HAW RIVER–For just a moment, it appeared Saturday would bring a late Christmas miracle for Orange men’s basketball.
Instead, it was the return of Orange’s perpetual holiday curse.
Playing in the opening round of the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoopla Tournament on Saturday afternoon, Apex led Orange 45-29. Yet the Panthers came alive in the fourth quarter, scoring 25 points in the fourth quarter. After senior Logan Edwards drained three 3-pointers in the final five minutes, junior Hector Garrdio tied the game with a 3-pointer with one second remaining to send the game into overtime.
Orange controlled most of the extra session, starting with sophomore Carson James hitting the opening free throw to give the Panthers its first lead since it was 6-5, then knocking down a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound from Garrido.
Apex still had its long-range game. Apex’s Isaiah Scott knocked down a 3-pointer. With :23.9 remaining in overtime, Garrido hit two free throws to put the Panthers ahead 64-60, but Scott immediately followed with another 3-pointer.
After Orange freshman Jakob Silinski split two free throws, Apex’s Justin Boyle raced down the floor, caught a pass from 20 feet and fired up a 3-pointer that found nothing but net.
The Cougars won 67-66, the fourth time in the last three years that Orange had suffered a last second loss in a holiday tournament.
Three years ago, South Granville scored on a lay-up to erase a late deficit and beat Orange 67-65. Last year, it was East Wake’s Jamal Tayborn who delivered the sticks and coal to Orange’s holiday stocking, delivering a 3-pointer as time expired to beat the Panthers 57-54 in South Granville.
Garrido led the Panthers (1-8) with 17 points. Orange senior J.T. Gray added 16 points.
Scott paces Apex (6-6) with 20 points. Boyle finished with 16.
The Cougars led 34-14 at halftime. Apex will face Southeast Alamance in the semifinals on Monday night.
Orange will face Big 7 Conference rival Carrboro in the consolation round on Monday afternoon at 12:30.
Green Hope 61, Cedar Ridge 43
Cedar Ridge’s A.J. Seymore hit a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter to even Cedar Ridge’s game against Green Hope at 31-31. The Falcons finished the game on a 30-12 run to defeat the Red Wolves.
Sophomore center Ian Hazard led Green Hope (6-6) with a career-high 24 points as the Faclons ended a four-game losing streak. With Green Hope leading 15-13 after the first quarter, the Red Wolves didn’t score a field goal in the final five minutes of the first half. Green Hope’s Korell Griffin scored ten of his 13 points in the first half.
Seymore scored 12 points for Cedar Ridge (1-8). The Red Wolves will face East Chapel Hill on Monday morning at 9:30. It will be the third meeting between the Wildcats and Cedar Ridge this month.
The Wildcats have won both of its previous matchups against the Red Wolves.
Women’s basketball: Green Hope 42, Orange 34
For the second year in a row, Green Hope defeated Orange in the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoops Invitational.
The Gators’ Claire Barber and Reilly Martin teamed to hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter to break open a close game as Green Level didn’t trail in the final 15 minutes of regulation. After neither team could get an advantage beyond two points in the first half, the Gators built a double-digit advantage in the third quarter as they limited Orange to one field goal in the third quarter.
Orange sophomore Kassidy Tolliver scored 17 points for Orange (4-4). The Lady Panthers didn’t knock down a shot from 3-point range.
Anita Ambalavanan led Green Level (5-6) with 14 points. The Gators will face Chapel Hill in the semifinals on Monday.
Orange will face former Central Conference rival Southern Alamance on Monday morning at 11:00 in the consolation round. The Lady Panthers were coming off a win at Cummings in Burlington on Monday night, a game where center Alexis Stephens scored 16 points.
