The end of the year has turned into a grind for the Orange men’s basketball team. After sitting at home for two weeks because of the winter weather, the Panthers will cram five games into six days to finish the regular season. On Saturday, Orange survived a battle with Carrboro to win 52-44 inside Panther Gymnasium. With the Jaguars leading by three with 3:30 remaining in the third quarter, the Panthers scored eleven straight points. Junior guard Hector Garrido led all scorers with 20 points. Garrido has scored in double-figures in 14 of his last 15 games. It was his fifth 20-point game of the season. Sophomore Carson James had a key 3-point play in the final minutes that pushed Orange’s lead to nine points. James scored six of his eight points in the fourth quarter. The Panthers has won four in a row and remain one game behind Seaforth for first place in the Big 7 Conference. After winning two games in a span of 18 hours, the Panthers will take Sunday off before playing three games in four days to wrap up the regular season next week. Orange will have a crucial matchup against South Granville on Monday night in Creedmoor. The Panthers and the Vikings are tied for second place in the loss column.
