Anyone watching Orange and Carrboro’s pregame warm-ups knew the Jaguars were in for an uphill battle.
Orange starting guards, both freshmen, appeared to be nearly as tall as Carrboro’s starting center Neel Mahadevan. From the moment Orange center Logan Vosburg tossed in a 3-pointer just :36 into the game, the result was all but determined.
Vosburg scored 22 points, even without playing the fourth quarter, as Orange climbed back to .500 with an 87-46 victory over the Jaguars. Connor Crabtree, who also sat out the fourth quarter, finished with 16. Freshman Joey McMillin added 13 while Mitch Portman scored 12.
Orange surged out to a 33-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and was never challenged. Coach Greg Motley used most of the game to let four football players, all of whom joined the team last week after Orange’s playoff lost to Havelock, continue to gain basketbal conditioning. Morgan Paschall, Devondrez Moore, Ryan Sellers and Kendall Whitted received the most minutes they’ve played this season.
Sellers came out strongest with seven points in the fourth quarter, which was played with a running clock after the deficit exceeded 40 points.
The Panthers travel to Cedar Ridge on Saturday for its Big 8 Conference opener at 3:30.
ORANGE-Marquis Phelps 3, Mitch Portman 12, Connor Crabtree 16, Logan Vosburg 22, Joel McMillin 13, Eli Haithcock 5, Kendall Whitted 2, Morgan Paschall 5, Ryan Sellers 8, Treshon Richardson 2.
CARRBORO-Jake Melville 3, That Htoo 6, Cole Phillips 16, Zach Anderson 5, Neel Mahadevan 6, Shamel Partridge 5, Jared Porter 2, Caleb Jones 3,