FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. — Twenty-three Lady Tiger points from the free throw line does not a Raiderettes district win make. On Tuesday, Moore County made the short trip to Fayetteville and lost to the fourth place District 9A team – dropping them to a 3-3 district record and third place in the standings with two games to play.

It was the second regular season match up for the Raiderettes and Lady Tigers. Moore County (16-9, 3-2) beat Fayetteville (9-11, 2-4) by a final score of 62-43 on January 13. Moore County came into the game fresh off a dramatic rivalry win over Huntland last Friday. Moore County’s Ellie Graham hit three free throws with no time remaining to lift the Raiderettes to a 38-37 victory over the Lady Hornets in Huntland on January 27. {Click here to read our complete coverage of that game.}

Raiderette offensive struggles in first half

Neither offensive showed up in the first period. Ellie Graham swished the first points of the game around the three minute mark to give the Raiderettes a brief 2-0 lead. Then the Tigers’ Elly – Elly Bain – answered from the free throw line hitting one of her two shots to make it 2-1. Bain and Autumn Nunemaker then put together back-to-back baskets to give the Tigers a little momentum. Paisley Logan scored the only other Moore County points of the first half – a jumper with 45 second remaining. At the end of the first period, Fayetteville led Moore County by a single point.

Raiderette shots just would not fall in the second period. Perimeter shots bounced in and out of the basket and layups rolled off the rim. The Raiderettes scored just four points before the break – a jumper from Paisley Logan at around the two minute mark and a layup off a steal from Ellie Graham with 22 second to play. Moore County’s frustration combined the Lady Tigers turning up their inside game with Trinity Dixon and Autumn Nunemaker led to a bit of second period foul trouble – eight of Fayetteville’s 19 second period points came from the line. At the end of the first half, Fayetteville led the Raiderettes 24-8.

Free throws are the second half difference maker

Paisley Logan came alive in the third period – scoring 10 of the Raiderettes 14 third period points. The Raiderette pulled within six points around the three minute marks thanks to a pair of Maecy Fletcher shots from the line to make it 26-20. Gracie Hoagland immediately answered with her first trey of the night to give the Lady Tigers back a nine point lead. With one period to play, Moore County continued to trail the Lady Tigers 30-22. Both Maecy Fletcher and Katie Fletcher had three fouls heading in to the final period.

And the fouls continued to mount and ended up being the difference maker in the fourth period and the game. Moore County played the final two minutes without two of their starters. Katie Fletcher earned her fifth foul with a little over six minutes to play. Then, with a little under two minutes to play, Ellie Graham got her fifth and sixth foul when she slipped and fell while defending the Fayetteville point guard Gracie Hoagland. Frustrated, she slapped the gym floor drawing a technical foul. Hoagland went to the line and hit three of her four shots to make it 41-35 with 1:56 to play.

Two plays later, Anna Harder picked up the ball after a Lady Tiger miscue and made an opportunistic two points to pull Moore County back within three, 43-40 with 1:25 left to play. It would be the last Moore County score of the game. At the final buzzer, Moore County fell to Fayetteville 50-40.

Paisley Logan led with 14 points.

Paisley Logan led for Moore County with 14 points followed closely by Maecy Fletcher with 11 points and Ellie Graham with 10 points. Madison Dingler swished a fourth period trey and Anna Harder scored a basket. Autumn Nunemaker led for Fayetteville with 19 points.

Free throws were the difference maker in the game with Fayetteville scoring 23 points from the line. Refs called the Raiderettes for nine first period fouls and 16 second half fouls. They whistled the Lady Tigers seven times in the first and another eight in the second half.

Moore County scored 22 from the floor and another 15 from the perimeter. They shot three of eight (38 percent) from the line. Fayetteville shot 27 from the floor and nine from behind the 3-point line. The Tigers were 23 of 36 (64 percent) from the charity stripe.

The loss drops Moore County from second to third in the District 9A standings. The Raiderettes will travel again on Friday to play Eagleville in Rutherford County before rematching with Cornersville for the last regular season game of the season. The games will tip off at 6 p.m. You can watch it online on the NFHS Network or follow The Lynchburg Times Facebook page for score updates. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}