Cedar Ridge Women’s Basketball

It’s not news that another Orange women’s basketball game went down to the wire.

All four of its Central Conference contests this year have followed the same path. The only different on Wednesday night was Orange was opposed by Amiyah Ware, who was more than they could deal with.

Now, after Cedar Ridge’s first win at Orange since December 19, 2017, it’s officially game on in the race for the Central Conference championship.

Ware added to her legacy of statistically incredible performances with 35 points in the Red Wolves 54-47 win over the Panthers on Wednesday night. It wasn’t the 54 points that she scored against Western Alamance last February, which broke the Orange County record. But Ware did either score or assist on every Cedar Ridge field goal in the second half.

Evelyn George, who was matched up against Ware most of the night, led Orange with 21 points.

It was the Red Wolves first win over its crosstown rival since January 8, 2019. On that night, Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 44-37 at Red Wolves Gymnasium behind 23 points from Madison Wardlow.

“She really stepped up tonight,” said Cedar Ridge coach Megan Skouby. “The past couple of games after she got hurt I think was a little hesitant. This game she really picked it back up again.”

Cedar Ridge’s win overshadowed a strong performance by Orange center Marshea Byrd, who finished with the first double-double of her career with 12 points and 12 rebounds. With 1:16 remaining in regulation, Byrd fouled out after trying to block a shot from Ware. Orange, who played without sophomore forward Mariah Poole, missed Byrd’s post presence in the extra session.

After Byrd’s fifth foul, Ware sank a free throw to tie the game at 42-42.

Cedar Ridge didn’t miss a shot in overtime. After Orange won the jump ball, Ware pulled down a defensive rebound and sank a three-pointer over George to give the Red Wolves a 45-42 lead. Junior Sarah Utley stole the ball away from Shannon Murphy on Orange’s next possession and split two free throws after being fouled by Maura McMurtry.

After Murphy scored off an offensive rebound to cut the Red Wolf lead to 46-44, Cedar Ridge freshman Kate Finnegan drained a jumper from the top of the key off a pass from Utley.

Finnegan, who wasn’t even on the varsity when Cedar Ridge started its season in November, finished with ten points and seven rebounds.

“She isn’t afraid to shoot,” Skouby said. “That’s something you can’t teach a freshman. She’s working hard. We pulled her up from junior varsity a couple of weeks ago and she’s now one of our starters because she’s working her butt off.”

Orange missed a three-pointer on its next possession and Ware drained four three throws in the final 90 seconds to put the game away.

The contest had 12 lead changes and six ties. Just as they had done against Western Alamance, Southern Alamance and Walter Williams, it appeared Orange would mount a late run to earn another home win. After Ware scored the opening points of the fourth quarter, Byrd and George scored field goals, both assisted by McMurtry, to put the Lady Panthers ahead 36-34.

Ware wouldn’t be denied as she went on a personal 6-0 run to vault the Red Wolves ahead 39-36. Following a free throw by Lily Crayton with 4:36 remaining, McMurtry grabbed an offensive rebound and fed George for a 3-pointer to put Orange ahead 40-39.

Following a Cedar Ridge timeout, Ware drained a baseline jumper off a drive with 2:12 remaining to give Cedar Ridge the lead at 41-40. After an Orange turnover, Alexis Stephens blocked a shot by Cedar Ridge’s Addie Reid, which led to a fast break where George scored off a lay-up from a pass by McMurtry.

Cedar Ridge, who fielded a team with only five players during the pandemic three years ago, is now tied with Orange, Western Alamance and Eastern Alamance for first place in the Central Conference in a race that is anything but predictable just one-quarter of the way into the league slate.

“I think on any given night, whoever is playing their best is gonna come out on top,” Skouby said. “I think a lot of games are going to go down to the end this year.”

Amiyah Ware came up with her biggest game of the season for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team on Wednesday night. The end result was Cedar Ridge’s first win over its crosstown rival, Orange, since 2019. Ware finished with a season-high 35 points as the Red Wolves defeated Orange 54-47 in overtime. It was Cedar Ridge’s first win inside Panther Gymnasium since December 19, 2017. Ware either scored or assisted on all 22 points that Cedar Ridge scored in the second half. Ware tied the game at 42-42 with a free throw with 1:16 remaining in regulation. Cedar Ridge never trailed in overtime after Ware opened with a three-pointer on the Red Wolves opening possession. Kate Finnegan sank a crucial jumper from the top of the key off a feed from Sarah Utley with 1:54 remains in overtime to put the Red Wolves ahead 48-44. Ware has had another big week. On Monday night, she scored 17 point in Cedar Ridge’s 46-35 win over Chatham Central. Cedar Ridge is 9-5 overall and tied for first place in the loss column with three other teams in the Central Conference. The Red Wolves haven’t won ten games in a season since 2017-2018, when they were coached by Felton Page. Cedar Ridge will face Eastern Alamance tonight at 6PM at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

Cedar Ridge women’s basketball’s Amiyah Ware & head coach Megan Skouby discuss win at Orange

Amiyah Ware came up with her biggest game of the season for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team on Wednesday night. The end result was Cedar Ridge’s first win over its crosstown rival, Orange, since 2019. Ware finished with a season-high 35 points as the Red Wolves defeated Orange 54-47 in overtime.

The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team found its backbeat again.

In any good rock n’roll band, the backbeat provided by the drummer keeps everything in rhythm, provides proper time and makes everything swing properly.

Amiyah Ware is the Neil Peart or Keith Moon of the Cedar Ridge women’s team.

Ware returned to the lineup after she missing two games with a right knee injury. In her absence, the Red Wolves had 33 turnovers against Person, but still managed to scratch out a 46-43 victory over the Rockets.

While it took time for Ware to get her offensive engine cranked up against Southern Alamance, her ball-handling reliability chopped down Cedar Ridge’s turnover total to a mere 18 miscues.

Ware scored a season-high 28 points, including seven 3-pointers, as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 48-43 at Red Wolves Gymnasium on Friday night.

Cedar Ridge (8-5, 2-1 in the Central Conference) were held to nine points in the opening 15 minutes, but shot 7-of-11 in the third period to take a 32-29 lead into the fourth quarter.

Ware gave the Red Wolves the lead for good with a 3-pointer off a pass from Sarah Utley with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. The Patriots were led by Sunny Yarnell, who finished with eleven points, but fouled out after she was called for a charge when she ran into Red Wolf freshman Kate Finnegan. Ware scored the Red Wolves next four points, including a 3-pointer assisted by Finnegan. Ware also drained several free throws in the final minute.

Morgan Isley and Madison Brouillard also each had eleven points for the Patriots (4-9, 0-3).

While Ware didn’t start the game, the Red Wolves were limited to just three shots from the field in the opening quarter. The Patriots took a 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter as Yarnell scored the first three field goals.

Cedar Ridge will travel to Orange on Wednesday night at 6PM.

Orange 46, Walter Williams 44: The Orange women’s basketball team is now the only undefeated team in Central Conference play after they survived a battle with Walter Williams.

Orange used a 20-4 run at the end of the third quarter to overcome an early deficit to the Bulldogs. Junior Evelyn George sparked the run for the Lady Panthers (8-4, 3-0 in the Central Conference). George finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Addie Atkins added eight points.

Williams forward Reagan Averett led all scorers with 17 points, while Alaiyah Mitchell added ten points.

With 6:36 remaining in the third quarter, Williams’ Jordan Taylor scored off a lay-in off a pass from Scout Winter to put the Bulldogs egghead 27-21. Orange sophomore Maura McMurtry nailed a three-pointer off a pass from Atkins to spark an Orange run. After a field goal by Taylor, McMurtry dropped in a straightaway three-pointer off a pass from Alexis Stephens. Orange sophomore Mariah Poole tied the game off a steal and lay-in at 29-29.

Averett knocked down two free throws for the Bulldogs, but that would be its last lead. Orange guard Shannon Murphy tied the game with a jumper, which was followed by a steal by George, who scored on a lay-in. George would score off a stickleback basket, then added a 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer assisted by McMurtry to increase the Panthers’ lead to 38-31.

McMurtry opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, followed by another lay-in by George with 6:37 remaining in regulation to build the Orange advantage to 43-31. That turned out to be Orange’s final field goal.

The Bulldogs would chip away at the lead with Averett scoring a three-pointer off a feed from Winter. Atkins hit two free throws with 2:15 remaining in the fourth quarter to build the Orange lead back to 46-40.

Taylor and Aaliyah Mitchell scored field goals to cut the Bulldog lead to 46-44 with :48 remaining. Williams’ full court pressure led to an Orange turnover in a frantic final 10 seconds, but the Bulldogs threw the ball away in a rush to get the ball to the basket with :3.1 left. With Orange clinging to a 46-44 lead, McMurtry took the inbounds pass and dribbled away from Mitchell long enough to run out the clock.

Without its star player Amiyah Ware, every game has been a battle for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves relied on its depth to defeat Person 46-43 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. In just her third varsity game, freshman Kate Finnegan led all scorers with 16 points and 18 rebounds as the Red Wolves improved to 5-5, 1-1 in the Central Conference. Sophomore guard Jamee Watson drained a key 3-pointer with 2:47 remaining to put Cedar Ridge ahead 41-34. After the Rockets cut its deficit to 43-41 with 55 seconds remaining, Finnegan scored on a lay-in off a pretty transition pass from Sarah Utley for the final field goal of the game with 24 seconds remaining. Utley finished with ten points, eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals. Cedar Ridge has already surpassed its win total from all of last season as they try to reach the state playoffs for the first time since the 2017-2018 season. The Red Wolves have its most wins in a year since the 2018-2019 season, when they won seven games. Ware, who broke the county record when she scored 54 points last year, was injured against Western Alamance on December 15. She watched from the bench last night and hopes to return soon. Cedar Ridge will host Southern Alamance in Hillsborough on Friday night.

Cedar Ridge women’s basketball’s Kate Finnegan & Jamee Watson discuss win over Person

Without its star player Amiyah Ware, every game has been a battle for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves relied on its depth to defeat Person 46-43 at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team is off to its best start in six years. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves defeated Durham School of the Arts 52-29 in a game that was stopped with 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Junior Sarah Utley has brought a steady point guard presence in her first year with the Red Wolves. Utley is a transfer from High Point Christian Academy. Utley had 15 points against the Bulldogs, tied for game-high honors with guard Amiyah Ware. Jamee Watson helped the Red Wolves pull away in the third quarter. She scored nine points, seven of which came in the fourth quarter. Cedar Ridge used a 28-6 run over the final ten minutes that was played to earn its fourth win of the season. Last week against Northern Durham, Utley ha eleven points, five assists, five steals and one rebound as the Red Wolves won 59-27. Watson finished with eight points, three assists and four steals. Three nights later, Cedar Ridge swept the week when they defeated the Lady Knights 42-17. Cedar Ridge will play its first Central Conference game on Friday. They will host Western Alamance in Hillsborough. Last year, the Warriors defeated Northwood in the state playoffs to end the Chargers reign as 3A State Champions.

Cedar Ridge women’s basketball’s Sarah Utley & Jamee Watson discuss win over DSA

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The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team won its season game of the season on Monday night. Senior Amiyah Ware scored 15 points while Sarah Utley added eleven as the Red Wolves defeated Northern Durham 59-27 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves led at the end of the first quarter 19-2 following the opening field goals from Cameron Copeland and Addie Reid. The Red Wolves shot 7-of-10 from the field in the opening quarter and never looked back. Cedar Ridge beat a previously undefeated Northern Durham team who came in 2-0. Cameron Copeland finished with six points and three rebounds, while Cyani Jacobs had six points and four rebounds. Cedar Ridge head coach Megan Skouby, who played college basketball at Iowa, has spent the past three years building the Red Wolves program from the bare bones. Before Skouby joined the program, during the pandemic, Cedar Ridge had only five players for some home games where fans weren’t permitted to attend. Since then, Skouby has built the program to where Cedar Ridge is fielding a junior varsity program. Last year, the Red Wolves won two Central Conference games and this year they’re focused on taking another step up in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge will travel to Northern Durham on Wednesday afternoon at 5 o’clock.

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It was her first year playing high school basketball playing in the town she grew up in, but Amiyah Ware made it a memorable one.

Playing guard for Cedar Ridge, Ware broke a series of school and county records. Ware has been named to the All-District 6 first-team for the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. Joining Ware on the first-team was Laynie Smith of Chapel Hill, Emerson Thompson of Falls Lake, Rymiah Sanders of Southern Durham and Sydney Barker of Jordan.

Orange’s Erin Jordan-Cornell, the leading scorer and rebounder for the Lady Panthers, was named to the third-team.

This year, Ware broke the Cedar Ridge single-season school record with 470 points. The previous record was held by Madison Wardlow, who scored 389 points in the 2018-19 season. Even more impressively, she did in 17 games. Ware missed Cedar Ridge’s opening six games as she continued to recover from a torn ACL suffered last spring when she still attended the Burlington School. Ware’s impact was immediate. In her second game, she scored 18 points as the Red Wolves defeated Person 50-27 in Roxboro, which ended the Red Wolves 39-game conference losing streak. It was Cedar Ridge’s first conference win since February 8, 2019.

Ware broke the Orange County record on February 3 when she scored 54 points against Western Alamance. The previous record, regardless of gender, was set by Ronnie McAdoo of Orange High when he scored 53 against Southern Durham on January 24, 1978. She also broke the single-game Cedar Ridge women’s scoring record, which was set be Wardlow when she scored 35 against Northern Durham on February 5, 2019.

The following week, Ware became the first player, regardless of gender, in county history to score 50 points twice in a season. Against Durham School of the Arts on February 8, Ware scored 51 points as the Red Wolves defeated the Bulldogs 66-57 at Sykes Gymnasium.

In each of her final 12 games, Ware scored over 20 points. She eclipsed over 30 points six times, including in each of her final five regular season games.

Jordan-Cornell overcame her second knee surgery in 2022 to lead Orange in scoring and rebounding. This season, Orange reached the state playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years and had a winning season for the third straight campaign.

Jordan-Cornell was name the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Showcase, a tournament that Orange won in Gibsonville. In the championship game against Northeast Guilford, she had 13 points and nine rebounds as the Lady Panthers rolled 46-25. In the semifinals, Jordan-Cornell had 14 points and 14 rebounds as Orange defeated Walter Williams, a Central Carolina Conference rival, 53-49. In the opening round of the tournament, held at 10 AM on December 26, Jordan-Cornell had eleven points and eight rebounds as Orange defeated the Burlington School 54-44.

This season, Jordan-Cornell had six double-doubles. Her final game at Orange was one of her best. She registered 12 points, 18 rebounds, four blocks and four steals against Southern Wayne in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs in Dudley. It turned out to be the final game for Orange head coach B.J. Condron, who announced his resignation the following week in order to become the first Athletic Director at Southeast Alamance.

An All-Conference performer in volleyball and basketball, Jordan-Cornell led Orange with 16 points and 14 rebounds in a victory over Eastern Alamance in the opening round of the Central Carolina Conference Tournament on February 13. In her senior night game, held on February 10, Jordan-Cornell scored 14 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Eastern Alamance in a 44-39 victory. She finished in double-figures scoring in each of her last six games and seven of her last nine.

Jordan-Cornell was also a student advisor for the North Carolina High School Athletic Association this year. She attended board meetings with the NCHSAA to advice the panel on student-athlete concerns.

Cedar Ridge women’s basketball guard Amiyah Ware made more history in the Red Wolves regular season finale. On Wednesday night, Ware scored 51 points as the Red Wolves defeated Durham School of the Arts 65-57 at Sykes Gymnasium. It came just five days after Ware scored 54 points against Western Alamance, breaking the Orange County record which had stood since 1978. Ware is the first player to ever score 50 points in a game twice in a season in Orange County history. She did it in the span of three games. Ware scored all but one of the Red Wolves points in the second half as Cedar Ridge earned its fourth win of the year. Ware has 12 20-point games this season ever since she made her debut in a Red Wolves uniform against Voyager Academy in December. Ware had her second 50-point game just hours removed from LeBron James setting the all-time NBA scoring record against Oklahoma City in Los Angeles. While she sometimes looks up to James, Ware is a big Jayson Tatum fan. Cedar Ridge will start play in the Central Carolina Conference Tournament on Monday night against an opponent to be determined. There’s a chance Ware could face Western Alamance in the opening round, where Ware broke the county record last Friday.

Cedar Ridge’s Amiyah Ware discusses scoring 51 points vs. Durham School of the Arts

Cedar Ridge women’s basketball guard Amiyah Ware made more history in the Red Wolves regular season finale. On Wednesday night, Ware scored 51 points as the Red Wolves defeated Durham School of the Arts 65-57 at Sykes Gymnasium. It came just five days after Ware scored 54 points against Western Alamance, breaking the Orange County record which had stood since 1978.