ASKEWVILLE – Bear Grass High School put a damper on Homecoming festivities here Friday night.

The Lady Bears knocked off Bethel Christian Academy in the Eagles’ 2010 Homecoming game 42-35 in a non-conference affair.

Bethel led 11-6 after one quarter, but saw Bear Grass roar back to take the lead in the second period.

Jessica Howerton scored the first bucket of the game and was followed quickly by a Charitee Dunlow hoop that gave Bethel a 4-0 lead.

Bear Grass rallied back to tie the score on a Taylor Johnson hoop, but Bethel got a pair of free throws from Howerton to go ahead 6-4.

After Angel Pearsall tied the contest, Bethel got a three-pointer from Elizabeth Farmer and a bucket by Kristin Adams to take an 11-6 lead.

The Lady Bears, however, scored the first 10 points of the second quarter to surge ahead 16-11.

Farmer finally got the Eagles on the board again with a triple at the 1:18 mark of the period that closed the gap to 16-14.

After a pair of Pearsall free throws, Farmer scored again to keep pace. Pearsall, however, had the final bucket of the first half to give Bear Grass a 20-16 halftime edge.

Farmer opened the second half with back-to-back free throws and then Kelsie Conner hit 1-of-2 from the line to give the Lady Eagles a 21-20 advantage.

The Lady Bears rebounded with back-to-back buckets by Pearsall and Olivia Peaks to take a 24-21 lead with 2:27 to play in the third period.

Dunlow, however, scored to get the Eagles back within one (24-23) at the 2:05 mark.

Bear Grass outscored Bethel 3-1 over the final two minutes of the period to lead 27-24 heading into the final quarter.

Conner hit the first hoop of the fourth period to close the Lady Eagles back within one (27-26), but Bear Grass had the next 10 unanswered to grab a 37-26 lead.

Howerton stopped the spurt with a hoop that was followed by a Dunlow bucket that got the Lady Eagles within 37-30 at the 4:15 mark of the fourth quarter.

Bear Grass extended its lead with free throws by Kimberly Mobley and Pearsall before Dunlow scored to close the gap back to eight (40-32).

The Lady Bears had two free throws at the 48-second mark from Pearsall to lead by 10, but Adams buried a triple in the final seconds to establish the final margin.

Bethel was led by Farmer’s 13 points followed by eight from Dunlow and six from Howerton. Adams added five and Conner had three.

The Lady Eagles will be back in action tonight (Tuesday) in their regular season finale as they host Ahoskie Christian School.