The Orange Panthers pushed their score all the way to 56 on Saturday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell to Broughton 61-56. Orange's loss continues a unfortunate trend for the squad, making it three in a row.
Orange's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Coleman Cloer, who scored 21 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Cloer scored a full 37.5% of Orange's points, the fourth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Kai Wade was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with three steals.
Even though they lost, Orange were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Broughton only pulled down 24 offensive rebounds.
Broughton's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jordan Page, who scored 15 points along with eight rebounds. The matchup was Page's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Christian Outlaw, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 15 rebounds.
Orange's loss dropped their record down to 3-10. As for Broughton, their win bumped their record up to 4-7.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Orange and Western Alamance will face off at 7:30 p.m. on January 3rd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Western Alamance is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses. Broughton and Wakefield will face off at 6:30 p.m. on January 5th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Wakefield presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Broughton in North Carolina (Wakefield is ranked 22nd, while Broughton is ranked 266th).
