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LASKER – Northeast Academy’s varsity girls continued a strong start to the season on Tuesday.

The Eagles, fresh off a win in the Doug Cobbs Scholarship Invitational, knocked off Tarheel Independent Conference rival Pungo Christian Academy for their first league win of the season. NEA broke open a close game late to secure a 51-44 win over PCA.

The win allowed the Lady Eagles to improve to 6-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

With just 6:45 to play in the game, Northeast clung to a 35-34 lead, but Arland Davis and Lena Taylor hit back-to-back buckets to push the Eagles ahead 39-34.

Pungo’s Allison Sawyer responded with a hoop, but it was answered on the other end by Davis.

Sawyer then sandwiched two buckets around a Hayes Hatcher hoop for NEA as the Raiders pulled within 43-40 with 4:30 on the clock.

Sophomore Jessa Pope then hit a hoop for Northeast and Hatcher scored less than 30 seconds later as the Eagles surged ahead 47-40.

Sawyer again scored for the Raiders, but a field goal from Davis and a pair of free throws by Hatcher gave the Eagles a 51-42 edge.

PCA junior Lily Keech scored with 20 seconds to play to establish the final score.

Hatcher led the Eagles’ scoring effort with 24 points and completed the double-double with 11 rebounds. Davis added 16 points and nine rebounds. Chloe Long had two points, but pulled down nine rebounds.

Pope added five points while White and Taylor had two each.

The game started with the teams evenly matched.

Pungo scored the first four points on a Sawyer hoop and a pair of free throws from the hands of Julia Rouse, but the Eagles responded with two buckets by Hatcher to tie the score.

The teams continued to exchange baskets, until Sawyer and Rouse pushed the Raiders ahead 12-7 with just under three minutes to play in the first quarter.

The Eagles, however, scored the final two buckets – both from Hatcher – as they closed the gap to 12-11 by the end of the quarter.

Pungo again pulled ahead early in the second quarter when Sawyer hit three free throws while Keech and Bristol Cutrell scored, giving the Raiders a 20-11 lead.

Northeast rallied thanks to buckets by Hatcher and Chloe Long and a triple from Pope as the Eagles closed back within 20-18.

Cutrell interrupted the run with a free throw, but the Eagles scored the next six points – four by Davis and two by Hatcher – as they surged ahead 25-21 at the intermission.

Davis and Hatcher had the first two hoops of the third quarter to push the edge to 29-21, but Pungo rallied.

Sawyer had hoops around a Keech bucket as the Raiders closed to within 29-27.

Cutrell then hit a hoop with 2:51 to play in the third quarter to deadlock the game.

Sawyer’s free throw and a hoop by Rouse was countered by baskets from Lindsay White and Davis as the Eagles led 33-32 after three quarters.

Hatcher opened the fourth quarter with a hoop, but the Raiders rallied to set up the final seven minutes of the game.

Despite a solid effort Tuesday night, the NEA varsity boys came up short against Pungo Christian Academy by a final of 54-47.

The Eagles led early thanks to a 5-0 run to start the game. Chance Lassiter buried a three-pointer and was followed by a hoop from junior Jaden Medford as the Eagles led 5-0.

Evan Woolard ended the run with a hoop for PCA, but Judson Smith answered for the Eagles.

After a pair of Woolard free throws, Northeast rolled off back-to-back hoops from Smith as they took an 11-4 lead.

Pungo stopped the run with a pair of Michael Cripe free throws before Medford and Luke Ross each hit three-pointers on opposite end of the floor.

The result was a 14-9 NEA lead after one quarter.

The teams continued to battle in the second quarter and an 8-2 run for the Raiders allowed them to tie the game at intermission, 20-all.

The Raiders controlled the third quarter, holding Northeast to six points while scoring 15 themselves to take a 35-26 lead.

The Raiders then held on for the win.

Medford led the Eagles with 13 points while Smith added 11 and Lassiter had 10. Camden White added seven, Jake Parks four and Cole Taylor two points.