In a matter of seconds, the Orange girls basketball team suffered a setback it avoided for most of last season.
An injury to its star player.
Through a 21-0 start in 2016-17, Orange remained fairly healthy. On Friday night against Hillside, junior forward Icez Barnett went for a loose ball as the first quarter ended, injuring her right foot. With a grimace on her face, Barnett limped to the bench, which was the most movement she showed for the rest of the night.
She watched the remainder of the game with her right leg extended along the vacant chairs, and the Lady Panthers were never the same without her.
After Orange led 8-2 at the end of the first quarter, Hillside reeled off 15-6 run and held off Orange 35-31 at Hornets Gymnasium. Faith Blackstone led the Hornets with 14 points.
Sophomore Lauren Cates led all scorers with 15, but the Lady Panthers’ offense was thrown into disarray after losing Barnett, who scored 20 points in Orange’s conference-opening victory over East Chapel Hill on Tuesday.
The loss of Barnett riddled Coach B.J. Condron’s rotation down to seven players, yet the Panthers still had a chance to tie late after Hillside’s Jada Green missed the front end of an 1-and-1. Cates tried to get open for a three pointer, but Dajhah McFee stripped the ball free and Maleiya Hill came up with a steal.
The Hornets improved to 3-3, 2-0 in the Big 8. Orange falls to 3-3, 1-1 in the Big 8.
In Hillsborough on Friday, Chapel Hill defeated Cedar Ridge 45-40. The Red Wolves, coming off a victory at Northwood, are now 6-5, 1-1 in the Big 8. The Red Wolves travel to Orange on Tuesday night.
HILLSIDE 35, ORANGE 31
ORANGE: Grace Dively 4, Janea Myers 7, Icez Barnett 3, Lauren Cates 15, Grace Andrews 2.
HILLSIDE: Maya Johnson 2, Faith Blackstone 14, Maleiya Hill 5, Dajhah McFee 2, Shianna Bibson 1, Maliya Simpson 7, Jordyn Burton 4.