The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team went into exam break in style last week. They defeated crosstown rival Orange 44-37, the first time they defeated the Lady Panthers at home since 2014. On Friday, the Red Wolves defeated Northern Durham 50-32 at Poe Gymtorium in Durham. Madison Wardlow led Cedar Ridge with 21 points. Earlier in the week, Wardlow scored 23 against Orange. Tori Dalehite had eleven points against Northern. Cedar Ridge is in the hunt to make the 3A state playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. They’re 3-2 in the Big 8 Conference and travel to Hillside on Friday.

Following a disappointing loss to Cedar Ridge, the Orange women’s basketball team rebounded well last week. The night after losing to the Red Wolves, the Lady Panthers rolled past Chapel Hill 64-42 at Orange Gymnasium. On Friday, Orange defeated Northwood 52-37 on a night that belonged to the Lady Panther freshman. Mary Moss Wirt had a career-high 12 points, while classmate Aaliyah Harris added six points. It was Orange’s eighth win outside of Hillsborough this season. The Lady Panthers are 10-4, 2-2 in the Big 8 Conference going into Friday’s game against Southern Durham in Hillsborough.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is basketball guard Madison Wardlow. On Tuesday night, Wardlow scored 24 points as the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team defeated Orange 44-37 in Red Wolves Gymnasium. Wardlow is the leading scorer for Cedar Ridge. She scored 13 points in Cedar Ridge’s game against Chapel Hill on December 18. In Cedar Ridge’s 32-29 win over East Chapel Hill on December 11, Wardlow was the only Red Wolf in double figures with ten points. Last season, Wardlow helped the Cedar Ridge women to the state playoffs, the only basketball team from Hillsborough to see the postseason. Cedar Ridge travels to Northern Durham on Friday night. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

The Orange wrestling team is on the verge of winning its 17th consecutive conference championship. On Wednesday night, Orange defeated Chapel Hill 37-21. Orange’s Chandler Harward got the Panthers off to a good start with a 3-1 decision victory in the opening match. Donald Hicks and Jake McBroom won the subsequent matches to keep the Panthers ahead. Harward is 20-6 after placing 2nd at 182 pounds in the Quentin Crosby Tournament at Dudley High School in Greensboro last weekend. Next up for Orange is the Havelock Duals on Saturday.

One night after a disappointing loss to Cedar Ridge, the Orange women’s basketball team came back strong on Wednesday night against Chapel Hill. The Lady Panthers never trailed and defeated the Tigers 64-42 at Orange Gymnasium. After being held to six points against Cedar Ridge, Orange forward Icez Barnett scored a career-high 25 points. She came out firing with 12 points in the first quarter as Orange built an early lead and withstood several comeback attempts by the Tigers. Orange is now 9-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big 8 Conference. On Friday night, the Lady Panthers travels to Northwood. It will be Orange’s third game in four nights.

Orange sophomore guard Jason Franklin scored 15 points in the Panthers 83-39 victory over Cedar Ridge in a crosstown battle at Red Wolves Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Franklin was 3-of-5 from 3-point range and shot 5-of-9 from the field. Franklin’s career-high came on November 30 when he scored 18 points at Granville Central. After Orange earned its first conference win of the season against the Red Wolves, they now focus their attention on Chapel Hill, who come calling to Panther Gymnasium on Wednesday night. That game can be heard live on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 6 with the women’s game.

The Orange Panthers never trailed in beating Cedar Ridge 83-39 on Tuesday night at Cedar Ridge Gymnasium. It was Orange’s first Big 8 Conference win of the season. It came after two disappointing losses last week against Southern Lee and East Chapel Hill. Junior Joey McMullin, who started as an off guard his freshman season, is now a low-post presence for the Panthers. He scored 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field against the Red Wolves. Machai Holt led Orange with 22 points. The Panthers are now 7-6, 1-2 in the Big 8 Conference as they have to turn right back around and host Chapel Hill tonight at Orange Gymnasium. The women’s game will start at 6, while the men will follow ten minutes after the conclusion of the women’s game.