LASKER – Northeast Academy’s Lady Eagles made history here Friday night.

The NEA ladies knocked off Ridgecroft School 37-29 to secure their first-ever victory over the Lady Rams inside the Tarheel Independent Conference.

Northeast’s head coach was pleased with what her team did on the floor.

&uot;We played good team ball although we panicked for a while and made poor shot selections in the third quarter,&uot; said Joella Brown. &uot;We’ve been working on things in practice for this Ridgecroft game and we went out on the court and did them.&uot;

Senior Sarah Beth Green sank a bucket then completed a three-point play to give Ridgecroft an early 5-0 lead, but

Northeast scored seven unanswered points to take the lead. However, Jo Revelle Murray’s deuce tied the game at seven.

Jeanie Hargrave hit a basket and the ensuing foul shot to put Northeast back up but Greene’s three-point play tied the score again (10-10).

Hargrave converted three foul shots to give the Lady Eagles the advantage, then scored a layup to give Northeast a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The teams traded baskets throughout the second period with Northeast just out of the Rams reach.

Ridgecroft trailed 23-15 with just over two minutes remaining in the half, but the Lady Rams defense held the Lady Eagles scoreless.

Meanwhile Stephanie Northcott sank a basket and April Piland scored two foul shots to bring the Lady Rams within four (23-19) at the half.

Both teams had trouble finding the basket in the third quarter with Northeast shooting 22% on two-of-nine shooting.

With starters Green and Hayes Bryant on the bench in foul trouble, the Rams were held scoreless until Lauren Lilley connected on a free throw to break the scoring drought with 2:19 on the clock.

Jessica Bolton’s baseline jumper just before the buzzer was the Lady Rams only basket of the third as they were held to six percent shooting from the floor (1-of-16).

Trailing 28-22 to start the fourth the Lady Rams needed to find the basket, but the Northeast defense would not allow Ridgecroft to score from the field.

Ridgecroft converted seven of fifteen free throw opportunities over the final eight minutes but it wasn’t enough as the Lady Eagles took the 37-29 win.

&uot;We lost our composure,&uot; said Lady Rams’ head coach Doug Cobbs.

&uot;I have to give them credit for taking us out of what we wanted to do.&uot;

The Junior Varsity Eagles were also victorious as Betty Edwards lead Northeast to a 36-10 victory.

Edwards scored 10 for the Eagles.

LeAnn Barnes and Callie Burgess added eight points apiece in the victory.

Emily Cooke led Ridgecroft with four points.

Lady Eagles (37): Jeanie Hargrave – 12, M. Harrell

-8, L. Brown – 7, D. Hallman – 4, J Boone – 3, R. Harrell – 3

Lady Rams (29): Sarah Beth Greene – 10, A. Piland – 6, H. Bryant – 4, S. Northcott – 3, J. Bolton – 3, J. Murray – 2, L. Lilley – 1