Photo by Jacques Morin
When a team plays well enough in a big game, they may pull off a victory over an opponent that has a large enough stature to become a brand name in its given sport.
In September, Northern Illinois football beat Notre Dame.
Last month, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees.
On Friday night, Orange basketball beat Mt. Zion Christian Academy.
Junior Ethan Ellis, in only his second varsity game, canned a 3-pointer from a pass from Xandrell Pennix with :13 remaining to lift the Panthers over the Warriors 60-56 in a fever-pitched environment at Panther Gymnasium in Hillsborough.
Orange point guard Kai Wade fought off cramping problems in the final minute to lead the Panthers with 18 points. Senior Michael Clark sank a free-throw with :06 left, putting the game out of reach as Orange improved to 3-0 for the first time since the 2019-2020 season.
Mt. Zion’s Chris Walker tied the game with :31.4 remaining after scoring on a lay-in while being fouled by Jamari McDaniel. The subsequent free throw evened the contest at 57-57.
Following a timeout, Pennix dribbled along the baseline and wrapped a skip pass around to Ellis, who was in the game after senior Freddy Sneed fouled out. Ellis, alone on the wing, wasn’t bothered by the onrushing Walker as his 20-footer swished through the net, leading to an eruption from the O-Game student section.
Mt. Zion’s Rodney Farrington, who didn’t score all night rushed down the foul and sidestepped Ellis at the basket, but his lay-in was short. Clark grabbed the rebound and set off a celebration for Orange’s biggest non-conference win since upsetting Hillside in last year’s lid lifter in Hillsborough.
“I knew it would take grit to win this game,” said Orange coach Derryl Britt. “Freddie (Sneed), Xandrell, Jamari (McDaniel) are the leaders of that mentality.”
The gamesmanship started early in the week with players trading taunts via memes and videos on Instagram and TikToc. Orange had six days between games while Mt. Zion had trampled Oak Ridge Military Academy by 24 points, followed by a 42-point rout of Greater Vision Academy on November 15.
Warriors guard Ian Bush averaged 24 points and shot 80% from the field in the opening two wins. On Friday night, a combination of Sneed and Wade held him to seven points.
Orange led 47-40 after a jumper by Wade bounced around the rim and fell in with :42 remaining in the third quarter. With time running out in the frame, Wade missed a three-pointer. Mt. Zion’s Jayden Adams raced down the floor and scored on a lay-in to beat the quarter buzzer.
That triggered an 11-0 Warriors run that put them ahead 51-47. Adams, who spent virtually the entire game in foul trouble, started the fourth quarter with a lay-in. Walker followed an Orange miss with a dunk that sparked the sizeable Mt. Zion contingent visiting from Hillsborough. Adams drilled a three-pointer to gave the Warriors the advantage at 49-47, it’s first lead since the final minute of the first half. Moments later, Adams was called for his fifth foul.
Bush scored his only field goal of the fourth quarter off a goaltending call on Orange center Jalen Crayton. On a lengthy possession, Orange ended a drought of over four minutes without a point when Pennix slashed into the paint and scored on a lay-in. Orlando Karem’s lay-in attempt rattled out, and Wade batted the loose ball down the floor to Sneed, who slammed it home to tie the game at 51-51.
Orange faced several obstacles in the final minutes. Wade pulled up with a cramp in his right knee, forcing the Panthers to use its last timeout with 2:48 remaining.
Clark put Orange ahead with a 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining to put Orange ahead 54-51.
After Walked scored on a dunk, Sneed and the Warriors’ Rodney Farrington were each tagged with a technical foul for talking to each other. It was Sneed’s fifth foul, depriving the Panthers of its top defensive player. Farrington, a backup guard, picked up his first foul.
Wade was tripped going into the lane by Bryce Long, which was his fifth foul. Pennix scored two free throws with :39.7 remaining to give Orange a 57-54 lead.
The Warriors charged out to an 11-4 lead, but Warriors head coach Marvin Reed threw all standard in-game coaching mindset out the window when he left Adams in the game despite picking up three fouls in the opening quarter. Orange got 3-pointers from Pennix and Clark to cut its deficit down to one point late in the first quarter.
The Panthers led 27-26 at the half thanks to a late lay-in by Wade.
Orange will host Southern Lee on Monday night in Hillsborough, its final game before Thanksgiving.
