AHOSKIE – In a game that featured 11 ties and six lead changes, Rocky Mount High went six-for-six from the foul line in the final minute and a half, then held off a late Hertford County rally to down the Bears 55-51 here Thursday night. It was the third and final meeting between the two schools and second in less than a week.

Nine Gryphons scored, or two-thirds less than the six who scored for Hertford County and neither Rocky Mount player reached double figures. The Bears were led by Quinton Wright with 16 and freshman Keondre Rodgers with 13.

Victor Ward made one-of-two free throws to break a 1-1 tie and give the Gryphons the lead they would hold through the first quarter of play. The physical contest, with lots of pushing and shoving underneath and hand-checking on the perimeter led to six fouls being whistled and five-of-ten free throws being made. Rocky Mount came away with a 10-4 lead after one in the low-scoring contest.

Trailing 14-6 midway through the second quarter, the Bears outscored Rocky Mount 11-to-3 to tie the game at 17-all with less than two minutes remaining. The Gryphs went back in front by four before scores by Ta’ric Raynor and Wright had the score knotted at 21-21 by halftime.

With the score all squared at 23 in the third quarter, the Bears went on an 8-to-2 run that became their largest lead of the night, six points, 31-25. Then it was Rocky Mount’s turn at a run and they cashed in scoring 12 of the next 16 in the game to re-take the lead 37-35. Raynor’s baseline score tied the game for the seventh time, 37-37, before a late score put the Gryphons up by a pair after three, 39-37.

Rocky Mount never took a lead of more than three points in the fourth quarter as the Bears would tie it four more times Avery Hoggard broke the fourth tie with a jump shot that made it 51-49, Bears, but Rocky Mount would ice it at the free throw line. Hertford County had a shot at a tie, or the lead, trailing 53-51 with 10 seconds left, but they missed both a three-pointer and a follow-up lay-up before fouling and losing by four as the final free throws made their mark.

Hertford County (6-7) still has a return non-conference match-up at Northampton County and one at home against nationally-ranked South Central with the others all being 2A Northeastern Coastal Conference encounters beginning Friday (Jan. 18) at home against First Flight.

ROCKY MOUNT (55)

Deonte Gray-8, Ta’vaughn Parker-7, Tybiaus Harrison-7, Mario Dupree-7, Victor Ward-6. Nyjuel Joyner-6, Keeshawn Silver-5, Zataeveun Knight-5, Antwain Dunston-4.

HERTFORD CO. (51)

Quinton Wright-16, Keondre Rodgers-13, Michale Cooper-7, Avery Hoggard-7, Ta’ric Raynor-6, Latrell Harrington-2.