With three starters injured, Orange women’s basketball coach B.J. Condron has been required to put new players in new roles this year.
After losing freshman center Erin Jordan-Cornell to a sprained ankle in practice on Monday, Orange only suited up eight players in Tuesday’s loss to Vance County.
Before Friday’s game against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge, Condron put himself in a new position. He called up three players from the junior varsity team, something he’s never done before in five years on the job.
It paid off handsomely.
In her first varsity game, Jada Reed hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter as Orange (10-8, 4-6 in the Big 8 Conference) defeated the Red Wolves 54-40 at Red Wolves Gymnasium on Friday night.
Orange sophomore point guard Aaliyah Harris scored 17 for Orange, including 14 in the second half after missing the bulk of the second quarter because of foul trouble. Senior Grace Andrews, in her final game against Cedar Ridge, added 14.
Another JV Gallup, Nikalya Whitted, scored a field goal in the fourth quarter as Orange defeated the Red Wolves for the seventh time in their last nine meetings.
“We have discussed bringing some players up for a while now,” Condron said. “with there not being a jv game tonight and having a short bench due to injuries and other commitments, it seemed like a good time to try them out. I thought considering the atmosphere they had to play in for their first varsity game, all three gave us some great minutes.”
Alexa Adkins made her Orange varsity debut in the first half.
Tori Dalehite, in her final game inside Cedar Ridge Gymnasium, scored 14 to lead the Red Wolves. Dalehite, who also played volleyball for four seasons, was honored on senior night along with teammates Jacori Walton, Caitlyn Lloyd and Isabella Flynt.
The four players took a party bus to the game, which was paid for by Lloyd’s father, Craig. Dalehite, Lloyd and Walton had played basketball together since their days at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Efland.
After Cedar Ridge’s Phoenix Smith sank two free throws to tie the game, Harris grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed 3-pointer and fed Jala Rainey for a five-foot jumper to give the Lady Panthers a 27-25 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Walton scored off a stickback basket to tie the game at 28 with 5:33 remaining, but Harris struck back with a 3-pointer to put Orange ahead 31-28, which was actually the largest Lady Panther lead up to that point. After Cedar Ridge missed a lay-up, Reed scored a 3-pointer to increase Orange’s lead to 34-28.
Cedar Ridge had a four-point possession to whittle the deficit to 34-32. Dalehite scored off an offensive rebound and drew a foul against Katelyn Van Mater. After the missed free throw went out of bounds, Dalehite went to her knees after a loose ball and fed Lloyd for a short jumper with 4:23 remaining.
Reed got a shooter’s bounce on a 3-pointer on the next Orange possession, which was followed by a jumper from Andrews to increase Orange’s lead to 39-32. Dalehite scored back-to-back field goals for Cedar Ridge, but Andrews drilled a critical 3-pointer with 2:23 remaining.
The first half was reminiscent of Cedar Ridge’s 44-37 upset of the Lady Panthers last year. Harris picked up two fouls and was relegated to the bench early in the second quarter, which left the Orange offense rhythmless. Nadia Oswald drilled a 3-pointer midway through the second quarter to put Cedar Ridge ahead 12-8. Orange was held to four field goals in the first half.
Cedar Ridge (1-18, 0-10) will travel to Northern Durham on Tuesday. Orange will host Northwood, who leads the Big 8 Conference with a 9-1 record.
ORANGE 54, CEDAR RIDGE 40
ORANGE: Aaliyah Harris 17, Grace Andrews 14, Jala Rainey 11, Katelyn Van Mater 1, Brenna Mehl 2, Cheyenne Mann 1, Nikayla Whitted 2, Jada Reed 6.
CEDAR RIDGE: Tori Dalehite 14, Caitlyn Lloyd 4, Isabella Flynt 2, Jacori Walton 5, Catherine Coyle 3, Nadia Oswald 8, Takia Nichols 2, Phoenix Smith 2.