Basketball Game Preview: Reidsville Rams vs. Orange Panthers

Having just played yesterday, the Reidsville Rams will get right back to it and host the Orange Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The timing isn't great for Reidsville: they have been struggling with six straight losses at home, while Orange has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road.

Reidsville fought the good fight in their overtime match against Morehead on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 52-51 to the Panthers. While the Rams didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Panthers 14-3 in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Orange against Southern Alamance on Tuesday as the squad secured a 56-13 victory. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 22 points or more this season.

Orange's win came from a few key players Reidsville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Shannon Murphy, who posted eight points and six boards. Another player making a difference was Alexis Stephens, who put up nine points and three steals.

Orange smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in 12 consecutive games.

Orange's win bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Reidsville, their loss dropped their record down to 2-9.

Reidsville might still be hurting after the 59-36 defeat they got from Orange in their previous matchup back in January of 2024. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Orange's Evelyn George, who went 6 of 14 en route to 22 points along with seven steals and five rebounds. Now that Reidsville knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.