Photo by Jacques Morin
Despite losing four starters from a squad that finish just shy of a conference championship last year, the Orange men’s basketball team has made the 5A State Playoffs.
For the second year in a row, the Orange women’s team will host a game in the state playoffs.
The field of 48 in the 5A State Playoffs was released on Saturday for the men’s and women’s tournaments. The Orange men, which has spent the season on the playoff bubble, received a 22nd seed, meaning they were the third-from-the-last team in the field. The Panthers will travel to Northeast Guilford, which received a 11-seed.
The Rams, from McLeansville, finished 17-9 overall. They came in second in the TAAC 6A/5A Conference, one of only two 5A teams in the league. Northern Guilford won the league title at 8-2, while the Rams finished at 7-3 in league play.
Orange, 10-15 overall, ended the regular season by surprising Seaforth 40-39 in Pittsboro on Thursday, February 12. Hector Garrido hit a free throw with :2.9 left for the game-winning point. It was just the second home loss of the year for the Hawks.
In last week’s Big 7 Conference Tournament, Orange rolled past Cedar Ridge 69-46 in Hillsbrough. In the semifinals, the Hawks gained revenge against the Panthers in a wire-to-wire 49-36 victory, eventually winning the conference tournament championship following a thrilling overtime victory over South Granville.
Orange was dealt several difficult blows in the offseason. Kai Wade, a three-year starting point guard, transferred to Green County, Kentucky. Kamaal Smith, who appeared to be waiting in the wings to be Wade’s replacement, opted to transfer to Eastern Alamance, where he became a starter.
Orange employed seniors J.T. Gray and Logan Edwards, neither of whom had been in the regular rotation at the varsity level, as immediate starters.
Garrido leads Orange with 13.9 points per game. Junior center Jalen Crayton averages 12.3 rebounds per game.
The winner of Orange vs. Northeast Guilford will face 6th-seeded Croatan in the round of 32 on Thursday.
In the women’s tournament, Orange received an 11-seed after finishing second in the Big 7 regular season standings with a 10-2 record, losing only to Seaforth. For the second year in a row, Orange reached the championship game of the conference tournament, this time losing to Seaforth.
Orange will go into the postseason with a 17-8 record.
The last time Orange won a game in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs, they defeated Havelock in the round of 32 back on February 23, 2017. Kaylen Campbell, now an assistant coach for the current Orange team, scored 20 points in as the Lady Panthers defeated the Rams 81-77. Freshman Lauren Cates scored 18 points in what turned out to be the final win for an Orange team that finished 26-2.
Last year, Orange defeated Swansboro 50-33 in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. It was the Lady Panthers first playoff win since the victory over Havelock in 2017. Maura McMurtry led Orange with 16 points. In her final game in Hillsborough, Evelyn George finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight steals.
Win or lose on Tuesday night, it will likely be the final home game for Orange seniors McMurtry, Alexis Stephens, Natalie Roberson, Addison Atkins, and Payton Borland. Tipoff time will be 6PM.
Havelock will made the long trip from down east with a 5-16 record. Playing in the 6A/5A Coastal Conference, the Rams have lost five in a row. It’s last victory came on January 30 when they defeated West Carteret 41-40, one of their two conference wins.
The winner of Orange vs. Havelock will face 6th-seeded Rockingham County on Thursday night. In another similarity to 2017, Orange’s season ended against Rockingham County 56-39 in the round of 16 of the 3A State Playoffs on February 25, 2017 in Hillsborough.
