Kinney Hits Three with :18 Remaining to Give Cedar Ridge 39-36 Win over Vikings
Dmonte Kinney wasn’t sure his first game-winning three-pointer was going to go in. He hadn’t made a trey all night.
But he found the right time to be the hero.
Trailing 36-34 with :36 remaining, Kinney scored the game-winning basket after an offensive rebound from B.J. Freeman as Cedar Ridge held off Northern Vance 39-36 on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Gymnasium.
Sophomore Terrence Crawford led the Red Wolves with eleven in a defensive struggle. Northern Vance (5-4, 1-1) was held to just 14 points in the first half.
Leading 32-26 going into the fourth quarter, Cedar Ridge couldn’t find the basket in the fourth quarter until the time was right. Leading up to Kinney’s game-winning shot, the Red Wolves only had four points in the opening seven minutes.
Nonetheless, Cedar Ridge earned is now 4-3 overall, 1-1 in Big 8 play. That looks a lot better than last year’s 0-4 in the conference play with a senior-laden team featuring Payton Pappas, the school’s all-time leading scorer.
“We focused tonight on trying to get off to a better start and get a win,” said Cedar Ridge Coach Clay Jones. “We’ve started out playing a lot of games at home. You have to win at home in this conference.”
Kinney finished with seven points, while Khalil Barnett was held to seven.
Jones continues to employ a three-guard lineup, even though none of the backcourt regulars are seniors. Freshman Mekai Collins has started every game.
“I don’t know who’s going to show up each night,” said Jones. “We don’t have what a lot of other people have. We’ve got guys who are going to get six, eight, eleven, ten points. Tonight was Dmonte’s night. He’s been a good defensive presence for us.”
Cedar Ridge will have it’s final game of a eight-game homestand to start the season against Southern Durham on Friday night at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves were the only Big 8 team to defeat the Spartans during the regular season last year.
“I hope they’ve forgotten that part,” said Jones.
CEDAR RIDGE 39, NORTHERN VANCE 36
NORTHERN VANCE: Laquad Holden 3, Malik Glasco 4, Noah Seward 5, Kenton Pettaway 1, Kalin Jackson 4, Jacolby Williamson 4, Thomas Townes 6, Zion Copeland 6, Deiondre Palmer 3.
CEDAR RIDGE: Dmonte Kinney 7, Khalil Barnett 7, Terrence Crawford 11, Tahjai Hill-Wells 4, Mekai Collins 6, Colby Cashaw 2, B.J. Freeman 2.
Crabtree Scores 29 as Orange Cruises Past Southern Alamance 71-55
When your offense starts sluggish coming off a rivalry game, sometimes just having Connor Crabtree is enough.
Orange labored through a lethargic opening against Southern Alamance on Tuesday night at Jim King Gymnasium, scoring just one field goal in the opening six minutes. After Southern’s Harrison Cochran’s backdoor lay-in put the Patriots ahead 7-6, Crabtree simply took the game over.
He went on a personal 9-0 run bridging the opening quarters, finished with 29 and Orange (5-3) defeated Southern Alamance 71-55.
Fellow senior Logan Vosburg added 14 points, while freshman Mitch Portman also added 14, 13 in the 2nd half.
Orange’s defense held the Patriots (2-6) to nine points in the second quarter and never led by less than ten points in the second half.
Kyle Forbes led the Patriots with 19 points, including four 3-pointers. Harrison Cochran added 15.
“It took a while for us to get into a flow on offense tonight,” said Orange Coach Greg Motley. “We didn’t anticipate that. We feel that’s one of our strong points. At least it has so far this season. So we struggled to get into a groove.”
Orange was aided at the beginning of the second quarter after a bizarre technical foul against SAHS. Patriots backup center Lewis Drake was cited for wearing a different colored t-shirt underneath his red jersey. That led to Crabtree scoring both technical free throws, then canned a 15-footer on the subsequent possession.
At one point, Motley inserted the Football Four off the bench: Ryan Sellers, Morgan Pashcal. Kendall Whitted and Eli Haithcock, all of whom joined the team two weeks ago after Orange’s football season ended. Sellers had a season-high seven points of the bench.
While Orange still prides itself on its transition game, the one thing that’s missing this year is a point guard that can lead the break. Crabtree has triggered almost all of Orange’s transition opportunities, which Motley doesn’t mind. He just prefers Crabtree as a finisher.
“We’ve looked at our freshman guards (Portman and Joey McMillian) to try to fill that role,” said Motley. “It’s a work in progress.”
Orange will return to action against East Chapel Hill on Wednesday night, the team they defeated for its first win of the season 57-55 on November 29th.
“We have to enjoy this one quickly,” said Motley. “It’s a tough one tomorrow.”
ORANGE 71, SOUTHERN ALAMANCE 55
SOUTHERN ALAMANCE: Kyle Forbes 19, Jsi Hatfield 5, Harrison Cochran 15, Chandler Smith 7, Mikol Slade 2, Grant Sharpe 2, Lewis Drake 5.
ORANGE: Mitch Portman 14, Connor Crabtree 29, Logan Vosburg 14, Eli Haithcock 2, Morgan Paschal 1, Ryan Sellers 7, Matt Athenton 2, Treshon Richardson 2.
Bench Power: Cates Scores 16, Barnett 14 as Orange Girls Stay Undefeated 52-39
Even without placing a starter in double figures, the Orange girls basketball team found a way to start 6-0 for the first time in eight years.
Sophomore Lauren Cates came off the bench to score 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Icez Barnett added a dozen as the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 52-39 on Tuesday night at Jim King Gymnasium.
Orange is 6-0 for the first time since the 2008-09 season, when they played in the 2A/1A Mid State Conference.
The Panthers never trailed against the Patriots (1-5), but it was a battle. Trailing by 14 early in the third quarter, Southern got consecutive field goals from Meghan Deese to narrow their deficit to 34-29 going into the fourth quarter. The Patriots made their charge with four reserves on the floor, including point guard Gracie Williams, who went the rest of the way running the offense.
Orange started the fourth quarter with consecutive three-pointers from Cates to push the advantage up to 40-29.
Orange’s 33 bench points were a season high.
“We have more scorers on this team than any other I’ve had,” said Orange coach B.J. Condron. “I think we played tentative at times tonight. I’d like to see us play a little better than we did at times tonight.”
Kaylen Campbell, Orange’s leading scorer, opened the game with a three-pointer that banked in off the right win. Campbell finished with nine, the first time all year she’s been held under double figures.
It was the second time in three weeks the Panthers defeated the Patriots. Orange won 47-3o in Graham on November 30.
Tuesday’s contest was the first in a span of three games in four days. On Wednesday night, the Panthers travel to East Chapel Hill. Tipoff is at 5:30. Orange defeated East Chapel Hill 58-51 on November 29. After a day off Thursday, Orange returns to Big 8 Conference action on Friday with a home game against Northern Vance. The Vikings fell to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday 56-32.
ORANGE 52, SOUTHERN ALAMANCE 39
SOUTHERN ALAMANCE: Allysa Jacobson 2, Eden Deanhardt 3, Jenna Haugle 17, Caroline Cousey 4, Gracie Williams 4, Cheyenne Cox 2, Meghan Deese 7.
ORANGE: Kaylen Campbell 9, Jazlyn Watson 8, Mia Davidson 2, Bethlyn Early 2, Janea Myers 3, Icez Barnett 12, Lauren Cates 16.
Campbell, Defense Lead Orange Girls Past Cedar Ridge 42-34
It would be inaccurate to say the Orange-Cedar Ridge girls game was just as physical as the Army-Navy football game it coincided with on Saturday afternoon.
But only slightly inaccurate.
Players hit the floor with reckless abandon so often, one may have wondered if the officials would throw a flag for targeting. In the third quarter, Cedar Ridge’s leading scorer, Carrie Davis, had to go under concussion protocol following a midcourt collision for a loose ball.
In the end, Orange won 42-34 after holding the Red Wolves scoreless in the final 4:44. The Panthers (5-0, 1-0 in the Big 8) are off to their best start ever under head coach B.J. Condron, now in his fourth season.
Kaylen Campbell led Orange with ten points, while Lauren Cates and Icez Barnett added seven. Davis led Cedar Ridge (3-3, 0-1) with ten points.
Davis hit a three-pointer to give Cedar Ridge a 34-32 lead with 4:44 remaining, the seventh lead change of the second half. Barnett’s lay-up with 2:47 remaining put Orange ahead for good.
The two teams have now split the last six meetings.
“We knew coming in that this was going to be a battle,” said Condron. “It’s like that anytime Orange and Cedar Ridge play. I think we managed the game well in the end by hitting free throws.”
Clinging to a 35-34 lead with 2:14 remaining, the Panthers went 7-of11 from the foul line down the stretch.
Free throws turned out to be Cedar Ridge’s undoing. The Red Wolves went 5-from-20 from the foul line.
“That was the difference in the game,” said Cedar Ridge Coach Felton Page. “You’re not going to win too many ballgames like that.”
Orange jumped out to a 12-4 lead after two early field goals from Bethlyn Early and a three-pointer from Campbell.
The lead would extend to 17-5 before Cedar Ridge mounted a charge. Guard Taylin Jean scored all five of her points during a 13-4 Red Wolves run to close out the second quarter, narrowing Orange’s lead to 21-18 at the half.
Cedar Ridge’s Jasmin Lee scored her only field goal of the day to give the Red Wolves it’s first lead of the day with 1:36 remaining in the third quarter, while Miracle Page knocked in a three-pointer in the waning second to put the Red Wolves ahead going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter had five lead changes and two ties. After Campbell started the stanza with a trey to put Orange ahead 30-28, Davis tied the game with a one-handed runner. Barnett and Cates had key steals during the Cedar Ridge dry spell that ended the game.
Orange’s Mia Davidson and Early finished with seven rebounds. Campbell and Barnett each had three steals.
Orange has three games this week. They face Southern Alamance at home on Tuesday at 5:30, followed by a road trip against East Chapel Hill on Wednesday, also at 5:30. They continue conference play with another home game against Northern Vance on Friday at 6.
Cedar Ridge hosts Northern Vance on Tuesday at 6, then travels to Southern Durham on Friday at 7.
ORANGE–Grace Dively 5, Kaylen Campbell 10, Icez Barnett 7, Lauren Cates 7, Mia Davidson 2, Bethlyn Early 6, Adalyn Fleming 2, Janea Myers 1, Mary Beth Dobbins 2.
CEDAR RIDGE–Yolanda Simpson 4, Miracle Page 6, Carrie Davis 10, Taylin Jean 5, Madison Wardlow 4, Natalia Garay 1, Jacori Walton 1, Jasmyn Lee 2, Abby Lloyd 1.
Vosburg Scores 22 as Orange Cruises Past Carrboro 87-46
Anyone watching Orange and Carrboro’s pregame warm-ups knew the Jaguars were in for an uphill battle.
Orange starting guards, both freshmen, appeared to be nearly as tall as Carrboro’s starting center Neel Mahadevan. From the moment Orange center Logan Vosburg tossed in a 3-pointer just :36 into the game, the result was all but determined.
Vosburg scored 22 points, even without playing the fourth quarter, as Orange climbed back to .500 with an 87-46 victory over the Jaguars. Connor Crabtree, who also sat out the fourth quarter, finished with 16. Freshman Joey McMillin added 13 while Mitch Portman scored 12.
Orange surged out to a 33-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and was never challenged. Coach Greg Motley used most of the game to let four football players, all of whom joined the team last week after Orange’s playoff lost to Havelock, continue to gain basketbal conditioning. Morgan Paschall, Devondrez Moore, Ryan Sellers and Kendall Whitted received the most minutes they’ve played this season.
Sellers came out strongest with seven points in the fourth quarter, which was played with a running clock after the deficit exceeded 40 points.
The Panthers travel to Cedar Ridge on Saturday for its Big 8 Conference opener at 3:30.
ORANGE-Marquis Phelps 3, Mitch Portman 12, Connor Crabtree 16, Logan Vosburg 22, Joel McMillin 13, Eli Haithcock 5, Kendall Whitted 2, Morgan Paschall 5, Ryan Sellers 8, Treshon Richardson 2.
CARRBORO-Jake Melville 3, That Htoo 6, Cole Phillips 16, Zach Anderson 5, Neel Mahadevan 6, Shamel Partridge 5, Jared Porter 2, Caleb Jones 3,
Crabtree Scores 30 Points as Orange Upends Southern Alamance 76-58
With the return of four players to the lineup after the sudden conclusion of football season, the Orange boys basketball team found its footing with two victories over the course of 48 hours.
The Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 76-58 in Mebane on Wednesday night behind 30 points from Connor Crabtree. Senior Logan Vosburg added 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field, along with 13 rebounds.
This week marked the varsity debuts of Ryan Sellers, Devondrez Moore, Eli Haitchcock, and Kendall Whitted, all of whom reported directly to basketball practice on Monday after Orange’s football season ended last week against Havelock. Senior Keshawn Thompson, who came off the bench last season, also is back.
Despite the return of upperclassmen, freshman Joey McMullin continued a strong start to his Orange career. In only his third game, McMullin finished with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting on the field, including 3-of-4 from three point range.
With the win over the Patriots, Orange evened its record to 2-2. The opening two losses came two weeks ago during the HighSchoolOt.com Season Tip-Off at Millbrook High School, where the Panthers played with only ten players, three of whom were freshman.
Orange returns to Millbrook on Saturday to face the Wildcats in the 3rd Annual Millbrook Winter Showcase. Tipoff is at 6PM in Raleigh.