Women’s basketball: Orange 68, Durham School of the Arts 48: Playing a venerable Sykes Gymnasium on Monday night, the Orange women’s basketball team put four players in double-figures to win its final nonconference game of the regular season.
Junior Evelyn George finished with 19 points and eleven rebounds, her fourth double-double of the year. Sophomore Shannon Murphy came away with 13 points, eleven rebounds and five assists. Junior center Marshea Byrd had a season-high 13 points with four assists and three blocks.
Orange led by as many as 26 points in a wire-to-wire win. Four different players scored as the Lady Panthers (12-10) rushed to an 13-2 lead. Natalie Roberson opened the game with a three-pointer with a there-pointer off a feed from Byrd. Orange shot 6-of-11 from the field in the first quarter.
Durham School of the Arts (4-16) was led by freshman Faith Yon, who scored 24 points. Fellow freshman Kaylen Mumford added 14 points.
Youn and Mumford triggered a spurt late in the first quarter that cut the Panthers lead to 13-11 late in the first quarter. George scored her first field goal to open the second quarter off a drive to the basket, followed by a 15-footer from Murphy off a pass from Adkins. Orange wasn’t seriously threatened again as they piled up 24 points in the second quarter, their most in a frame this season.
The Panthers went on a 14-2 run midway through the second quarter, featuring back-to-back 3-pointers from Adkins and Maura McMurtry which put Orange ahead 37-18. Yon and Mumford combined for the final six points for the Bulldogs to reduced Orange’s lead to 37-24.
Orange limited the Bulldogs to 2-of-11 shooting from the field in the third quarter. George opened the second half with a lay-in after a blocked sot from Byrd. George followed with a three-pointer off a pass from McMurtry.
Orange will finish the regular season against Eastern Alamance on Friday night in Mebane. The Lady Panthers have split two games with the Eagles this season. During the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoops Invitational, Orange defeated Eastern Alamance in the seventh place game 48-39 in Haw River. On January 23, the Eagles rolled past Orange 66-42 in Hillsborough.