By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — It was the same song with a different verse on Tuesday as the Moore County Raiderettes swept the Van Buren County series with a decisive 65-44 victory in Lynchburg — marking this group of seniors final regular season game in their home gym.

Tuesday was game two in this year’s Moore County versus Van Buren series. On January 28, the Raiderettes travelled to Spencer and three Raiderettes — Katy Fletcher, Ellie Graham, and Ally Sharpe — combined for 60 points to help lift the Raiderettes to a 70-46 win over a ranked Lady Eagles’s team — and it was never close.

Many will argue that regular season ranking don’t matter and they aren’t wrong – but with both Moore County and Van Buren County both ranked in the top 10 Class 1A teams in the state according to multiple polls, Tuesday’s game looked to be a heck of a match up and a possible preview of a state tournament game.

Raiderettes build a 14 points first half lead

Moore County jumped out to an early 21-6 lead in the first period and never looked back. Van Buren County got the ball off the tip, but a Lady Eagle immediately got tied up with Emma Dye for the game’s first jump ball, which went Moore County’s way. Ally Sharpe took advantage of the turnover with a trey for an early 3-0 lead.

Sharpe, Katy Fletcher, Emma Dye, Ellie Graham, and Anna Harder got the start on Tuesday.

The Raiderettes came out in an aggressive press defense early. They hassled the Van Buren point guard for an over and back on the next possession, then Sharpe went up for a right side jumper to make it 5-0. She’d eventually put up 10 first period points and lead in the first half with 11 points.

Van Buren’s Cara Mills got the Lady Eagles first points of the night with a left side layup at around the 6:30 mark, then Ellie Graham answered with a layup to make it 7-2. Graham was uncharacteristically quiet on offense in the first half with just four points. Instead, she focused on guarding Van Buren post Mills who would eventually lead for the Lady Eagles with 23 points. Graham also snagged steals and rebound after rebound on both ends of the court – creating opportunities for her teammates.

Mills managed to muscle to the basket for points on Van Buren’s next possession, then Katy Fletcher announced her formidable presence on the next possession with Moore County’s second trey of the night to make it 10-4. The Raiderette’s D forced several turnovers then Fletcher drove back inside for two more, 12-4. Sharpe swished another trey at the 3:28 mark – prompting a quick Van Buren time out.

Out of the break, Moore County sent Mills to the line and she made one of two, 15-5. Graham then stole the ball and fed it to Emma Sazonov, who subbed in early in the first, for two points to make it 17-5. Graham stole the ball on the next play and fed it to Sharpe for two more, 19-5. She then drove down court on the next Moore County possession and managed a spin move on the left side for the Raiderettes’ final points of the first period.

Van Buren attempted a comeback in the second period – outscoring Moore County by one point. Both Bella Tucker and Audrey Harder came in off the bench before the half and combined for seven points.

At the end of the first half, Moore County led 31-17. Ally Sharpe led in the first 16 minutes with 11 followed by Katy Fletcher (5), Bella Tucker (4), Ellie Graham (4). Emma Sazonov (3), Audrey Harder (3), and Anna Harder (1). Cara Mills led for Van Buren in the first half with 13 points.

The Raiderettes came in strong after the break putting up 19 points while holding Van Buren to just 11 – nine of those came from Abigail Netherton who found a perimeter hot streak in the third period. She’d eventually follow Mills with 17 points. The combo combined for 40 of the Lady Eagles 44 points. Fletcher and Dye did the heavy lifting offensively for the Raideretes in the third period and combined for nine points. Moore County led at the end of the third period, 50-28, and seemed to take their collective Columbia blue feet off the accelerator. They scored 15 down that stretch while allowing 16. In particular, Audrey Harder had an outstanding fourth period with six off the bench.

Three Raiderettes manage double digits

Just like in game one of the Van Buren series, three Raiderettes managed double digits and combined for 41 points. Ally Sharpe led with 17 followed closely by Katy Fletcher with 14 and Ellie Graham with 10 points. Audrey Harder was right behind them with nine points. Other contributing Raiderettes were Emma Dye (5), Bella Tucker (4), Emma Sazonov (3) and Anna Harder (3).

Both the Raiderettes and Raiders will move on to the final regular season game on Friday as they travel to Huntland for a District 9A match up. The Raiderettes go into that game with a perfect 5-0 district record and the district top spot already wrapped up.

But as anyone who follows high school girls basketball knows, that’s a textbook trap game for the Raiderettes as they have nothing to gain while the Lady Hornets could exact a bit of revenge. Moore County swatted Huntland with a blowout 63-19 win in Lynchburg on January 24. {To read our complete coverage of that game, click here.}

In that game, Moore County junior Ally Sharpe got on a trey hot streak and put up 25 points against the Lady Hornets. That combined with a suffocating defensive performance led to a dominating win. The Lady Hornet will likely be looking for pay back. Tip off will be at 6 p.m. in Franklin County. •

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