AHOSKIE – After delaying the start of their season to complete football, Hertford County’s varsity basketball team looked like they didn’t need the warm-up as they routed Northampton County 97-55 here Saturday afternoon.

Senior Jaquarii Roberson and teammate Talik Totten led the way with 22 points each as the Bears hit 16 three-pointers. J.J. Miles was top scorer for Northampton with 17.

“It was a real good start to the season,” said Hertford County coach Charles Simmons. “We did a good job in our transition game on fast breaks of finding the open man.”

After Miles muscled in a put-back that tied the score at 2-2, Hertford County took the lead on a Roberson free throw and the rain of three-pointers began. Roberson hit a couple back-to-back followed by Totten and Delmonta Cherry. Miles buried one from behind the arc for the Jaguars, but Hertford County led the barrage, ending the quarter on a trey by Totten that doubled their lead, 36-18.

More perimeter scoring came for the Bears in the second quarter as Rayshawn Beamon, Dana Goodman, and Lance Hunter got in on the scoring from behind the arc; Hunter’s trey staking the Bears to their first 20-point lead, 42-22. When Qyshaun Chism dropped a deep jumper the lead had grown to 25. Even though they were in a deep scoring hole, Northampton tried to match the Bears shot-for-shot down the stretch in the quarter but they never could catch up. It was 57-33, Bears, at halftime.

Miles banked in a soft shot underneath early in the third quarter that got Northampton within 21 at 62-41 before the Bears went on a 7-0 run. Roberson, after an 18-point effort in the first-half, had just four in the second half as his two free throws made it 71-47, Bears. Hertford County’s last field goal of the quarter was a three-pointer by Beamon as the frame ended 78-52, Hertford County.

The Bears opened the fourth quarter with three three-pointers – two by Treyveon Bloodworth as Simmons called off the dogs. Northampton (0-1) went to a slowdown to avoid a larger deficit as the Bears’ lead climbed to its 42-point finale with 11 of 12 Bears players dressed out scoring in the romp.

“Defensively, we created turnovers and that led to lay-ups,” said Simmons.

Hertford County (1-0) hosts South Central Wednesday before opening Northeastern Coastal Conference play Friday night at home against Currituck.

 

JAGUARS BOYS (55)

J.J. Miles-17, Denzell Ashe-12, Kalife Crenshaw-8, Rakell Holt-8, Jamonte Branch-5, Zion Kendell-2, Raheem Spivey-2, Stephon Ashe-1.

BEARS BOYS (97)

Jaquarii Roberson-22, Talik Totten-22, Rayshawn Beamon-14, Qyshaun Chism-10, Dana Goodman-6, Treyveon Bloodworth-6, Delmonta Cherry-5, Dunyasha Porter-5, Lance Hunter-3, Jemari Lassiter-2, Zion Riddick-2.