Second-Half Surge Powers Orange Past Collinwood, 53-45

PEPPER PIKE, OH- The Orange Lions used a dominant second half to pull away from Collinwood and earn a 53-45 victory Thursday night at Orange High School.

The Lions had to battle through a sluggish start offensively, managing just 15 points in the first half and trailing 17-15 at the break. Senior Dillon Mathur accounted for all of Orange’s first-half scoring, knocking down five three-pointers to keep the Lions within striking distance.

Coming out of the locker room, Orange found its rhythm.

Mathur continued his hot shooting from beyond the arc and finished with a game-high 24 points, all coming from three-point range. His outside shooting stretched the defense and opened the door for the Lions’ second-half attack.

Jaylhin Sheppard took full advantage.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Sheppard erupted for 18 points over the final two quarters. He buried three shots from long distance and was aggressive attacking the basket, going 7-of-8 from the free-throw line to help seal the win.

Orange’s defensive intensity also ramped up in the second half, limiting Collinwood’s opportunities and turning stops into key scoring chances. The balanced second-half effort allowed the Lions to outscore the visitors 38-28 after halftime and complete the comeback.

With the win, the Lions build momentum heading into a quick turnaround. Orange will travel to Brush on Friday night looking to carry its second-half spark into another strong performance.

A. Anderson 7-4-7-18

A. Saddler 3-4-6-10

J. Bailey 6-1-3-13

T. Selden 1-0-0-3

J. Armstrong 0-1-2-1

Wyatt Federer 2-0-0-5

Jaylhin Sheppard 4-7-8-18

Chaz Rosiles 0-2-4-2

Dillon Mathur 8-0-0-24

Aaron Lewis 0-2-2-2

Evan Novak 1-0-0-2