With about five months to go before the start of another high school basketball season, play started for some of the best teams in the Eastern Region on the first night of the King’s Fork Summer League in both of King’s Fork’s gyms Tuesday night.

Two Bulldog teams, as well as Nansemond River and Lakeland, are in the league. With eight games a night Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next five weeks, $2 per ticket is as good a deal as possible.

The action on the court features the same intensity, if not quite the same execution, of a game played December through February.

King’s Fork’s “B” team took on Heritage in one of the early games Tuesday evening. The older Hurricanes beat the Bulldogs 39-33. The Bulldog team includes players who will likely be part-varsity and part-junior varsity when the official preseason rolls around.

The Bulldogs jumped out to the lead, shooting the ball well in the first few minutes for a 9-5 lead. The offense was tougher to come by the rest of the way as the Hurricanes turned up more trapping and pressure.

Heritage led 25-17 at halftime and 29-19 at the 13-minute mark in the second half. Substitute forwards Daniel Herndon and Kevon Randolph scored hoops in the paint and the Bulldogs cut the lead to 29-23.

Heritage kept the Bulldogs from making it any closer. Jacorey Smith led KF with 10 points.

In the next flight of games, Hampton edged Nansemond River 41-39 after trailing for most of the game.

The Warriors, with a team made up largely of returners from last season’s Southeastern District season champions, played well in some stretches and played sloppy in others.

Guard Shannon Evans hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 13-13 moving toward the last couple minutes of the first half. He finished a fast break for a three-point play for an 18-15 NR lead and hit a fading, 24-foot three-pointer from beyond the top of the key at the halftime horn for a 21-19 Warrior margin.

Backcourt mate Dontrell Brite took up most of the offense in the second half, scoring all nine of his points in the half.

Hampton answered a Warrior three with its own triple, making it 37-34 Crabbers with just over three minutes to play. A Crabber basket returned the lead to Hampton, 39-37, with 1:15 left.

Evans finished with 17 points. Center John Joyce added eight points for the Warriors.

Thursday’s schedule, starting at 6 p.m. at KF, includes King’s Fork B vs. Norcom, King’s Fork A vs. Warwick, Nansemond River vs. Churchland and Lakeland vs. Salem.