AHOSKIE – 2018’s girl’s championship of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament will be a re-match, of sorts, of last year’s finale.

Washington County High School (formerly Plymouth) is back in the title match – actually, re-match – and will face Bertie High tonight (Saturday).  The Lady Panthers earned that right with a 52-35 win over Hertford County. The Lady Falcons, meanwhile, will be seeking their 13th crown after having a streak of four titles in a row snapped last year by many of these same players, and then known as the Plymouth Vikings.

Hertford County didn’t go down without a fight.  After sprinting out to a 6-0 lead, the Lady Bears held Washington County at bay with defense on the perimeter thanks to their zone defense. The lead got as high as 11-4 before settling back to a three-point lead, 11-8, at the end of the first quarter.

But Washington County opened the second quarter by scoring nine unanswered points, capped by a deep three-pointer by Mauricia Wrighton, to surge ahead 17-11. The Bears clawed back to get within two 21-19 before Mauresha Blount’s only points of the game returned it to a four-point margin right at halftime, 21-17.

The two teams swapped baskets opening the second half with Hertford County tying the contest at 24-all on a three-pointer by Bailey Brock. But back-to-back treys by Lindsey Stallings and Shamyah Mays and a free throw by Wrighton bulged the Panther lead up to seven again, 31-24.  Brock then dropped another trey and Brianna Howard made a pair of free throws to get the Bears back on the doorstep31-29.  Washington County then made seven straight and entered the fourth quarter leading 38-29.

Stallings blasted in another three-pointer to open the fourth, and it was the beginning of a 12-0 run by the Panthers.  When the smoke cleared, Hertford County was down 21 points, 50-29.  Howard made a free throw for the Bears to break the streak, but Jamiqua Norman came back with a tip-in for Washington County and their biggest lead of the game, 52-30.  The Bears closed out the game making five straight foul shots, but found themselves on the losing end by 17.

Hertford County (2-5) also got a re-match.  They played Northampton County in the Friday night third-place game; a team who beat the Bears 45-21 early in December.

WASHINGTON COUNTY GIRLS (52)

Mauricia Wrighton-16, Janeja Perry-13, Shemyah Mays-9, Lindsey Stallings-8, Janiqua Norman-2, Zy’Asia Carter-2, Mauresha Blount-2.

HERTFORD COUNTY GIRLS (35)

Desiree Askew-7, Qua’Dajah Ruffin-7, Bailey Brock-6, Brianna Howard-5, Mya Mabine-4, Jaymie Watson-2, Ashanti Bowser-2, Daysha Holloman-2.