with Hertford County facing Currituck and Bertie playing Edenton, both in the first round.

BERTIE (74)

Bobby Askew-19; Chris Morning-16; Darquil Wilkins-14; Eric Speight-8; Quatravis Riddick-7; Joshua Tann-6; Anthony Rascoe-4.

HERTFORD COUNTY (84)

Jaquarii Roberson-30; Evan Simmons-20; Talik Totten-12; Delmonta Cherry-10; Deandre Beverly-4; Derek Hunter-4; Deonta Hoggard-2; Alex Maxbauer-2.