AHOSKIE – Rocky Mount jumped out to an early lead and then held off a Hertford County rally here Wednesday night.

The Lady Gryphons went on to win the varsity girl’s basketball game 66-58 at Hertford County High School.

Tyaris Cooper got a quick hoop for Rocky Mount to open the game, but the Lady Bears got a three-pointer from Takia Williams and a hoop from Briante Bond as they surged ahead 5-2.

The Lady Gryphons, however, rolled off 11 unanswered points. Tia Hudgins, J’Kyra Brown and Marquita Hines had consecutive hoops and then Brown hit a three-pointer for Rocky Mount. Tinisha Walker had a field goal that pushed the Rocky Mount lead to 13-5.

Williams then hit a triple followed by a Camryn Jones bucket to close the gap to 13-10.

Rocky Mount, however, came right back with an 8-0 spurt that gave them a 21-10 lead. Hudgins had four of the eight points while Walker and Cooper also scored.

Jones put an end to that run with a score just before the first quarter ended, leaving the Lady Bears down 21-12.

The teams exchanged scores to start the second quarter with Rocky Mount holding a 25-16 lead before a free throw by Sherniece Futrell closed the gap further.

The Lady Gryphons, however, came back with 11 unanswered points to push their lead to 36-17. Walker started the spurt and ended it.

Bond then got a hoop for the Lady Bears, but was answered immediately by a hoop from Walker.

Williams hit a three-pointer and Larinda Fennell scored sandwiched around a Walker free throw as the Lady Bears closed within 39-24, but Walker scored again just before the intermission to give Rocky Mount a 41-24 lead at halftime.

Shelley Williams opened the third quarter with a pair of free throws for HCHS, but Hudgins scored to answer. Bond and Brown then exchanged buckets to leave Rocky Mount ahead 45-28.

Hertford County tried to close the gap as they went on a 7-2 spurt thanks to scores by Jones and Casey Grant and a three-pointer from Williams that closed the deficit to 49-35.

Rocky Mount, however, rolled off six straight to push the lead to 20 (55-35) for the first time.

Futrell answered with back-to-back hoops as the third quarter drew to a close, getting the Bears within 55-39.

Williams sandwiched a hoop and a triple around a Walker bucket to open the fourth quarter and close the gap to 57-44. Then, after a pair of scores, Jones had two free throws and a hoop to get the Lady Bears within 10 (60-50).

Marquita Hines then scored for the Gryphons before Williams hit a triple to get it under 10 (62-53).

Rocky Mount scored again, but the Bears had five of the final seven to get within eight (66-58). Unfortunately, time ran out on the comeback effort.

The loss dropped Hertford County to 4-2 for the season. They will be back in action Monday when they host Plymouth in a non-conference outing.

That will be their last game until December 27 when they meet Gates County High School in the opening round of the News-Herald Holiday Classic sponsored by United Country Joe Murray Realty.