Herald-Sun correspondent
CHAPEL HILL -- At nearly every dead ball Tuesday night, Chapel Hill had at least one sub at the scorer's table. More often than not, it was a post player.
And no matter who was in the paint for the Tigers -- whether it was James Manor, Daniel Ingram, Denzel Robinson or one of the seemingly countless others -- the packed-in zone did its job to counteract the athletic advantage by Orange, giving Chapel Hill a 12-rebound margin on its way to a 69-62 win.
"[Rebounds are] huge, especially against a team like that team because they have a lot of athletes that like to go get rebounds," Chapel Hill coach Tod Morgan said. "That was No. 1 on our priority list tonight -- to box out and somehow try to maintain the rebounding margin."
Manor and his teammates in the paint did just that for the Tigers (10-6, 2-3 Carolina 3-A).
The 6-5, 205-pound, post player secured a game-high 11 rebounds while scoring 21 points, the most by anyone in the game except for Chapel Hill guard Daniel Ingram.
Ingram racked up 24 points, not shying away from contact in the paint. He pulled down six rebounds and went to the free throw line 11 times, making eight.
Ingram also hit the Tigers' only two 3-pointers, an effect -- Morgan said -- of the efforts put in on the low blocks.
"We talk about all the time inside-out oriented offense," Morgan said. "We try to establish our post game and get as much as we can in there. And that will, if we do a good job of that, create some outside shots for our guys."
With Ingram and Manor leading the way offensively, it looked like Chapel Hill might run away with the game on a couple of occasions.
But thanks to its in-your-face defense and attacking on offense, the Panthers (8-10, 2-3) answered every run by Chapel Hill.
On the backs of guards Jeremy Ruffin and Jon Kenion, who combined for 28 points, the Panthers even pulled to within two points with 1:46 remaining.
But the well-rested Tigers pulled it out thanks to focus -- and a little luck -- at the free-throw line.
With 1:04 left in the game, Oliver Musolem took his second of two free throws. The ball bounced off of the rim and without much of a fight seemed as though it would belong to Kenion, but he tipped the ball into the air and it found its way through the Chapel Hill hoop.
Though the Panthers answered with a 3-pointer to cut the Tigers' six-point lead in half, it was too little, too late.
With the win, the Tigers pulled even with the Panthers in the Carolina 3-A at 2-3 after making it half-way through the conference season.
"[The win] gives us a chance ... to get into the playoff mix," Morgan said. "So that's what we're trying to do."
Chapel Hill 69, Orange 62
ORANGE -- Jeremy Ruffin 15, Jon Kenion 13, Tremel Brown 9, Drevis Torain 8, Nate Jackson 8, Donovan McCully 7, Devontay Jones 2
CHAPEL HILL -- Daniel Ingram 24, James Manor 21, Denzel Robinson 7, Stephen Wistner 5, Aidan Kelley 5, Chris Gillespie 3, Michael Elefante 2, Kyle Grant 1, T.J. Johnson 1
Orange 11 10 24 17--62
Chapel Hill 10 17 23 19--69
3-Point goals--Orange 3 (Brown, Torain, Ruffin). Chapel Hill 2 (Ingram 2). Rebounds--Orange 29 (Kenion 7). Chapel Hill 41 (Manor 11)
Records--Orange 8-10, 2-3 Carolina 6 3-A. Chapel Hill 10-6, 2-3.
