EDENTON – The Lady Bears started the Northeastern Coastal Conference schedule the right way.

HCHS had a pair of players – Briante Bond and Jaleesa Chinn – in double figures as they knocked off Edenton 56-43 in the league opener for both clubs.

Bond scored 17 points while Chinn added 15 to pace the Lady Bears. Zakia Leary had 15 for the Aces and Alexis Duncan chipped in 14 points.

The Lady Bears didn’t waste much time taking control of the contest, outscoring Edenton 11-1 early and holding a 20-8 advantage at the end of the first period.

Chinn started the spurt with a three-pointer only to have Duncan score from the free throw line for the Aces. Hertford County, however, scored the next eight in a row when Bond scored to spark the spurt. Brandi Burden had a hoop on the run as did Camryn Jones and Bond added a second hoop to make it 11-1.

Edenton got a free throw from Leary and a hoop by LesLee Peele to close within 11-4, but the Bears responded with back-to-back hoops from Sherniece Futrell and Bond to push the lead back to double digits.

Following a pair of hoops by the Aces – one each from Duncan and Shaquan Riddick – the Lady Bears closed the quarter on a 5-0 run thanks to a triple by Bond and a hoop by Takia Williams establishing the 20-8 lead.

Edenton got the first score of the second quarter on a free throw by Duncan, but the Lady Bears rolled off the next five points on a hoop each from Jones and Chinn and a free throw by Burden to make it 25-9.

The Aces used four straight points to cut into the lead, but Jones scored again to keep the Bears ahead 27-13.

The teams exchanged hoops throughout the remainder of the first half, leaving Hertford County with a 12-point edge (32-20) at the intermission.

Edenton chipped away at the lead early in the second half, going on an 11-3 run that closed the gap to 35-31. Leary scored nine of the 11 points while Duncan added a hoop. The only answer from the Bears was a triple by Chinn.

HCHS battled back, however, as Bond scored to spark a 6-1 HCHS spurt. Chinn had the other two buckets on the run for the Lady Bears. Leary scored again for the Aces before the end of the third quarter leaving Hertford County ahead 41-34.

Back-to-back Brittnay Lassiter buckets to open the fourth quarter got the Aces within three (41-38), but Jones had a free throw that was followed by buckets from Bond and Deondra Morrison to push the Lady Bears back ahead by eight.

A pair of free throws by Tamara Leary stopped the HCHS run, but the Lady Bears went right back to work scoring three straight hoops – one each by Bond, Chinn and Burden – to take a 52-40 lead with 2:45 to play in the game.

Duncan scored for the Lady Aces to stop the spurt, but Bond and Morrison scored consecutively to seal the win for the Lady Bears.

The win moves HCHS to 2-0 under first-year skipper Justin Frederes and allowed them to open the league slate 1-0. HCHS will back on the road today (Tuesday) when they travel to Northeastern High School in Elizabeth City.