AHOSKIE – Pasquotank County High School began its second year in the News-Herald Holiday Classic sponsored by United Country Joe Murray Realty just like the first.

The Lady Panthers won the opening round game of the tournament, topping Gates County High School 55-41 to advance to the semifinals of the event for the second consecutive year.

Mikeara Jordan poured in 20 points and Brianna Elliott added 16 in the win. Kierra Ballard had 16 to lead Gates County.

The Lady Panthers jumped out to an early lead and the Barons rallied, but could never quite catch up.

Jordan and Elliott opened the game with back-to-back hoops before Alaysia White scored from the free throw line for Gates County. Elliott then hit three straight bucket to push the lead to 10-1 before a late hoop by Kalia Ballard got the Red Barons within 10-3 after one quarter.

White scored to open the second quarter, but was answered by a bucket from Jordan. Jaivon Knight then found the net for Gates, but Chelsey Elliott had a response at the other end.

Kierra Ballard scored for Gates, but this time the Panthers got four straight before White scored again from the charity stripe and Pasquotank had jumped out to an 18-10 lead.

The teams exchanged hoops over the rest of the period and the Panthers took that same eight-point edge – now at 24-16 – into the locker room at the intermission.

Brianna Elliott started the third quarter with successive hoops and then, when Kierra Ballard scored for Gates, she found the net again. Ballard, however, responded with three straight points and got the lead back to nine (30-21).

Successive hoops by Jordan pushed the lead to 13, but Gates responded with eight unanswered points thanks to a pair of hoops from Kierra Ballard and a bucket each by Knight and Kalia Ballard as they closed to within five (34-29).

Unfortunately for the Barons, they wouldn’t get closer as PCHS pushed the lead to seven by the end of the third period and extended it back to double figures early in the fourth as they went on to take the win.

In addition to the scoring leaders, Pasquotank got 10 from Tyanna Green, six from Chelsey Elliott and three from Ishara McClease.

Gates had two others in double digits with Kalia Ballard hitting for 11 and White going for 10. Knight added four.

The Lady Panthers advanced to Thursday’s semifinal game while Gates moved on to the Fifth Place game on Friday.