EDENTON – Things seemed to be going according to plan.

Then came the fourth quarter.

Hertford County led Edenton 37-32 midway through the final period, but a late run by the Aces sent the Bears to their first defeat of the season and cost them a loss in the Northeastern Coastal Conference opener. Edenton won 44-42.

With the Bears leading 37-32, the Aces rolled off eight unanswered points to take the lead with 1:21 to play in the contest.

Dorian Holley started the spurt with three straight free throws before Brandon Godwin hit a hoop that tied the game at 37-all. Holley added another free throw before Taquan Fleming’s hoop at the 1:21 mark gave the Aces a 40-37 advantage.

Two free throws from Dontez Tyler closed the gap to one (40-39) for the Bears with one minute to play, but Charles Stanley scored for the Aces to push the lead back to three.

That was erased with 25 seconds to play when Dekimis Perry buried a triple to tie the score at 42-all. The Aces, however, scored with just five ticks left on the clock as Stanley was able to get the game-winning field goal.

The Bears had two in double figures with Tyler and Jordan Jones scoring 10 points each. Michael Morris added seven while Perry had six and Petey Boone scored five. D’Isaac Jordan and Markee White had two points each.

Holley led the Aces with 14 while Fleming had nine points. Stanley and Brandon Coston had eight each.

The game didn’t start well for the Bears as the home team scored the first six points of the contest thanks to a Stanley hoop and two from Fleming.

Hertford County, however, roared back and rolled off the next 12 unanswered. Tyler started the spurt with a field goal that was followed by a Morris hoop. Tyler added another hoop and free throw before Jones had consecutive hoops, the second of which also saw him add a free throw as the Bears led 12-6.

Edenton scored the final five points of the quarter on a Stanley hoop and a Holley triple to get within 12-11.

The second quarter was a low-scoring affair with HCHS hitting for seven while the Aces scored the same amount.

Tyler hit a hoop to start the quarter for the Bears followed by a Holley bucket. Jordan scored for the Bears to make it 16-13, but a three-pointer from Holley tied the score at 16-all.

The Bears weren’t done, however as Perry buried a triple before Mack Leary scored for the Aces to make it 19-18 at the intermission.

The Aces took the lead early in the third quarter on a Fleming triple, but the Bears stormed back with back-to-back three-pointers from Boone and Morris to make it 25-21. The teams exchanged hoops for the remainder of the quarter leaving Hertford County with the four-point advantage (32-28) at the end of the period.

The Aces closed to within two (32-30) when Coston scored to open the fourth quarter, but a free throw from Tyler and a bucket by Boone gave the Bears a five-point edge (35-30). The teams exchanged hoops to establish the 37-32 lead that set up the final run.

Hertford County (1-1, 0-1) will have the opportunity to get things going tonight (Tuesday) when they travel to Northeastern High School for the second league game.