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AHOSKIE – The 2022 R-C News-Herald Holiday Classic championship round will look identical to the 2021 finals. This time around, however, Hertford County is hoping for a better outcome.

HCHS advanced both its teams to Thursday night’s finale as the girls shook off a slow start to defeat Roanoke Rapids, 42-33, while the boys cruised past Edenton-Holmes, 80-45, here Tuesday night.

Hertford County will square off against Northeastern High School in Thursday night’s championship round. The girls game tips off ay 6 pm followed by the boys game at 7:30 pm.

Northeastern swept Hertford County in both championship games last year.

In Tuesday night’s girls game, HCHS sank three-point baskets on four consecutive possessions to open the second quarter – two from Brooklyn White and one each by Tamia Britt and Adarielle Townsell – that turned the tide for the home team. That outburst helped HCHS hold a 19-18 halftime lead after trailing 10-5 at the end of the first quarter.

Roanoke Rapids rallied in the early stages of the third period to forge a 24-24 tie, but Britt buried two treys later in the quarter as HCHS led 31-26.

The Lady Yellow Jackets got to within four (33-29) with 4:48 left in the game, but HCHS connected on critical baskets down the stretch – a deuce each from Jaliyah Mitchell and Britt and a trey by Sophia Howard – to seal the victory.

Britt scored 16 points to lead all scorers. White added nine points; Mitchell and Townsell tallied six points each; and Howard chipped in five points.

Shaniah Daniels scored 13 points to lead Roanoke Rapids. Susanna Odom added 10 points.

In Tuesday’s boys game, Hertford County exploded for 28 points in the second quarter, turning a narrow 14-7 lead into an 80-45 rout of Edenton-Holmes.

The Bears led 42-19 at halftime and stretched that advantage to 29 points (63-34) by the end of the third quarter.

The lead reached 40 (74-34) on a basket by Israel Powell with 6:11 left in the game.

Hertford County placed four in double figures: Rimiez Williams (19), Powell (14), Shimere Garris (10), and Jayden Robinson (10).

Jimbo Parrish led Edenton-Holmes with seven points.

In the other half of the tournament’s semifinal bracket on Tuesday, Bertie High School saw their two opportunities to gain the championship round derailed.

In the girls contest, Northeastern limited Bertie to only two made baskets for the entire game as the Lady Eagles rolled to a 64-5 win.

Aniyah Rainey (19 points) and Jasmine Felton (12) led Northeastern.

In the boys game, Bertie rallied from a 14-point first quarter deficit to trail by just one (49-48) at the end of the third period, but Northeastern held on for a 71-63 win.

Bertie trailed by 11 (49-38) with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. However, Jonathan Deaver scored six straight points for the Falcons, highlighting a 10-0 run to close the period.

Northeastern answered with an 8-1 run to open the fourth quarter. Bertie still had one last push as Tequan Holley scored six of his team-high 19 points over a 90-second stretch to get the Falcons as close as 64-61 with 1:35 remaining.

Tyell Saunders scored a game-high 27 points to lead Northeastern.

The Holiday Classic continues today (Wednesday) with the consolation games as follows:

5^th place girls (4 pm) – Gates County vs. Edenton-Holmes

5^th place boys (5:30 pm) – Gates County vs. Roanoke Rapids

3^rd place girls (7 pm) – Bertie vs. Roanoke Rapids

3^rd place boys (8:30 pm) – Bertie vs. Edenton-Holmes

All games are at the Hertford County High School gym.