WINDSOR – A playoff clinching win came here Friday night.

Bertie High School knocked off 3-A foe Currituck 73-58 at home Friday and, in the process, clinched a berth in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A playoffs.

“We needed this win to get in the state playoffs,” Falcon mentor Calvin Moore said. “The defense is stepping up. We played hard. This is a great tribute to get back in the state playoffs.”

The Falcons placed three in double figures, including having the game’s leading scorers with Brandon Brown and Kent Bazemore scoring 17 points each. Darius Wesson added 11 points.

It was the second quarter that paced Bertie to its victory. The Falcons came out on fire, scoring a pair of free throws from Bazemore and a three by Wesson to move ahead 17-12.

Following a Jeremy Basnight bucket for the Knights, Brown hit a triple followed by a field goal and a three-pointer from Bazemore that pushed the Bertie advantage to 25-14.

Sterling Robinson stopped the spurt, but only briefly as the Falcons rolled off 11 unanswered and 15 of the next 17 to take a commanding advantage.

Travis Bond started the spurt with a hoop and was followed by scores from Wesson, Brown and William Credle.

Dequan Williams had the final two buckets of the first half to establish Bertie’s 40-18 halftime lead.

The Falcons kept a comfortable working margin in the third quarter, letting Currituck no closer than 14, which came with Robinson’s score to end the period. BHS led 53-39 after three periods.

Currituck closed within nine points (57-48) with 5:01 to play in the fourth quarter, but Bertie wouldn’t let them closer, getting back-to-back three-point plays from Bazemore and Wesson to push their advantage back to double figures.

The Falcons are now 7-4 in the Northeastern Coastal Conference and will have tonight (Tuesday) off before hosting Hertford County Friday.

Bertie (73): Brandon Brown n 17, Kent Bazemore n 17, Darius Wesson n 11, T. Bond n 8, D. Williams n 8, J. Jackson n 5, W. Credle n 5, I .Brown n 2

Currituck (58): Jeremy Basnight n 14, Sterling Robinson n 14, P. Friendly n 9, J. Saunders n 8, J. Molo n 7, E. Gallop n 4, D. White – 2