Just like North Carolina against Duke last weekend, the Orange men’s basketball team battled its way back from a double-digit deficit against a favored opponent on Tuesday night.
In the end, Orange didn’t have a Seth Trimble for a memorable moment in the clutch.
Instead, Webb’s Daniel Wright drained a free throw with 54 seconds remaining in the second overtime as the Warriors defeated the Panthers 68-66 in a double overtime epic at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
Orange (8-14, 7-4 in the Big 7 Conference) was eliminated from contention for the Big 7 Conference regular season championship. Junior center Jalen Crayton finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Wright, who scored his 1,000th career point against the Panthers last month in Oxford, finished with 22 points to lead all scorers. The Warriors improved to 10-10 overall and tied South Granville for second place at 7-3 in the Big 7. Webb will face Cedar Ridge on Thursday.
Orange trailed 48-29 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter after a 3-pointer from Dacari Wright, who came away with 14 points and six rebounds.
The Panthers outscored the Warriors 16-6 in the fourth quarter. After trailing the entire game, sophomore Carson James tied the game for the first time after a steal by senior J.T Gray, who missed a lay-in. James captured the rebound to even the contest at 60-60 with 1:32 remaining in regulation.
Webb’s Mikelis Hobgood was awarded the go-ahead basket after Crayton was called for goal tending with 40 seconds remaining. James drained a pull-up jumper from 15 feet with 30 seconds remaining. Kaylin Thorpe missed a baseline jumper as time expired in regulation.
The first overtime featured a grand total of five possessions. Wright won the jump ball to start the first extra session and fed Jemari Thorpe for a lay-in. Orange’s Hector Garrido, who finished with 17 points, ten rebounds and five assists for his 10th double-double of the season, evened the game on a baseline drive.
With no shot clock in North Carolina high school basketball, Webb proceeded to play stall ball, running off 1 minute and 58 seconds as Wright and Burrell played keep away. It worked well until Milkelis Hobgood was called for an illegal screen.
Orange had a chance to take its first lead of the game, but Kaylin Thorpe picked off a pass and the Warriors called timeout with two seconds left. Wright’s 38-foot shot fell short, forcing a second overtime.
The Panthers had another chance to take its first lead after they won the jump ball to start the second overtime, but after a missed jumper, James misfired a pass for an over-and-back violation. Wright caught a lob from Kaylin Thorpe and scored on a lay-in to put the Warriors back in front with 2:46 remaining in the second overtime.
Pressed against Webb’s 1-3-1 zone employed solely to deny Crayton the ball, Garrido drove and looped a wild shot off the top of the backboard. The ball ricocheted to Crayton, who caught the rebounds and stuck it in while getting fouled by Burrell with 58 seconds left. With another chance for Orange to take the lead, Crayton missed the subsequent free throw.
After Burrell got the rebound, Garrido was called for his fifth foul 75 feet from the basket as Wright brought the ball up the floor. Wright made the game-winning free throw with :54.9 left.
In a frantic finish, Wright missed the second free throw but Mikelis Hobgood tied up Crayton for a held ball, giving the Warriors another possession. James stole the ball away, drove down the lane and tried to feed Crayton on the weak side, but it was intercepted by Jemari Thorpe.
With 26 seconds left, Wright bolted down the lane and elected to shoot, but Crayon blocked the shot and Orange had yet another chance to take the lead. With 7.2 seconds left, Wright poked the ball away from Gray, and Webb was awarded the ball after it bounced off the sideline, which left Orange coach Derryl Britt and the bench livid.
Webb was called for five seconds on the subsequent inbounds. With one final opportunity to go ahead, Jemari Thorpe came up with another steal off a pass, which led to the final point.
The Warriors shot 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first half to built a 27-11 lead.
