Orange Men’s Basketball

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior basketball center Machai Holt. It’s been a strong all around year for Holt, only eight games into the season. Holt has four double-doubles this season, including a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds in last week’s victory over Walter Williams. In addition, Holt had 13 points and 12 rebounds in a win against Southern Lee on December 5. He scored 17 points and grabbed ten rebounds in a 75-70 victory over Carrboro, including several crucial free throws down the stretch. During the fall, Holt was a wingback and safety for the Orange football team. On the first defensive play of the season against R.J. Reynolds on August 16, Holt intercepted a pass. On the subsequent Panther drive, he scored on a five-yard touchdown run. Holt scored 12 touchdowns for the Panthers. The son of Mark Holt, Machai and the rest of the Panthers will start play in the South Granville Holiday Tournament on Thursday at 2 o’clock. The Panthers face Sanderson in the opening round of the Navy Bracket. You can hear the game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 1:55 with Tim Hackett on the play-by-play.

The Orange men’s basketball team defeated Burlington Williams 74-56 on Wednesday night at Orange. The Bulldogs played for the 3A State Championship in March, but the Panthers came out firing in the second half with a 16-2 run. Machai Holt finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Holt shot 10-of-13 from the field. Jared Thompson added 14 points as Orange improved to 7-1. The Panthers avenged an 86-63 loss to Williams last year in Burlington. The Panthers return to action on Thursday at 2 PMin the South Granville Holiday Tournament in Creedmoor. The Panthers will compete in the eight-team Navy Bracket. Listen in on Hillsboroughsports.com for all the coverage all three days.

The Orange men’s basketball team defeated East Chapel Hill 82-32 on Tuesday night in the Big 8 Conference opener. Joey McMullin had 19 points, while Jason Franklin added 18. The Panthers are 7-1, its best start in 14 years. They will start play in the South Granville Holiday Tournament against Sanderson Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Orange will compete in the Navy Bracket, an 8-team tournament. The winner will face either Middle Creek or Franklinton in the semifinals. Enjoy highlights of Orange-East Chapel Hill from Thompsonteamfilms.com.

The Orange Panthers will go into Christmas break with its best start in 14 years.

Not to mention another blowout victory against the defending 3A Eastern Regional Champions.

In its final home game of the decade, senior Machai Holt scored 22 points and grabbed eleven rebounds as the Panthers sprinted past Walter Williams 74-56 on Wednesday night at Panther Gymnasium.

With Orange leading 35-33, Holt triggered a 16-2 run to start the second half. He grabbed two offensive rebounds on the opening possession to set up a Jerec Thompson 3-pointer. After J.J. Thompson hit Jerec for a backdoor lay-in, Holt stole the ball from Williams’ Kenan King and went behind the back for a lay-in to force a Williams time-out.

“Machai can get to the basket with ease,” said Orange Coach Derryl Britt. “I told him to keep doing that. I told him ‘Be that beast. Make them stop you. Take the ball to the rack and take your time and finish.'”

The last time Orange started 7-1, it was the 2005-06 season, when they played in the Mid State Conference and Williams was a conference rival.

Orange never trailed, but Williams tied the game late in the first half at 33 after two free throws from Jamauree Haith, who led the Bulldogs (4-3) with 21 points.

“We needed to tighten up our midcourt defense, which is our mainstay.” Britt said. “They scored six or seven baskets from the paint in the first half, and that can’t happen, especially against a team that’s smaller than us. We properly adjusted to that (in the second half).”

Joey McMullin finished with 15 points, while junior point guard J.J. Thompson had a career-high 12.

After Orange came out firing 3-pointers to open the game, they only hit one from downtown in the second quarter. Even though Orange is best when it’s outside shots are falling, the Panthers aren’t a one-dimensional team for a varsity of reasons.

First, they’re experienced. Second, there’s familiarity. Holt, J.J. Thompson, McMullin, Jerec Thompson and Jason Franklin all attended Pathways Elementary School together.

“Good teams find different ways to win games,” Britt said. “Some nights our goal is to make 15 3-pointers, but some nights that’s not going to happen. Can we still score and get close to our average without getting those three pointers?”

That’s where Orange’s win over Carrboro last Thursday proved beneficial. The Panthers only had six 3-pointers, but rode out a 75-70 win. They came into Wednesday night averaging 79 points per game.

J.J. Thompson, in his first year at the varsity level, isn’t known for his scoring, but Britt feels the junior is the right point guard for his system.

“J.J. and I talk a lot off the court,” Britt said. “J.J. has a clear understanding of what I want offensively and defensively. There were a few times tonight where he didn’t wait for me to make the offensive call. He surveyed the defense, look at the adjustments they made and then he would go to another set. That’s exactly what I want. My nickname for him is ‘Right Play J.J.'”

Orange will start play in the South Granville Holiday Tournament next Thursday. The Panthers will play in the Navy Bracket and face Sanderson in the opening round on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The winner will face either Middle Creek or Franklinton in the semifinals. Northwood Temple, Granville Central, Green Hope and Wakefield complete the eight-team field.

Orange’s J.J. Thompson is in his first season as a starting guard for the men’s basketball team, and it’s been successful so far. The Panthers are off to its best start in 13 years after beating Williams 74-56. Thompson finished with 12 points against the Bulldogs as Orange won its final game before Christmas. The son of Shayne and Tracy Thompson, who graduated from Orange in 1992, Thompson has been the starting point guard in all seven of Orange’s games thus far. In a 82-32 victory over East Chapel Hill on Tuesday night, Thompson hit two early 3-pointers. Next Thursday, Thompson and the rest of the Panthers will return to action in the South Granville Holiday Tournament. Orange will be in the eight-team Navy Bracket and opens against Sanderson. Thompson will spend the holidays with his family, along with his pet bulldog Duke, whose videos on Facebook make for entertaining fare.

In a Big 8 Conference that appears to be as deep as any time in recent memory, there was little reason to think that Orange’s league opener against East Chapel Hill would be lopsided.

Both matchups between the two teams last year were one-point games, with East winning in overtime on January 5. Orange got revenge three weeks later, 50-49, in Hillsborough.

Both teams returned almost all of its players from last year, so why should this year be any different?

Instead of another nail biter on Tuesday night, Orange fans were treated to the most lopsided Panther win over East Chapel Hill ever.

Joey McMullin scored 19 points while Jason Franklin scored 18. Machai Holt added 15 as the Panthers routed the Wildcats 82-32 at Panther Gymnasium in front of many alumni who journeyed in from various college during winter break to visit the old stomping grounds and witness…well, a stomping.

Former Big 8 Player of the Year Connor Crabtree, ex-Orange defensive end and forward Ryan Sellers and former linebacker Taison Farrington were just a few folks on hand.

From the time Franklin opened the game with a three-pointer, the rout was on. East was without its second-leading scorer Miles Merriweather, who was in a walking boot after suffering an injury against the North Carolina School of Science and Math on Friday. Merriweather, who scored 16 and eleven points against Orange last year, left a void along the glass that Orange was more than eager to take advantage of.

The Panthers, paced by two early 3-pointers from J.J. Thompson, led 26-11 at the end of the first quarter. Orange hit five 3-pointers in the opening stanza, including a pair from Franklin.

There was no led up in the second quarter, even though McMullin scored four points. Franklin finished with 13 points in the first half, while Brooks had eight.

“We’re hitting out shots,” said Holt. “If we’re hitting out shots, we just keep going and going.”

McMullin scored 15 points in the second half, which went quicker than usual. Orange led by 40 points with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter, which triggered a running clock.

After they missed the state playoffs the past two years, the Panthers have had a year to immerse themselves under Coach Derryl Britt’s system. After a 10-15 season last year, Orange looks more comfortable this year.

There’s also familiarity. Holt, McMullen and Franklin have played on the same team since they were in 5th grade.

“That’s when we were trash,” McMullen said. “I was horrible. I couldn’t walk or dribble at the same time. I’ve gotten better since then.”

“That’s true,” Holt chimed in.

Orange will have one more game before Christmas, and its a visit from none other than the defending 3A Eastern Regional Champions. The Williams Bulldogs will come calling to Orange Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

Williams defeated Eastern Alamance 58-49 at Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville last March to advance to the 3A State Championship game. Southwest Guilford defeated the Bulldogs 67-60 for the title.

Williams returns only four players from last year’s team, but it does include Kennedy Miles, who was second on the team with 15.2 points per game.

Williams handled Orange 86-63 in Burlington last November.

ORANGE 82, EAST CHAPEL HILL 32

EAST CHAPEL HILL: Will Tyndall 8, Marquez Cotton 5, Eric Lu 5, Martez Cotton 9, Anton Enoch 5.

ORANGE: J.J. Thompson 6, Jerec Thompson 6, Jason Franklin 18, Joey McMullin 19, Machai Holt 15, Kendrell Brooks 10, Tucker Miller 3, Hunter Birch 1, Jared Wood 3.

The Orange men’s basketball team had its most lopsided win over East Chapel Hill ever on Tuesday night. The Panthers defeated the Wildcats 81-31 at Panthers Gymnasium. Machai Holt, who came into the game with consecutive double-doubles against South Granville and Carrboro, finished with 15 points. Joey McMullin scored 15 points, including nine in the 3rd quarter as the Panthers improved to 6-1. Orange will play another home game on Wednesday night, this time against the defending 3A Eastern Regional Champions. The Williams Bulldogs will come to Hillsborough. Coverage starts at 5:30 on Hillsboroughsports.com with the women’s game. The men’s game will follow.