The Orange women’s basketball team overcame an 11-point deficit to defeat Western Alamance 45-42 on Wednesday night at Orange High School. The Warriors led 17-6 at the end of the first quarter, but the Lady Panthers held Western Alamance without a point in the second quarter. Junior Evelyn George led Orange’s offense scoring a career-high 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field. George had a personal 12-0 run in the third quarter to put Orange ahead 30-22. In the fourth quarter, George put the Lady Panthers ahead with a short jumper off a baseline drive with 5:46 remaining in regulation. Orange wouldn’t surrender the lead again thanks to two important fourth quarter field goals by junior center Marshea Byrd. With 3:21 remaining, Byrd took a pass off the floor from Shannon Murphy and scored off the glass to put the Lady Panthers ahead 40-37. Orange improved to 2-0 in a wide-open Central Conference. In the Lady Panthers’ Central Conference opener, George drained two free throws with :10.2 seconds remaining to beat Southern Alamance 34-31. Last week, Orange finished seventh in the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoopla Tournament, beating Eastern Alamance on Saturday even though George didn’t play. The Lady Panthers will face Walter Williams in Hillsborough on Friday night at 6PM in a showdown for first place in the Central Conference.