ASKEWVILLE – Ridgecroft School earned its third victory of the season over non-league rival Bethel Christian Academy Thursday.

Miller Bryant scored a career high 24 points to lead the Lady Rams to their 14^th win this season with the 54-34 victory.

On the other side, Jessica Howerton recorded a double-double for the Lady Eagles, scoring 16 points and pulling down 17 rebounds. She added five blocks.

The contest was close in the early going with Kelsie Conner starting things off with a bucket for Bethel only to be answered by Ridgecroft’s Hennie Larabee.

A free throw by Charitee Dunlow put Bethel back in front, but Bryant hit a three-pointer and a deuce back-to-back to give the Lady Rams a 7-3 edge.

Dunlow scored to close the gap to two, but Brice Harrison hit a free throw to make it 8-5.

The lead was still three (10-7) moments later when Howerton scored from the floor and Conner added a free throw to tie the game at 10-all.

Howerton put the Lady Eagles in front with her next hoop, but Lauren Colson scored from the free throw line to close the gap to one (12-11).

Bethel’s Elizabeth Farmer then hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to give the Eagles a 13-11 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Lady Rams roared back to open the second quarter. Bryant hit from the floor and then Larabee added a three-point play before Colson scored again to make it 18-14 in favor of Ridgecroft.

Another three-pointer by Bryant was followed by a Harrison hoop that gave the Lady Rams a 23-14 lead.

Howerton, however, finally broke the scoring drought when she sandwiched a pair of buckets around a three-pointer by Larabee as the Lady Eagles closed to within 26-18.

Farmer added a hoop and Conner a free throw before the horn sounded for halftime as the home team closed the gap to 26-21.

The third quarter belonged to the visiting club as Ridgecroft outscored the Eagles 16-5 to take control of the contest.

Sara Hackney got things started for the Lady Rams with a field goal early in the second half and then Harrison hit a pair of free throws to give Ridgecroft a 30-21 edge.

A Conner free throw was followed by another Hackney score to push the Rams ahead 32-22.

Howerton and Kristen Adams had back-to-back buckets for Bethel as they closed back to within 32-26, but a Hackney free throw and a Larabee triple helped Ridgecroft pull back ahead by 10.

Bryant then had the final three baskets of the third quarter as Ridgecroft grabbed a 42-26 lead.

Howerton scored the first basket of the fourth quarter and then, after a Larabee free throw, Conner hit both ends of a 1-plus-1 to get the Eagles within 43-30.

Colson and Howerton exchanged hoops to leave the lead at 13, but Colson then added a free throw and Bryant had a field goal to make it 48-32.

Farmer scored to close the gap again, but the Rams scored the final six points of the game to pull away for their third win over the Eagles.

The win helped Ridgecroft improve to 14-3 overall this season while dropping Bethel Christian to 17-3.