Photo by @flixzbysj
DURHAM–Orange men’s basketball returned to the site of their greatest triumph.
In 1969, the Orange men’s basketball team defeated Madison-Mayodan 75-74 to win the 3A State Championship inside Sykes Gymnasium at Durham High School. It is still the only basketball state championship in Orange men’s basketball history.
Orange used to make regular trips to Sykes Gymnasium in the 1980s and early 1990s when Durham High’s days as the Bull City’s senior institution were winding down. Ever since Durham High transformed into Durham School of the Arts in 1995, trips to Sykes Gymnasium have been limited.
On Wednesday night, the Panthers returned to Sykes Gymnasium for the first time in 1996 and disposed of Durham School of the Arts 69-44.
Orange (5-12, 5-2 in the Big 7 Conference) was led by Jalen Crayton, who posted his tenth double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Hector Garrido added his fifth double-double with 19 points and eleven rebounds.
Tony McDonald led DSA (6-11, 1-5) with eleven points. McDonald scored five points early to push the Bulldogs to an early 10-8 lead, but Orange junior Weston Cheek drained a 3-pointer midway through the opening quarter. The Panthers didn’t trail again.
Orange outscored the Bulldogs 18-5 in the second quarter. Senior Logan Edwards drained a 3-pointer to start a Panther spurt. Crayton dominated the paint for 13 first half points as Orange went to the locker room with a 37-16 halftime lead.
In the second half, sophomore Carson James scored a career-high eleven points to keep the Panthers ahead. Cheek would also establish a career-high with ten points. Cheek’s previous career-high came in Orange’s previous game against Seaforth, where he scored nine.
Edwards finished with seven points as the Panthers finished the first half of its league slate one game behind Seaforth and J.F. Webb for first place in the Big 7 Conference. After having both of its games slated for last week postponed because of winter weather, Orange is scheduled to face South Granville on Tuesday.
Women’s basketball: Orange 69, Durham School of the Arts 44
For the sixth game in a row, sophomore forward Kassidy Tolliver earned a double-double as Orange cruised to a wire-to-wire win over the Bulldogs. Tolliver finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds as the Lady Panthers improved to 5-1 in the Big 7 Conference.
Orange remains in a tie for first place in the loss column with Seaforth and South Granville, who the Lady Panthers are scheduled to face on Tuesday in Creeedmoor.
Durham School of the Arts entire team revolved around junior Faith Yon, who finished with 36 points. Yon scored eight of the Bulldogs’ ten points in the first half.
Orange led 36-10 at halftime. Freshman Mia Albright scored all seven of her points in the first half. She added six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Lily Wilson came off the bench to add Orange’s only 3-pointer of the first half. Overall, seven Lady Panthers scored in the first half, including two points each from senior reserves Addison Atkins and Payton Borland.
Senior center Alexis Stephens scored nine points in the second half as Orange built its lead up to 33 points midway through the third quarter. Senior guard Maura McMurtry finished with ten points, her eighth game scoring in double-figures this season. McMurtry started the second half with a 3-pointer.
Only four DSA players scored. Kayla Mumford scored four points for the Bulldogs while Livonia Hairston-Benders and Ariela Orellana each finished with two points.
Orange’s game against Carrboro was postponed because of snow last week. In addition to Tuesday’s trip to South Granville, the Lady Panthers are set to face Durham School of the Arts again for senior night on Friday in Hillsborough. The game against Carrboro has been rescheduled for Saturday with the women starting at 2:30. The men will tip off at 4.
