LYNCHBURG –– Someone once said to beat the best, you’ve got to play the best and that seems to be the strategy of Raiderette Head Coach Chad Spencer and Moore County’s Athletic Director Josh Deal.
Throughout the 2021-22 regular season, the Class 1A Raiderettes squared off against multiple bigger schools including a pair of games against the Class AAA Tullahoma Lady Wildcats, the Class AA Cannon County Lionettes, and the Class AAA Lincoln County Lady Falcons. So, it felt fitting that Moore County end their regular season much like they started it with a final home game against the Lady Falcons.
Moore County gave Lincoln County all they wanted in the first period. Freshman Ellie Graham and senior Chloe Brazier scored seven unanswered in the first three minutes to give Moore County the lead. Lincoln County put their first points on the board around the five minute mark when Brazier fouled sending a Lady Falcon to the line.
Points by senior Olivia Richards and Graham got Moore County up by nine with close to two minutes to play. The Lady Falcon frustration oozed from the court and boiled over. On a Moore County possession with 13 seconds left to play, a Lincoln County player threw an elbow drawing a technical foul. Coach Spencer sent Richards to the line and she sank both shots giving the Raiderettes a 17-7 lead at the end of the first period.
Lincoln County Head Coach Tipps must have settled his team down at the break. The Lady Falcons scored 20 in the second including 15 from the line. The Raiderette’s got into foul trouble in the second forcing Coach Spencer to send freshman Madison Dingler into the game. Just three Raiderettes scored in the second: senior Charlotte Ray, Brazier, and freshman Katy Fletcher. Moore County went into the locker room trailing by three, 27-24.
Moore County stalled offensively down the stretch putting up just five third period points and seven in the fourth. The final score was 54-38.
Ellie Graham led for the Raiderettes with 12 points followed by Chloe Brazier with eight. Charlotte Ray, Olivia Richards, and Katy Fletcher each added four points. Maecy Fletcher scored a basket. Audrey Harder (3) and Anna Harder (1) came off the bench and scored as well. Annalise Malone led for the Lady Falcons with 22 points. The Lincoln County senior signed with the University of South Carolina at Aiken in November.
The Girls District 9A Tournament kicks off in Lynchburg on Monday. The Fayetteville Lady Tigers and Cornersville Lady Bulldogs will play a consolation game on Monday at 6 p.m. The winner of that game will play the Huntland Lady Hornets on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Raiderettes will play the Eagleville Lady Eagles at 7:30 p.m. The Moore County Sports Network will broadcast all games on the NFHS Network or you can watch The Lynchburg Times Facebook page for score updates. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only locally owned newspaper in Lynchburg and also the only woman-owned newspaper in Tennessee. We cover Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}