PITTSBORO–Hector Garrido made the most of his second chance.
After missing two free throws in the final minute with the game tied, Garrido drained the game-winning point with :2.9 left as Orange surprised Seaforth, the Big 7 Conference regular season champions, 40-39 on Thursday night. Seaforth’s seven-game home winning streak was snapped. It was the Hawks’ first home loss since the season-opener against Middle Creek on November 21.
Orange finished the regular season 9-14 overall and tied with J.F. Webb for third in the Big 7 Conference at 8-4. Webb earned the #3 seed for next week’s Big 7 Conference Tournament after sweeping the season series from Orange.
The Panthers will open the Big 7 Tournament against Cedar Ridge on Monday night. Seaforth awaits the winner in Pittsboro on Tuesday for the semifinals.
Moments before Garrido’s game-winning free throw, his missed two shots with the game tied 39-39 with :22.1 left.
After Garrido was fouled by Seaforth’s Cole Davis with :2.1 left, Orange coach Derryl Britt stepped on the floor to talk to his leading scorer.
“I told Hector that good players have to wash away bad plays in the clutch,” Britt said. “I said you’re going to have to wash that one away because you’re going to make the play that’s going to win it for us down the stretch. That’s exactly what happened.”
Garrido’s sank the front end of a two-shot foul
Orange overcame adversity by the scoreboard operator in the final minute. Leading 39-36, Orange inbounded the ball with :46 left, but the clock never started. The officials stopped the game, reset the clock to 42 seconds, which forced the Panthers to inbound the ball again, only to be called for a 5-second violation.
Declan Lindquist, playing in his final regular season home game, drained a 3-pointer to even it up at 39-39 with :32.9 remaining.
Seaforth was out of timeouts following Garrido’s game-winning free throw. After Garrido missed the second toss, Seaforth’s Campbell Meador grabbed the rebound and sprinted up the floor–but the clock never started. The officials ultimately decided to allow the Hawks to inbound the ball at midcourt with one second left, basically awarding them a timeout they didn’t even have. Patrick Miller’s desperation 20-footer at the buzzer was off to the right, leading to Orange’s biggest win of the season.
The victory ended a grueling stretch of five games in seven days to wrap the regular season. The calendar was crammed together due to January’s winter storms. Orange finished the stretch 3-2, including a grinding double overtime loss to Webb in Hillsborough on Tuesday.
Jalen Crayton led Orange with 13 points and eleven rebounds. Garrido came away with ten points.
Meador had 14 points for the Hawks, which honored seven seniors before the game. Lindquist’s ten points was his lowest output since his first game against Orange on January 20, a 48-43 Seaforth win.
Garrido made several plays down the stretch to put Orange in front. He penetrated the Hawks’ 2-3 zone and dished off to Crayton for a 2-hand stuff with 3:50 remaining to put the Panthers ahead 34-33. Earlier in the fourth, Garrido dove on the floor for a loose ball that wound up in the hands of Logan Edwards, who immediately drained a 3-pointer.
Sophomore Carson James scored his only points following a 3-pointer from the corner to increase Orange’s lead to 37-33.
After a Seaforth timeout, J.T. Gray stole the inbounds pass and laid it in to put Orange ahead 39-33 with 1:55 remaining. Meador responded with a 3-pointer to keep the drama alive.
In the final minute, Seaforth had a chance to take the lead but Gray knocked the ball free, which set up the game-winning free throw from Garrido.
The 39 points by Seaforth was its lowest total since December 12, when Northwood blew out the Hawks 66-31.
Orange will go into the Big 7 Tournament looking for just its third postseason championship in ten years.
“We’re planning to win it,” Britt said.
