Orange Women’s Basketball

The Orange women’s basketball team defeated East Chapel Hill behind the strongest game of the season from center Marshea Byrd on Tuesday night. Byrd tied her season-high of ten points as the Lady Panthers bounced back from a tough loss to Eastern Alamance to improve to 4-3. Orange is under first-year head coach Joshua Underwood. He inherits an experienced team that returns all five starters from last year. Byrd was a starter on last year’s team, which reached the state playoffs and finished 13-13. Orange began the Central Conference campaign with wins in each of its first three games last year and was the only team in the league to defeat Western Alamance, who claimed the conference title. On November 25, Byrd scored ten points as Orange defeated Southern Lee 58-46 in Hillsborough. Orange shot 49% from the field in the win over the Cavaliers. In October, Byrd was named the Homecoming Queen at halftime of Orange’s win over Cedar Ridge. Byrd has been a varsity player for three seasons. Orange will face Western Alamance in a crucial conference game on Friday night in Hillsborough. Over Christmas break, the Lady Panthers will face Southeast Alamance in Haw River to start play in the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoops Invitational on December 27. The Lady Panthers will also play in the tournament on December 28 and 30th.

Orange women’s basketball center Marshea Byrd discusses win over Southern Lee

The Orange women’s basketball team defeated East Chapel Hill behind the strongest game of the season from center Marshea Byrd on Tuesday night. Byrd tied her season-high of ten points as the Lady Panthers bounced back from a tough loss to Eastern Alamance to improve to 4-3.

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It was a special season-opening win for the Orange women’s basketball team on Monday night. The Lady Panthers defeated Garner 53-31 at Panther Gymasnium in Hillsborough. It was the first win for new Orange women’s basketball coach Joshua Underwood, a former assistant at Eastern Alamance. Forward Evelyn George started her senior year with a double-double, leading Orange with 19 points and 13 rebounds. Last season, George recorded four double-doubles and scored in double-figures in 23 of Orange’s 26 games. Junior point guard Maura McMurtry added 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Orange never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 10-1 lead and building a lead as high as 26 points. The Lady Panthers were without two starters as Addi Atkins and Shannon Murphy didn’t play. After losing just one senior from the 2023-2024 team, Orange returns all five starters, as well as key reserve players like Natalie Roberson, Rhiley Crabtree, Alexis Stephens and Bryce Jones. Orange was the only team in the Central Conference to defeat Western Alamance last year. The Lady Panthers will have a golden opportunity to improve on its 13-13 record from a year ago. Orange will return to action against Southern Lee in Hillsborough on Monday night. The Lady Panthers will then travel to Northwood next Tuesday in its final game before Thanksgiving.

Orange women’s basketball’s Evelyn George & Maura McMurtry discuss season-opening win vs. Garner

It was a special season-opening win for the Orange women’s basketball team on Monday night. The Lady Panthers defeated Garner 53-31 at Panther Gymasnium in Hillsborough. It was the first win for new Orange women’s basketball coach Joshua Underwood, a former assistant at Eastern Alamance.

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.

The Orange women’s basketball team has lived on the road for the past month. It’s last home game came against Eastern Alamance on January 23. Since then, the Lady Panthers have played in Burlington, Roxboro, Graham, Elon, at Cedar Ridge and in Durham. On Monday night, Orange never trailed in a wire-to-wire win over the Durham School of the Arts at venerable Sykes Gymnasium. Sophomore Shannon Murphy finished with 13 points, eleven rebounds and five assists as Orange improved to 12-10. Center Marshea Byrd had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists as the Lady Panthers built a 26-point lead at one point in the second half. Sophomore Natalie Roberson made her first start and came away with five points. Junior Evelyn George paced the Lady Panthers with 19 points and eleven rebounds. Last week, the Lady Panthers defeated Person in Roxboro 65-34. George led the Lady Panthers with 21 points, while sophomore Addie Atkins came away with 12 points. Orange will finish its regular season on the road, naturally, on Friday night in Mebane. They will face Eastern Alamance. Last year, Orange defeated the Eagles in Mebane in the opening round of the Central Conference Tournament. The Lady Panthers will open play in the Central Conference Tournament on Monday night with the team and location to be determined. 

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The Orange women’s basketball team has lived on the road for the past month. It’s last home game came against Eastern Alamance on January 23. Since then, the Lady Panthers have played in Burlington, Roxboro, Graham, Elon, at Cedar Ridge and in Durham.

Orange 56, Reidsville 36: Evelyn George finished with 22 points as was named the Most Valuable Player of the Martin Luther King Invitational at Reidsville High School as Orange defeated the Rams on Saturday. George also had seven steals and five rebounds.

Orange improved to 10-5. Sophomore point guard Maura McMurtry added 15 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Shannon Murphy finished with seven points and eight rebounds as Orange won its second game in less that 24 hours.

Orange 53, Person 25: Defense led the Orange women to its fifth straight win over Person. The Lady Panthers registered 24 steals, led by McMurtry with seven thefts, while holding the Rockets to one field goal in the second quarter.

McMurtry paced Orange with eleven points and seven steals. George posted ten points, five rebounds, six steals and two blocks as Orange went into exam break tied with Western Alamance and Eastern Alamance for first place in the Central Conference with a 4-1 record.

Cassie Jay paced the Rockets with 13 points, but Person was plagued with 32 turnovers. Jay hit a jumper to put the Rockets up 7-6 with 3:21 remaining in the first quarter, but Orange went on a 7-0 run to take the lead for good. Murphy scored off a steal from center Marshea Byrd to start the spurt, which was capped by a three-pointer from George off a feed from McMurtry.

Orange guard Natalie Roberson finished with a career-high seven points, including a three-pointer off a pass from Murphy to put Orange ahead 20-9. Alexis Stephens, in her first start, scored off a stickleback basket. Jay scored Person’s only field goal of the second quarter with 41 seconds remaining, but Marshea Byrd scored off a lay-in off a pass from George to put Orange ahead 27-11 at halftime. Orange shot 7-of-12 from the field in the third quarter.

Orange sophomore Addie Atkins, who finished with seven points, scored off a three-pointer early in the third quarter off a pass from McMurtry.

Orange will return home to face Eastern Alamance on Tuesday. The Panthers defeated the Eagles in the seventh place game of the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoops Invitational on December 30 in Haw River.

Eastern Alamance 39, Cedar Ridge 35:  In a showdown for first place in the Central Conference, the Eagles used its size to defeat Cedar Ridge in Hillsborough.

Aliya Trollinger hit a free throw with 1:34 remaining in regulation to put the Eagles ahead for good. Moments earlier, Cedar Ridge freshman Calla Lundberg tied the game with a three-pointer to tie the game with 1:39 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Cedar Ridge guard Amiyah Ware paced the Red Wolves with 24 points. The Red Wolves were fighting uphill the entire night after the Eagles stormed out to a 16-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Ayanna Garner paced the Eagles with ten points. Center Makayla Thompson finished with nine points and 16 rebounds as the Eagles maintained its share of first place in the league.

Eastern Alamance out rebounded the Red Wolves 54-45. Cedar Ridge still grabbed 16 offensive rebounds. The Eagles took an 18-8 lead after Thompson scored off a pass from Trollinger with 5:07 remaining in the first half. The Red Wolves cut its deficit to 18-16 after Ware hit consecutive 3-pointers to end the first half.

The Red Wolves built a 26-22 lead late in the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Ware off a skip pass from Utley, who finished with four assists and 14 rebounds. Freshman Kate Finnegan scored a bank shot to give the Red Wolves’ its largest advantage, but Thompson scored on an old fashioned three-point play while getting fouled by Ware.

Ware scored on a lay-in to give the Red Wolves its last lead at 28-26 with 6:19 remaining in regulation. Trollinger tied the game with a field goal off an offensive rebound, and Nicole Hester put the Eagles ahead on a transition bucket assisted by Garner.

Cedar Ridge will travel to Walter Williams on Friday night for a doubleheader.