The Orange County Fighting Hornets will face off against the Millbrook Pioneers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Orange County is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 51.5 points per game this season.
Last Monday, Orange County made easy work of Monticello and carried off a 61-36 win. The victory continues a trend for the Fighting Hornets in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now won four in a row.
Laylianah McBrayer
| 01/29/25 @ Fluvanna County | 19 |
| 12/18/24 vs Madison County | 18 |
| 12/26/24 vs Martinsville | 16 |
| 02/10/25 vs Monticello | 15 |
| 12/27/24 @ Gretna | 14 |
| + 17 more games |
Laylianah McBrayer was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds. She is becoming a predictor of Orange County's success: when she posts at least eight boards the team is 11-5 (and 2-4 when she doesn't). Another player making a difference was Tayla Johnson, who went 6-for-13 to rack up 17 points and six rebounds.
Orange County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 13 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Millbrook was not able to break out of their rough patch on Monday as the team picked up their third straight defeat. They were a single point away from ending the streak, but they lost a 46-45 heartbreaker at the hands of Sherando.
Orange County will have to contain Jaliah Jackson as she made an impact in Millbrook's last game. She dropped a double-double with 19 points and 17 boards. That was a full 42.2% of Millbrook's points, marking the fourth time in a row Jackson has posted more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jane Moreland, who had ten points and four blocks.
Millbrook's loss dropped their record down to 12-11. As for Orange County, their win bumped their record up to 13-9.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Orange County has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 36.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Millbrook struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Orange County was able to grind out a solid victory over Millbrook when the teams last played back in January, winning 49-41. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Moreland, who dropped a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Orange County still be able to contain Moreland? There's only one way to find out.
