Orange Women’s Basketball

The Orange women’s basketball team will play for the championship of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers held on to defeat Walter Williams 53-47 in Gibsonville. It was the second game between the Lady Dawgs and the Lady Panthers In eleven days. On December 16, Williams defeated Orange 50-45, but the Lady Panthers were without senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell. On Tuesday, Jordan-Cornell immediately made her presence felt and finished with a team-high 14 points. Sophomore Evelyn George also scored 14 points as the Lady Panthers reached a tournament final for the first time since 2018. The Lady Panthers led by as many as 14 in the second half. Senior Nikayla Whitted and Sophomore Addie Atkins both drained crucial 3-pointers in the final three minutes as Orange ended a four-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Orange will go for its first tournament championship since 2017 on Wednesday night. They will face Northeast Guilford at 7 PM at Eastern Guilford High. Last year, Orange defeated the Rams 52-27. It was head coach B.J.  Condron’s 100th win as head coach of the Lady Panthers.

Through the first half of the season, it’s been a tall task for the Orange women’s basketball team to get healthy. With one key reserve out for the year with a knee injury, they probably never will be.

For the first time in two weeks, the Lady Panthers did have its senior starting front line available for the start of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Basketball Tournament, which led to the end of its four-game losing streak.

Behind senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell, who finished with eleven points, eight rebounds and six assists, the Lady Panthers survived a late rally to defeat The Burlington School 54-44 in the opening round of the eight-team tournament on Monday morning in Gibsonville.

Orange (5-8) advances to face Central Carolina Conference rival Walter Williams in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon. Williams defeated Reidsville 75-50 in the opening round.

The victory marked Orange’s fourth straight win in the Eastern Guilford Tournament. Last year, the event was simply comprised of three games as opposed to a full-fledged tournament. In 2021, Orange defeated Reidsville, Eastern Guilford and Northeast Guilford, the last of which was coach B.J. Condron’s 100th career win.

Jordan-Cornell’s 6-foot-1 frame was able to pass over the smaller Spartans and frequently found sophomore Evelyn George for the game’s biggest baskets. George, who finished with eight points and 14 rebounds, opened the game with a lay-in off a feed from Jordan-Cornell. George canned Orange’s only 3-pointer of the first half off a pass from senior Jada Reed to put the Lady Panthers ahead 7-0 with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Jordan-Cornell connected on consecutive field goals in the second quarter, the latter off a pass from Reed to give Orange its largest lead at 22-8.

The Burlington School coach Porsha Graves started pressing in the second half, which drew the Spartans closer.  Guard Xiomara Moser banked in a 3-pointer to start a 9-2 run. Kiya Shavers, who finished with 21 points, hit back-to-back field goals to draw the Spartans to 37-33 with 7:27 remaining.

Afer Kamilah Moore hit a free throw, George beat the Spartans full-court press and passed to Jordan-Cornell, who scored on a lay-in. Reed followed with a steal as she picked the ball away from Aaliyah Coley and laid it in to extend Orange’s lead to 41-37. Following another 3-pointer from Shavers, Nikayla Whitted hit Jordan-Cornell for another lay-up.

A minute later, Jordan-Cornell would return the favor with a permitter dish to Whitted for a three-pointer. Sophomore Maura McMurtry, in her first varsity season, drained a shot from downtown to return the Lady Panther lead to double-digits at 50-39 with 3:49 remaining.

Orange had 19 field goals on 14 assists.

Whitted and Jordan-Cornell each had eleven points to lead Orange. Reed added ten points. Atkins, another first-year varsity player, finished with seven points and six rebounds.

With the win, Orange set up a rematch against Williams. On December 16, the Bulldogs outlasted Orange 50-45 at Bulldogs Gymnasium in what may have been the Lady Panthers’ best game of the year. Orange played without Jordan-Cornell and guard Shannon Murphy, but was still tied with the Bulldogs 32-32 at the end of three quarters.

Most of Orange’s production came outside the arc. They shot 8-of-21 from 3-point range. Atkins had a career-high 12 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from deep. Reed finished with 13 points, but the Bulldogs Bri Scott proved to be the key factor with 16 points as the Bulldogs defeated Orange for the fourth straight time.

The winner of the Orange-Williams game will play in the championship game on Wednesday night at 7PM. Orange’s last holiday tournament championship came in 2016, the most successful Lady Panthers women’s team in school history. Orange captured the Eastern Alamance Holiday Hoops championship with wins over Southern Alamance, Cardinal Gibbons and Bartlett Yancey in Mebane. The win over the Buccaneers came on December 31, 2016, which the team posting for a championship photo just hours before they rang in the new year.

Leading up to its first round of Central Carolina Conference games, the Orange women’s basketball team had a successful week in two nonconference games. On December 6, the Lady Panthers held on to defeat Carrboro 41-36 at Jaguars Gymnasium. Senior guard Nikayla Whitted led the Lady Panthers with 14 points, while senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell added seven points. Sophomore Addie Atkins, in just her sixth varsity game, canned a crucial 3-pointer to put Orange ahead for good with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Orange returned home on Friday night to defeat Durham School of the Arts 72-34 in Hillsborough. Jordan-Cornell had the first double-double of the season for the Lady Panthers with 22 points and ten rebounds. Sophomore Evelyn George added ten points. Fellow senior Jada Reed added eight points for Orange against the Bulldogs. Earlier this year, Reed scored 12 points in the Lady Panthers’ season-opening win over East Chapel Hill. The Lady Panthers will start CCC play tonight with a road trip to Western Alamance. Tipoff will be at 5:30 and you can hear the game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

The new era of Orange High women’s basketball got off to a successful start on Friday night. In the season-opener at Panther Gymnasium, Orange defeated East Chapel Hill 48-31. Orange senior guard Jada Reed led Orange with 12 points, seven of which came in the second half. At the conclusion of last season, Orange lost guards Aaliyah Harris and Samantha George, forwards Jarmil Wingate, Haley Reynolds and center Aisha Caron. The season opener was the varsity debut for five Orange players, including freshman Maura McMurtry and sophomore Shannon Murphy. After spending the past two years playing off guard, Reed is now the full-time point guard for the Lady Panthers. She joins senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell and forward Katelyn Van Mater as the veterans on a squad that hopes to return to the 3A State Playoffs this season. Orange, which captured its season opener for the fifth time in seven years, will travel to Chapel Hill on Tuesday night for its final game before Thanksgiving break. 

After four years together on the Orange women’s basketball team, Aaliyah Harris and Samatha George got to play one final game as teammates.

It was poetic justice after the heartbreaking way Orange’s season ended in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on February 22. The Lady Panthers led 40-23 at Fayetteville 71st at halftime, only for the Falcons to mount an incredible comeback, outscoring Orange 45-13 in the second half to win 68-53.

Harris and George deserved better than a bad goodbye. They got it in, of all places, Ayden.

On March 26, Harris and George teamed up on the 919 Faison squad in the Clash of the Area Codes All-Star Game at Ayden-Grifton High School. Harris scored 14 points to help 919 Faison win over 252 Pittman 62-57.

Harris and George had different roles when they joined the varsity team as freshmen in 2018-2019. When Harris became Orange’s starting point guard at the start of her sophomore season, she looked to pass first. Her main backcourt option was Mary Moss Wirt, an ace shooter who canned a game-winning 3-pointer against Chapel Hill in 2019, which propelled Orange to a second-place finish in the Big 8 Conference. George was the fourth guard off the bench.

Things changed after a December night in 2019 when Wirt was injured in a game at Carrboro. From that point forward, Wirt concentrated on her main sport, softball, which she will play at Elon next winter.

After Wirt left basketball behind, George replaced her in the starting lineup. Harris became more aggressive shooting and looked to score first, while George became more reliable as a 3-point threat.

Together, they led the push as Orange returned to the 3A State Playoffs last winter. They also helped Head Coach B.J. Condron win his 100th career game on December 29 against Northeastern Guilford at the Eastern Guilford Holiday Hoops Showcase in Gibsonville.

Harris and George each earned postseason honors. They both were named to the All-Central Carolina Conference first-team. In addition, they were also named to the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association All-District 3 team.

Harris was named to the All-District 3 First-Team, while George made Third-Team.

Harris was Orange’s leading scorer at 13.7 points per game in 2021-2022. Coming into the season, Harris’ career-high was 22 points set against Vance County in the 2019-2020. This year, she surpassed that mark three times. Harris scored 24 points in a win over Cedar Ridge on February 9 at Orange High. She also registered 23 points in a 73-47 win over Western Alamance on February 5 in Elon. In the opening game of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Showcase, Harris had 22 points in a 71-45 victory for the Lady Panthers over Reidsville.

In 24 games, Harris scored in double-figures 16 times in her senior season. She finished with at least ten points in every December game, starting with 17 points in a win over the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham on December 2. Against Person on January 27, she scored a career-high 23 points as Orange won 74-61 in Hillsborough.

In March, Harris signed with Randolph-Macon College in Virginia during a ceremony at Orange High Gymnasium.

George averaged a career-best eleven points per game in her senior season. After scoring twice in double figures in her first three seasons, George had 16 games with at least ten points as a senior. She also had three double-doubles, including one in her final game when she racked up eleven points and eleven rebounds against 71st in the state playoffs.

George put up 19 points against NCSSM, which was her career-high at that point. A week later, George reestablished her career-best with 23 points against Carrboro in a 68-36 win in Hillsborough. George had a string of nine consecutive games in double-figures starting on December 14, when she scored 12 points in a 54-46 win over Western Alamance in Hillsborough. She had 14 points against Person on January 27.

George’s scoring presence was needed more than ever after starting center Erin Jordan-Cornell missed three-quarters of the campaign with a knee injury, taking away the Lady Panthers’ most valuable low-post presence. Orange still finished 15-9 overall, 6-6 in the Central Carolina Conference, which included 3A State Champion Northwood.

George will attend Duke University starting in August.

Orange senior guard Aaliyah Harris officially signed with Randolph-Macon College on Friday afternoon at Orange High Gymnasium. There was no better location for the ceremony to be held than on the very floor where Aaliyah has shot, dribbled, fallen, dove on and spilled her sweat since she was a freshman playing varsity. This season, Harris was the leading scorer on an Orange team that finished with a 15-9 record. She was the leading scorer on the team with 13.7 points per game. Harris established her career high with 24 points against Cedar Ridge on February 9. This season, Harris had over 20 points in a game five times. On February 5, she scored 23 points in a 73-47 win over Western Alamance in Mebane. He also scored 23 against Person on January 27 in Hillsborough. Harris was joined in the ceremony by her mother Christy and her sister Alicia, who was a member of the first team that current Orange coach B.J. Condron coached in Hillsborough. Aaliyah has been interviewed more than any player we’ve ever covered at Hillsbroughsports.com and we’ll miss her gregarious personality and wonderful spirit. 

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior basketball guard Samantha George. Last wee in the 3A State Playoffs, George had a double-double with eleven points and 12 rebounds against Fayetteville 71st. The Lady Panthers roared out to a 37-17 lead against the Falcons, but 71st came back to win 66-53. It was the third double-double this season for George. On December 2, George had 19 points and 15 rebounds against the North Carolina School of Science and Math on December 2 in Durham. On February 1, George had ten points and eleven rebounds in a 51-39 win over Person in Roxboro. This season, George had her career-high with 23 points in a 68-36 victory over Carrboro in Hillsborough. George became the full-time starting shooting guard for Orange in her junior season. This year, her younger sister Evelyn, a freshman, starting playing on the varsity. After she graduates from Orange in June, George will attend Duke University. Samantha was a big reason why the Orange women’s basketball team not only finished 15-9 this season in a highly competitive Central Carolina Conference, but the team had a 3. 92 grade point average. Last week, George and Aaliyah Harris were selected to play in the Clash of the Codes All-Star Game, which will be held in Greenville later this month. Harris and George will be on Team Faison and coached by Knightdale’s Martin Faison.

Photo by Kylee Harvey

Orange relied on one of its veterans to win its final regular season home game of the season Friday night.

On Saturday, they relied on a freshman to win its final road game.

Xandrell Pennix, in only his eleventh varsity game, sparked the Panthers with a career-high 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers in the final 6:00 minutes of regulation against Cedar Ridge on Saturday afternoon. Orange, which trailed 50-39 with 6:03 remaining, ended the game on an 18-3 run to sweep the season series from the Red Wolves 57-53.

Orange (7-16, 3-9 in the Central Carolina Conference) ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak and tied Eastern Alamance for fifth place in the CCC. It was Orange’s first true road win since December 2nd, when they defeated North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham. On Sunday morning, Orange won a coin toss against Eastern Alamance to earn the #5 seed for the CCC Tournament, which starts tonight. The Panthers will travel to Western Alamance at 7PM, only nine days after the Warriors defeated Orange 56-50 in Elon.

It was another frustrating loss for Cedar Ridge (4-15, 1-11), which had a 13-point lead against Eastern Alamance on February 1 in Mebane, only to have the Eagles go on a 15-4 run to even the game. Eventually, Eastern prevailed 66-64.

The Red Wolves will travel to Roxboro tonight to face Person in the opening game of the Central Carolina Conference Tournament. The Rockets defeated the Red Wolves 75-50 on February 2.

Juniors Colton Taylor and Kamil Harrison led the Red Wolves with 14 points each.

Cedar Ridge never trailed through the opening three quarters. Leading 42-33 going into the final frame, the Red Wolves took a 50-39 lead with 6:06 remaining after Harrison found Rawlins Taylor on a transition lay-up.

Up to that point, Orange was only 3-of-16 from 3-point range. Then Pennix made three consecutive shots from downtown. His final trey, assisted by senior Jerec Thompson, reduced Orange’s deficit to 50-48 with 3:44 remaining, the closest the Panthers had come to tying since it was 4-2.

Two free throws by junior forward Darius Corbett evened the game at 50-50 with 2:22 remaining. It was the first tie of the day. In the midst of the Orange run, the Red Wolves missed nine consecutive shots from the field. Corbett later returned to the foul line and gave the Panthers its first lead at 52-50 with 1:52 left.

Jerec Thompson grabbed a rebound after another Cedar Ridge miss, and Pennix was fouled by Cedar Ridge forward Neco Clark, who fouled out. Pennix converted the two free throws to increase Orange’s lead to 54-50.

Harrison scored off a lay-in and was fouled by Orange’s Isaiah Seymour. Colton Taylor rebounded the subsequent missed free throw. After a timeout, Taylor was fouled on a jump shot and split two free throws to cut Orange’s lead to 54-53. Seymour, who finished with nine rebounds, got the board, which led to Thompson draining two free throws to push the Panther lead to 56-53.

With a chance to tie on its final possession, the Red Wolves committed a turnover when a player dribbled the ball off his foot out of bounds. Pennix scored the game’s final point.

Throughout the game, the Red Wolves accomplished its mission of not getting beat by Thompson, who scored 40 points the night before in Orange’s win over Eastern Alamance. The Red Wolves held Thompson scoreless in the first half. In the opening quarter, Orange shot just 2-of-6 from the field and committed eight turnovers. Five different Red Wolves scored field goals in the opening eight minutes as Cedar Ridge led 13-6 going into the second quarter.

The Red Wolves shot six-of-nine from the field in the second quarter. Cedar Ridge junior Jonovan Wingate came off the bench to score the Red Wolves’ opening five points of the second half to increase its lead to 18-8. Colton Taylor drained a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining to put Cedar Ridge ahead 27-16 at halftime.

Orange swept the season series from the Red Wolves for the first time since the 2018-2019 season.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: ORANGE 51, CEDAR RIDGE 16

Orange senior Samantha George scored nine points in the opening quarter, all off 3-pointers, as the Lady Panthers bolted out to a 16-1 lead and eventually defeated the Red Wolves 51-16.

George, who scored 16 points in an overtime loss to Eastern Alamance the night before, led the Lady Panthers with 18. Her younger sister, freshman Evelyn George, added ten points.

Cedar Ridge junior Grace Young had a career-high nine points.

Orange will open the Central Carolina Conference Tournament as the #4 seed. The Lady Panthers will host Western Alamance tonight at 6.

Cedar Ridge will travel to Walter Williams tonight at 6PM.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: ORANGE 57, CEDAR RIDGE 53

ORANGE: Jerec Thompson 9, Isaiah Seymour 6, Thomas Loch 4, Darius Corbett 11, Xandrell Pennix 15, Amare Morgan 12.

CEDAR RIDGE: Colton Taylor 12, Garrett Ray 4, Neco Clark 5, Rawlins Taylor 10, Kamil Harrison 17, Jonovan Wingate 5.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: ORANGE 51, CEDAR RIDGE 16

ORANGE: Samantha George 18, Aaliyah Harris 2, Katelyn Van Mater, 4, Jarmil Wingate 2, Jada Reed 3, Evelyn George 13, Aisha Caron 2, Haley Reynolds 1, Nakayla Whitted 4, Katie Perkins 2.

CEDAR RIDGE: Grace Young 9, Cameron Copeland 1, Julie Altieri 4, Reagan Simmons 2.