Basketball Recap: Bertie Comes Up Short

Bertie easily dispatched North East Carolina Prep last Tuesday, but unfortunately both the margin and the ultimate result were a different story in this one. The Bertie Falcons fell just short of the Washington County Panthers by a score of 52-50 on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Falcons have suffered since January 30, 2024.

When it comes to explaining why Bertie lost, don't look at Zymiere Dempsey. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 24 points and 14 rebounds. That was a full 48% of Bertie's points, marking the fourth time in a row he's posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Tayvien Ward, who went 8 for 20 on his way to 18 points.

vs

Previous 1 Games

01/17/25 - Away

50-52 L

Even though they lost, Bertie smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in eight consecutive matchups.

It was another big night for Brandon Carter Jr., who went 6 of 13 en route to 13 points in addition to six assists and six boards for Washington County. Carter Jr. is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last 14 games he's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Kwalik Norman, who earned eight points and six rebounds.

Bertie's loss was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 5-7. As for Washington County, their victory bumped their record up to 9-1.

Bertie will face off against Perquimans at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Washington County, they wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 71-58 win against Deep Creek on the 20th.