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ASKEWVILLE – Northeast Academy’s varsity girls basketball team started the season by winning the championship at the 15th annual Eric Baggett Scholarship Tournament.

The Eagles, playing at Bethel Assembly Christian Academy, topped the home team on Friday before edging Ridgecroft School on Saturday.

“I am proud of the effort the girls gave,” second-year Northeast Coach Lyndal White said. “We played two very good teams who are both well-coached and we gave 100 percent effort.

“We’ll enjoy it on Sunday and then go back to work Monday,” she continued. “There is a lot of basketball left and this was just the first of many goals we’ve set for our season.”

In Saturday’s championship game, Northeast trailed 48-43 with 4:50 left to play.

Senior Hayes Hatcher, later named Most Valuable Player of the tournament, then hit a free throw before scoring a basket, getting fouled, and connecting on the free throw to make it 48-47.

Chloe Long then was fouled and went to the free throw line and converted both, giving Northeast what was believed to be a 49-48 lead. After a conversation between the officials and scorekeepers, the score was changed to 49-all in accordance with the home book.

Ridgecroft’s Kaitlyn Cordrey gave her team the lead with 1:10 to play, but Northeast countered with a hoop from Lena Taylor just 10 seconds later and then took the lead 53-51 when Arland Davids hit a hoop with just 33 seconds remaining.

Ridgecroft’s Klaire Cherry tied the game at 53-all with 16 seconds to play. After a frenzy under the home basket, Hatcher was fouled with six ticks left on the clock.

She hit 1-of-2 at the line to give her team a 54-53 lead which held up when the Rams’ last shot didn’t connect.

Hatcher led the Eagles with 24 points, while Davis added 16 and Long had six. Taylor added five for the Northeast while Lyndsay White had three.

After the tournament, Davis and White were named to the All-Tournament team for the Eagles.

In Friday’s opening round, the Eagles also trailed in the fourth quarter before rallying to win.

Bethel’s Olivia Bazemore put her team up 60-55 with 2:09 left to play.

Northeast, however, took control of the game.

Long started the NEA run with a field goal and a free throw to cut the deficit to 60-58.

Bethel got another free throw from Bazemore with 1:58 to play as the home team led 61-58.

From there, Davis had two free throws and Hatcher one to tie the game at 61-all with 1:17 to play in the contest.

Davis and Hatcher then sandwiched hoops around one free throw before Hatcher hit another free throw to make it 64-61.

After another Hatcher basket, Bethel responded with a free throw each from Lauren Taylor and Bazemore to close the gap to 66-63.

Northeast then got two free throws and a hoop from Hatcher and a basket from Davis to pull away for a 72-63 victory.

Hatcher poured in 35 points in the victory while Davis added 18. Long checked in with nine points while White had six and Taylor contributed two.

Following the tournament, Hatcher was not only named MVP, but was awarded one of the scholarships presented by the tournament.

“My family has known Mark and Debra Baggett for a long time and I’m proud that Hayes was chosen as one of those who have honored Eric’s legacy,” White said. “We missed Mark (who passed away) this year, but I hope he’d be proud of the effort our girls gave.”