KINSTON – It was as simple as running up on a better team.

That’s what Hertford County High School varsity boy’s basketball coach Charles Simmons said after the Bears suffered a 105-55 loss to Kinston here Friday in the Sectional finals.

“We were simply beaten by a better team,” Simmons said. “It was unbelievable how well they shot. We were just out-manned.”

Kinston came out on fire, hitting 25-of-37 or 68 percent from the floor in the first half including a startling 13-of-18 or 72 percent from behind the three-point arc.

In the process, the Vikings rolled to a 33-14 lead after one quarter and held a 65-27 advantage at the intermission.

Kinston opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Donavan Ingram and Akeem Sutton. Sutton and Tremayne Miller then added consecutive hoops to push the Vikings out to a 10-0 lead.

Deshawn Outlaw got the Bears on the board, but Kinston responded with another Ingram triple to push their lead to 13-2.

Things didn’t get better for the Bears as Kinston went on a 7-0 spurt moments later to lead 20-4.

Hertford County finally got a little momentum late in the first period when Lamar Monger scored and, after a Demarcus Quinerly hoop for Kinston, Shawn Reid hit back-to-back triples to close the HCHS gap to 10 (24-14).

Kinston, however, answered with consecutive triples from Sutton, Quinerly and Reggie Bullock to take the 33-14 lead after one quarter.

If the Bears weren’t stunned by the 33-point first quarter, they had to be when Kinston scored 32 more in the second period to take a 65-27 lead into the locker room.

The Bears wouldn’t get closer as Kinston continued to put on a shooting clinic. They ended the game shooting just over 62 percent from the floor and just over 50 percent from behind the three-point arc.

Despite the loss, the Bears had much to be happy about during the 2007-2008 campaign.

In addition to putting together an 18-game win streak after starting 6-2, the Bears won the Northeastern Coastal Conference regular-season and tournament championships and recorded their third consecutive 20-win season.

“We had a great year,” Simmons said. “I am proud of this team and all they accomplished.”

Kinston (105): Reggie Bullock n 37, Donavan Ingram n 21, Akeem Sutton n 15, Josh Benoit n 8, Tremayne Miller n 6, Demarcus Quinerly n 5, Marquez Jones n 3, Michael Thompson n 3, Dorron Hines n 2, Victor Holloway n 2, Jermaine

Miller n 2, Joshua Singleton n 1

HCHS (55): Lamar Monger n 12, Marcus Burnell n 10, Shawn Reid n 9, Deshawn Outlaw n 8, Antonio Vaughan n 8, Jordan Jones n 4, Shea Johnson – 4