Photo by Jacques Morin
Orange men’s basketball wasn’t immune to the post-holiday doldrums.
Just eight days removed from a wire-to-wire rout over Carrboro in the consolation round of the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoopla Tournament, the Panthers shot just 1-of-12 from the field in the opening quarter of a rematch against the Jaguars on Tuesday night. Fortunately for Orange, Carrboro shot just 3-of-12 and only led 7-5 following the opening eight minutes.
Things didn’t get much better in the second quarter. After Carrboro briefly took the lead early in the second half, Hector Garrido got going for Orange, which was enough to secure its first road win of the season.
Orange outscored the Jaguars 34-10 in the final 14 minutes to win 55-32. Garrido earned his third double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. On December 29, Garrido finished with 25 points, 12 assists and 7 rebounds in the opening matchup against Carrboro.
Panther junior Weston Cheek came off the bench to score a career-high nine points, including two crucial 3-pointers in the third quarter.
Carrboro (0-12) was led by Jake McGrath with 15 points and seven rebounds.
After Orange led 19-16 at halftime, McGrath scored the Jaguars’ first six points of the second half, including a jumper from nearly behind the backboard along the baseline, to put Carrboro ahead 22-21. The Jaguars didn’t score in the final 6:09 of the third quarter.
After a 3-point attempt by McGrath circled out, Garrido scored on a coast-to-coast drive that triggered 19 consecutive Orange points. Logan Edwards found center Jalen Crayton for a two-handed dunk with 3:56 remaining in the third quarter. Following a miss by McGrath, J.T. Gray and Edwards hit consecutive 3-pointers.
McGrath, who scored all six of the Jaguars points in the third quarter, was saddled by foul trouble.
Cheek opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to extend Orange’s lead to 38-22. The Panthers would build its lead to 54-32 after a lay-in by Garrido.
Orange will host South Granville on Friday night in Hillsborough.
Women’s basketball: Orange 56, Carrboro 27
Kassidy Tolliver scored all ten of Orange’s points in the opening quarter against Carrboro, finishing with 14 as the Lady Panthers cruised to a wire-to-wire win over the Jaguars on Tuesday.
Tolliver finished with 14 points and eleven rebounds as the Lady Panthers improved to 7-5 overall, 2-0 in the Big 7 Conference. It was Tolliver’s second straight double-double. Against Northern Guilford on Friday, Tolliver had 19 points and 17 rebounds.
After going scoreless for the opening 5:28, the Jaguars got two 3-pointers from Allison Weiner and actually had a chance to tie the game late in the first quarter. Madison Taylor, who led Carrboro with eleven points, missed two free throws with eight seconds remaining.
Orange reassumed control when senior Natalie Roberson opened the second quarter with a three-pointer off an assist from Maura McMurtry. After Carrboro reserve Yazmin Paisant scored on a lay-in off a pass from Taylor, the Jaguars had a chance to take the lead but Madison Stowe threw a pass that went over midcourt. McMurtry raced past a Jaguar to get the ball and scored on a lay-in, which sparked a 12-0 Orange run.
Orange senior center Alexis Stephens scored on a 15-foot jumper from the foul line. Later, Tolliver picked off a pass thrown by Carrboro’s Claire O’Brien and found Kyla Mehl for an easy lay-in. McMurtry drained a 3-pointer to extend the Orange lead to 24-12. Taylor hit a 3-pointer to reduce Orange’s lead to 24-15 at halftime.
Orange’s Lily Wilson scored nine points in the third quarter, including a lay-in to extend the Orange lead to 30-19. The lead would remain in double-figures the rest of the game.
Stephens finished with 12 points, her fifth game in double-figures this year.
Carrboro is now 3-7 overall, 0-3 in the Big 7.
Orange will host South Granville at 6PM on Friday night in Hillsborough.
