Orange Men’s Basketball

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Orange women’s basketball team is in line to return to the state playoffs for the first time since 2020.

Barring a collapse, the Lady Panthers will host a first-round game in next week’s Central Carolina Conference Tournament, have a winning season and possibly be at home for the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Which is pretty good for a team that hasn’t been at full-strength in two-thirds of its games.

On Saturday, the Lady Panthers played its fourth game in five days. Nonetheless, the Lady Panthers rolled past Western Alamance 73-47 on Coach Erma Evans Court in Elon.

Senior Aaliyah Harris led Orange with 22 points.

Western Alamance’s Emma Johnson paced the Warriors with 18 points. After Warriors guard Allie Sykes picked up two fouls in the opening 22 seconds of the game, Johnson was forced to carry the offensive load early.

After Johnson scored on a lay-in midway through the first quarter to push the Warriors ahead 8-6, Orange senior guard Samantha George got an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and sank a 3-pointer. On the next Western possession, George picked off a pass and dribbled coast-to-coast to put Orange ahead 12-8.

The Lady Panthers used its defense to create steals that led to transition opportunities and pull away from the Warriors. Orange senior Jarmil Wingate triggered three straight Panther field goals late in the first quarter, starting with a steal that led to Harris’ first field goal on a lay-up. Wingate knocked down two long jumpers on consecutive Orange possessions to increase their lead to 18-10. Harris lobbed a pass to Wingate for a lay-in with three seconds remaining in the quarter.

Wingate, who led Orange in scoring against Person with 13 points, established a new career-high of 14 points. Junior Jada Reed also established a new career-high of 16 points, including a 3-pointer in the second half. Harris missed tying her career-high, which was also set against Person last Tuesday, by one point.

Orange (12-6, 4-5 in the Central Carolina Conference) all but sewed up fourth place in the Central Carolina Conference with the victory. The Lady Panthers now lead the Warriors by one game, but also own the head-to-head tiebreaker after sweeping the season series. The Lady Panthers have a chance to tie Eastern Alamance for third place. On Wednesday night, Orange hosts Cedar Ridge, then faces Eastern Alamance in Hillsborough before journeying to Cedar Ridge on Saturday morning to wrap up the regular season.

Eastern Alamance travels to Northwood, undefeated in the CCC, on Tuesday night.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: WESTERN ALAMANCE 56-50

After a strong performance against Northwood the night before, the Orange men’s basketball team couldn’t put together another steady game in Elon.

Western Alamance never trailed in defeating the Panthers 56-50 on Saturday night. The Warriors (10-8, 6-3), who were coming off a loss to Cedar Ridge the night before, were led by Eric Hardy, who scored 15 points. Erik Wagoner added 14 as the Warriors swept the season series from Orange.

The Panthers’ Jerec Thompson scored 16 point, but was held without a 3-pointer in the first half. The only tie of the game came after Orange freshman Michael Clark sank an early trey to even the score 3-3. The Warriors led by double-figures most of the night

Thompson was the only player in double figures for Orange (4-16, 0-9).

The night before, Orange went toe-to-toe against Northwood, who is 10-0 in the Central Carolina Conference. The Chargers pulled away to win 78-62, but the Panthers had an early lead after Clark, in his first start, scored 12 points in the first quarter. Clark led Orange with 17 points against the Chargers, while Thompson added 16.

Orange will host Cedar Ridge on Wednesday night, welcome Eastern Alamance in its final home game of the season on Friday, then travel to Cedar Ridge on Saturday.

ROXBORO–Person used its size to beat Orange to open January. To start February, the Rockets utilized its speed to top the Panthers in Roxboro.

Not that Jerec Thompson didn’t have the Rockets a little worried.

Thompson struck for 39 points on Tuesday night in Rockets Gymnasium, but Person’s balanced scoring paved the way for a 82-78 victory over the Panthers. It was Orange’s first trip to Roxboro for a conference game since 2003.

Once again, Person sophomore Ty Outlaw was the X-factor for the Rockets. Outlaw is the son of former Person center Tyrone Outlaw Sr, who was the PAC-6 Player of the Year at Person in 1994. Outlaw’s older brother, also named Ty Outlaw, was a starter at Virginia Tech under former head coach Buzz Williams who was a member of the 2018-2019 Hokies team that faced Duke in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Last month, Outlaw played for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA Gatorade League.

With Person leading 78-70, Orange freshman Xandrell Pennix drained a 3-pointer. In a game that moved end-to-end with warp speed at various points, Michael Clark rebounded a miss by Person’s Isaiah Smith, but the Panthers’ missed a floater that would have cut its deficit to three. Ben Pettiford turned a transition opportunity into a lay-in to increase the Person advantage to 80-73.

Pinnix quickly knocked down another 3-pointer, then fouled Outlaw, who missed the front end of an 1-and-1. which was rebounded by Thompson, who fired a 3-pointer that was blocked by Smith. Orange’s J.J. Thompson won a frantic scramble for a loose ball, but Jerec’s outside shot was blocked by Julian Crowley, which led to a slam dunk by Jancil Bumpass.

On Tuesday, Outlaw led Person with 22 points, one of five Rockets in double figures. The Rockets (10-5, 5-3 in the Central Carolina Conference) had Julian Crowley scored 17 points. Smith finished with 14, while Lance Clarke added 12. Bumpass finished with 11.

The Rockets led 62-49 with 1:10 remaining in the third quarter after a lay-in by Outlaw, but Darius Corbett scored off an assist from Kaleb Barnhardt. The Panther whittled the deficit down to 70-66 after a 3-pointer by Thompson with 4:12 remaining.

Orange hit 14 3-pointers against the Rockets, including ten 3-pointers from Thompson.

Orange will host Northwood on Friday in Hillsborough.

Women’s Basketball: Just when it seemed like the Orange women’s basketball team was back at full strength, the Panthers found themselves shorthanded again against Person in Roxboro.

Erin Jordan-Cornell, who had consecutive double-doubles against Walter Williams and Person last week, suffered knee swelling, causing her to sit out against the Rockets.

Senior Jarmil Wingate, a small forward who has often played center this season, stepped up with a season-high 13 points to push the Lady Panthers to a 51-39 win over the Rockets. Wingate also had nine rebounds, narrowly missing her first double-double since she had ten points and eleven rebounds against Northern Durham on January 9, 2020.

Aaliyah Harris had a season-high nine assists, along with nine points, as Orange improved to 11-4, 3-3 in the Central Carolina Conference.

Senior Samantha George finished with ten points, her ninth straight game scoring in double figures. George, who will attend Duke University this fall, added eleven rebounds for her second double-double of the year. George had 19 points and 15 rebounds against the North Carolina School of Science and Math on December 2 in Durham.

After a disappointing loss to Eastern Alamance in Mebane on Wednesday, Orange will play two games in less than 24 hours starting Friday night. Northwood will visit the Panthers at 6PM in Hillsborough. On Saturday afternoon, the Lady Panthers will travel to Elon to face Western Alamance. Tipoff between the Warriors and the Panthers will be 3:30.

BURLINGTON–The Orange women’s basketball team found itself in a strange place on Tuesday night.

In game action.

Orange last played on December 28 during the Eastern Guilford Holiday Showcase in Gibsonville, where they defeated Northeast Guilford 52-27 for Coach B.J. Condron’s 100th career win. The Lady Panthers were supposed to play again on January 4 against Cedar Ridge, but there’s no such thing as a iron clad schedule with COVID-19 in the air.

Because of COVID and winter weather, the Orange women waited a full 29 days until its next game. On Tuesday night, Orange finally returned to the floor looking like a different team that had lost to Walter Williams 74-50 on December 17 in Hillsborough.

Orange just didn’t find the baskets when they needed them in the end.

In a tight game where neither team led by more than six points, Williams (10-3, 3-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) held off Orange 44-41 at Bulldog Gymnasium.

After senior guard Aaliyah Harris tied the game with two free throws with 4:00 remaining, Williams’ Kameryn Russell scored on a lay-in as she rumbled down the lane to put the Bulldogs ahead. After a miss by Orange, Williams’ Taniya Hunter-Smith had a lay-in rim out. The Lady Panthers had three chances to tie on the subsequent possession, but Orange was called for traveling.

Williams, leading 39-37 with 1:30 remaining, nearly had a five-second violation when guard Jainasia Bailey picked up her dribble with Harris defending her, but Bulldogs’ coach Jason Cheek called timeout. Bulldogs center Taniya Hunter-Smith drained two free throws.

Orange was called for stepping out of bounds on the next possession. After Williams’ Bri Scott missed a free throw, Harris knocked down a one-hand runner with 37 seconds remaining to cut the Orange deficit to 41-39. Orange fouled Russell, who missed the front end of a one-and-one. After Orange’s Erin Jordan-Cornell got the rebound, the Panthers went for a 3-pointer, which was no good. Bailey sank two free throws with :19 remaining to put the game out of reach.

George led Orange with 13 points. Erin Jordan-Cornell finished with a season-high 12 points.

Hunter-Smith paced the Bulldogs with 15 points.

The game starts a grueling stretch for the Panthers where they will play four games in a stretch of five days. The Lady Panthers host Person at 6 on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Orange will travel to face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Friday night. On Saturday, Orange travels to face Western Alamance at noon in Elon.

Men’s basketball: Williams 69, Orange 53

A month of dominating Orange in Hillsborough, the Williams Bulldogs rushed out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed in a 69-50 win over the Panthers.

The Bulldogs placed three players in double figures. Kenan King led Williams with 18 points, while Grayson McCadden had 17.

After Williams pushed its lead to 26 points early in the third quarter, Orange coach Derryl Britt benched his seniors for the final 13 minutes of regulation and played a lineup that included three freshmen. Xandrell Pinnix, in just his third varsity game, led Orange with 13 points.

Jerec Thompson, who missed the opening game of the season against Williams, was held to four points, his lowest output of the season. It was the first time this year that Thompson didn’t hit a 3-pointer in a game. Williams’ forward Alijah Richmond, who scored eight touchdowns in two games against Orange this year, defending Thompson for most of the game.

Orange trailed 21-10 at the end of the first quarter and the Bulldogs were never seriously threatened again.

The Panthers (4-12, 0-5 in the Central Carolina Conference) will return to action against Cedar Ridge on Friday night. The Red Wolves have beaten the Panthers four straight times.

Williams has won three in a row.

WOMEN’S GAME:

WILLIAMS 44, ORANGE 41

ORANGE: Aaliyah Harris 6, Samantha George 13, Erin Jordan-Cornell 12, Jada Reed 3, Jarmil Wingate 4, Evelyn George 3.

WILLIAMS: Jamera Shaw 4, Taniya Hunter-Smith 15, Kamryn Russell 9, Bri Scott 6, Jainasia Bailey 10

MEN’S GAME:

WILLIAMS 69, ORANGE 50

ORANGE: Jerec Thompson 4, Amare Morgan 6, Joshua Jackson 6, Ryan Moss 2, Kaleb Barhhardt 4, Darius Corbett 2, Thomas Loch 3, Xandrell Pinnix 13, Michael Clark 4, Freddy Sneed 6.

WILLIAMS: Kenan King 18, Avery Miles 2, Cam’ron Jones 15, Alijah Richmond 2, Grayson McCadden 17, Milton Turner 6, Willie Turner 6, Corey Reaves 2, Isaiah Ramsey 1.

The last time the Orange men’s basketball team played in the South Granville Holiday Invitational, there were high expectations.

Yet it couldn’t have gone much worse.

In 2019, the Panthers rolled into Creedmoor with a 7-1 record, fresh off a 74-56 win over defending 3A State Champion Walter Williams. Yet orange came away with consecutive losses to Sanderson, Franklinton and Green Hope, and never returned to form for the rest of the season.

This holiday season, Orange has battled an injury to its top scorer during its only scrimmage, injuries and the usual assortment of Covid issues common among many programs across the state. It hampered Orange to a 2-7 start to the season, yet this year’s trip to South Granville was much more joyous and successful.

On December 30, the Panthers defeated Granville Central 67-59 to win the third place game of the Navy Bracket in the South Granville Holiday Invitational. The Panthers started the tournament with a 73-70 victory over Rolesville. In the semifinals, Cary held off Orange 69-64.

The Navy Bracket championship game was slated to be contested between Hillside and Cary, but it was never played because of COVID issues within the Hillside program.

Orange guard Jerec Thompson was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the Navy Bracket. In three games, Thompson scored 33 points against Rolesville, 32 points against Cary and 17 points against Granville Central.

In addition, Orange point guard J.J. Thompson was selected to the All-Navy Bracket team. Against Granville Central, J.J. scored a career-high 27 points off 8-of-13 shooting from 3-point range.

The Granville Central tournament was the debut of junior Amare Morgan, who hit the ground running with a double-double in his third varsity game. Against Granville Central, Morgan amassed 14 points and 16 rebounds. Granville Central, coached by 1992 Orange graduate Mike McDaniel (who was an All-PAC-6 linebacker with the football team but never played basketball), is 12-4 overall.

In his first varsity game, Morgan scored 15 points against Rolesville. Against the Rams, Orange held on for dear life as the Rams made a late run, but Jerec Thompson knocked down key free throws down the stretch.

In the loss to Cary on December 30, the Panthers were held to a tournament-low 39% shooting from the field against the rangier Imps. In addition to his 32 points, Thompson led Orange with seven rebounds, but no other Panther had more than three. Darius Corbett added 13 points, but was the only other Panther in double-figures. Giovanni Prete paced Cary with 20 points.

Thompson finished 14-of-17 from the free-throw line.

In the 3rd place game, Granville Central led 27-11 midway through the second quarter. Morgan scored Orange’s final two field goals of the first half to reduce the Panthers’ deficit to 31-22.

J.J. Thompson had three points at halftime, but Clark Kent went into the phone booth at halftime and emerged as Superman. He drained seven 3-pointers and scored 24 points in the second half as the Panthers outscored Granville Central 21-9 in the third quarter. Thompson drained three shots from downtown in the opening four minutes of the third quarter to cut the Granville Central led to 36-32. Thompson also set up Morgan with a feed in the low post for another field goal. Then Morgan drained a 3-pointer to put Orange ahead 37-36. Ky’saun Russell and Jordan Alston scored consecutive baskets to put Granville back ahead 40-37, but J.J. swished another 30pointer to tie the game, then added another with 14 seconds remaining in the quarter to put Orange ahead for good.

Orange shot 7-of-11 from 3-point range in the third quarter against Granville, then shot 7-of-12 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter. J.J. Thompson added three more 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Again, illness, injures and interruptions to the schedule have impacted Orange since the holiday tournament. The Panthers have played just one conference game since Christmas, a 88-79 loss to Person. Since then, the winter weather has limited Orange to only two non-conference games in two weeks: an 80-63 loss at Wake Forest and an 87-66 defeat against Garner.

The Panthers were supposed to face Cedar Ridge on Friday and South Garner on Saturday, but neither took place because of the snow on Friday night. On Tuesday, Orange will travel to Walter Williams, travel to Cedar Ridge on Friday, then go to Western Alamance on Saturday at 2.

With an overall record of 4-12, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say this is a make-or-break week in regards to making the state playoffs.

Photo by Sandhills Community College Athletic Department

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team has won four in a row. On Saturday, the Flyers defeated Oxford College of Emory University 93-78 in Oxford, GA. McMullin scored 19 points, including 12 in the first half, as the Flyers improved to 4-0 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. McMullin shot 8-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, as the Flyers pushed out to a 41-29 halftime lead. McMullin and Darryl McCaster each had 19 points to lead the Flyers. McMullin added three rebounds and an assist. On January 12, the Flyers defeated Central Carolina Community College in Pinehurst. McMullin had four points, one rebound, one assist and one block. Last weekend, the Flyers swept a two-game weekend series against Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, VA. On Friday, the Flyers defeated the Roadrunners 107-62. McMullin scored 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field in 15 minutes. He also grabbed one rebound. The following day, Sandhills defeated Lancaster 100-55. McMullin led all Flyers with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. He played 18 minutes. McMullin also led the team with nine rebounds. On January 4, USC Salkehatchie defeated Sandhills 104-91 in Walterboro, SC. McMullin scored 14 points in 20 minutes. He shot 7-of-15 from the field. He also had six rebounds and two assists. On New Year’s Day, Davidson-Davie Community College downed the Flyers 95-56 at Brinkley Gymnasium. McMullin had five points in ten minutes. McMullin, a freshman, is averaging 13.1 points per game over 20 games. Sandhills is 14-6 overall, 4-0 in Region X. McMullin is the last Orange player to score 1,000 points for his career. He accomplished that feat in his senior season during the 2019-2020 campaign.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond Spiders men’s basketball team faced possibly the hottest team in the country on Friday night. The Davidson Wildcats won its 13th consecutive game after a 87-84 victory over the Spiders at the Robins Center. Crabtree came off the bench for Richmond to play three minutes. He knocked down his only shot from the field and finished with two points. On January 5, the Spiders defeated Massachusetts 80-72. Crabtree played eleven minutes against the Minutemen and scored five points. He shot 2-for-2 from the field, including his only 3-point attempt. Richmond scored 50 points in the first half, shooting 65% from the field. It was the most points in a half by the Spiders since March 2020. Richmond opened 2022 with a 76-69 loss to St. Louis at Chaifets Arena. Crabtree played seven minutes and scored two points and grabbed a rebound. Richmond’s game against George Mason, scheduled for January 11 in the Robins Center, was postponed due to COVID issues within the Patriots program. Richmond is 10-7 overall, 1-3 in the Atlantic 10. They will travel to Fordham on Tuesday. Crabtree started his college career with Tulane before transferring.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum Panthers wrestling team ended 2021 in the the Citrus Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Homsey, seeded #2 at 197 pounds, went to the finals. In the semifinals, Homsey edged Chance Lapier of Castleton University, who was seeded #3, 4-3 to advance to the finals. in the championship match, top-seeded Bentley Schwanbeck-Ost of Augsburg University defeated Homsey 10-4 for the championship. After receiving a bye in the opening round, Homsey defeated Sean Gillespie of Liberty University 14-1. In the quarterfinals, Homsey scored a technical fall over Tyler Raway of Augsburg 16-0 in 4:40. Ferrum placed 8th out of 12 teams in the tournament. Homsey placed the highest of any of the other Panther wrestlers.