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LASKER – Northeast Academy formally bid adieu to two basketball seniors as they closed out their home career last Wednesday.

The Eagles paid tribute to Hayes Hatcher and Chance Lassiter as the two played for the final time on the court of Northeast Academy.

The first game played was the varsity girls’ contest where Hatcher posted 24 points and grabbed 21 rebounds to spark her Eagles to a 64-56 victory over rival Ridgecroft.

Ridgecroft jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before the Eagles finally got on the board with two free throws from Jessa Pope at the 4:36 mark of the quarter.

Pope sparked an Eagles run as Arland Davis sandwiched a pair of hoops around two of her own free throws as she pushed Northeast ahead 8-7.

Three free throws from Ridgecroft gave the visiting team a 10-8 lead, but Hatcher scored her first hoop of the night as the first quarter expired to tie the game.

After Olivia Revelle pushed the Rams ahead with a three-pointer, Hatcher scored 10 of the next 12 points to push Northeast to a 20-15 lead.

After a hoop by Ridgecroft’s Avery Byrum stopped the run, Davis and Hatcher scored back-to-back to push the Eagles ahead 26-17.

The teams exchanged hoops for the rest of the first half, with Northeast heading to the locker room up 31-23 at the intermission.

Ridgecroft closed the gap to 37-30 after a Revelle three-pointer early in the third quarter.

After an exchange of buckets, the Eagles got two buckets by Davis and a free throw from Hatcher to help Northeast push ahead 44-32.

The Rams scored the next two buckets, but Northeast responded with a triple off the hands of Pope to quiet the run.

After a Kaitlyn Cordrey hoop for the Rams closed the gap to 47-38, Northeast closed the period with a free throw from Hatcher and baskets by Sarah Sumner and Davis as they led 52-38 after three quarters.

With the Eagles ahead by 13 (56-43) after two Hatcher free throws, Ridgecroft got three straight hoops by Hannah Slaughter to trim the deficit to 56-49.

Northeast stopped the run with two Davis free throws, but the Rams again rolled off six straight to close within three (58-55) with 2:05 left in the game.

Davis then scored from the floor and had a pair of free throws as the Lady Eagles led 62-55.

Free throws by Pope and Chloe Long sealed the win for the Eagles.

In addition to Hatcher’s double-double, Davis also accomplished the feat, pouring in 30 points while pulling down 12 rebounds. Both players also had three steals in the contest.

Long had 10 boards for the Eagles and Pope scored eight points.

“Hayes has been an outstanding representative of our team and our school,” Eagles’ skipper Lyndal White said. “I couldn’t be more proud of her and I was so pleased to see her play so well in her final game at home.”

In the varsity boys contest, Lassiter led the Eagles with 11 points in a 67-29 loss to Ridgecroft. The senior also had three rebounds in his final appearance at home.

Judson Smith added eight for the Eagles while Camden White had five, Cole Taylor three and Jaden Medford two. Jake Parks pulled down 10 boards to lead the Eagles while Smith had nine.

Both teams will now move to this week’s Tarheel Independent Conference tournament.