AHOSKIE – They may have been a fill-in, but they did a good job of filling up.

Northampton County High’s girls basketball team were a last-minute addition to the line-up for the 2018 Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament, but the Lady Jaguars roared in like they were the main event.

Led by senior center Rashauna Grant, Northampton drubbed Rocky Mount Prep 44-18 in a battle of Jaguars with the opening game of the event here Wednesday afternoon.

NHC opened with a swarming pressure defense that kept RMP off their game the entire contest. Swooping in for a quick turnover, pesky point guard Ny’Asia Kee-Daye converted two of those into lay-ups, sandwiching an off-balanced put back by Saa’Naudia Deloatch. Grant then converted a free throw, and after a three-pointer by Rolando Williams, it was 10-0, Northampton. Rocky Mount Prep finally got on the scoreboard with 1:56 left in the first quarter when Brenyia Lewis’ jump shot rimmed-in, closing out the first period 10-2, Northampton.

Grant, with a pair of inside moves, scored twice opening the second quarter. RMP countered with a basket of their own to trail by 10, 14-4.Williams then drained another triple, followed by a short jumper before Rocky Mount Prep scored their third field goal that made it 19-6, Northampton. Grant posted up for the final score of the half – for one-third of her team’s points for the game and the two teams headed to the locker room with Northampton in front, 21-6 at the mid-break.

Grant was unstoppable as the third quarter opened. She reeled off her team’s first eight points, part of an 8-2 run, or roughly half her team’s effort in the game. Rocky Mount did outscore Northampton in the final three minutes with an 8-2 run of their own, but trailed 31-16 headed to the final stanza.

Grant scored the first basket of the fourth quarter and then came out as the assistants filling in for absent head coach Jerri Squire began to clear the bench. After a 6-2 Northampton surge, the Jags then went into a stall-game, closing out the competition by scoring the last five points unanswered for the 26-point victory.

Northampton (6-0) went on to face defending champion Bertie in the Thursday game while Rocky Mount Prep headed to the fifth-place game on Friday.

ROCKY MOUNT PREP GIRLS (18)

Brenyia Lewis-6, Angelic Dawson-6, Chelsea Hyman-4, Makayla Whitaker-2.

NORTHAMPTON COUNTY GIRLS (44)

Rashauna Grant-18, Rolando Williams-12, Saa’Naudia Deloatch 6, Ny’Asia Kee-Daye-6, Teanna Huff-2.