Don’t count the Orange girls basketball team out of the state playoff chase just yet.
For the second straight game, junior Icez Barnett led the Lady Panthers in scoring with 15 points to lead Orange past Northern Durham 40-28 at Poe Gymtorium. Orange (7-12, 3-6) led wire-to-wire, starting the game on a 12-3 run. Lauren Cates scored all five of her points in the first quarter, while Barnett scored seven.
Orange led 20-9 at the half. In the second half, Jala Rainey had her highest-scoring quarter of the season, finishing with eight points. Barnett scored Orange’s only two field goals of the fourth quarter as the Knights (3-13, 1-7) made a late run to make the score look respectable.
Wednesday’s victory was the first game in three days for Orange. They will travel to Northwood on Thursday for a tripleheader, then host Chapel Hill on Friday.
After action on Wednesday, Hillside leads the Big 8 at 10-1. Southern Durham is 9-1. Cedar Ridge is 5-3, while Northwood is 4-4. Chapel Hill is 4-6, while Orange is 3-6. The top four teams from the Big 8 will likely make the playoffs.
Also on Thursday night, Cedar Ridge will travel to Poe Gymtorium to face Northern Durham in a tripleheader that starts with the JV boys game at 4:30. The girls play at 6, followed by the boys at 7:30.
ORANGE 40, NORTHERN DURHAM 28
ORANGE: Grace Dively 3, Kate Burgess 2, Janea Myers 3, Icez Barnett 15, Lauren Cates 5, Nashyra Wilkins 2, Namron Chapman 2, Jala Rainey 8,
NORTHERN DURHAM: Eliniya Black 4, Alyssa Leishear 3, Breanna Jenkins 11, Malika Pierce 9, Zee Winston 1.