LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — The Moore County Raiders used quality 3-point shooting and an 80 percent free throw margin to earn a 70-54 victory over Culleoka last Thursday. Peyton Martin led all scorers with 21 points.

Thursday’s home game was the second match up for the Raiders and the Warriors. Moore County (4-3, 0-0) traveled to Maury County (4-8,0-0) on November 29 and won 72-63. {Click here to read our coverage of that game.}

Fifteen first half points from the perimeter

Moore County and Culleoka battled it out in the first period. Moore Couny’s Alex Copeland snagged the tip off then passed inside to Peyton Martin for the first basket of the game. Culleoka immediately answered then Copeland set up for the Raider first 3-point shot of the game to give Moore County a 5-2 lead. Culleoka answered and pulled ahead with back-to-back perimeter shots to pull ahead 8-5. One play later, Keller Morey answered with his own trey to tie the game 8-8.

Culleoka scored five straight to pull ahead 13-8 with a little over three minutes to play in the first period. Five consecutive points by Martin helped Moore County pull within four to end the first stanza trailing by four, 19-15.

Moore County went on a 3-point streak to pull ahead in the second period. Fifteen of Moore County’s 21 second period points came from the perimeter. The two teams traded turnovers to kick off the second period, then Alex Copeland pulled the Raiders within one with a quick set up trey. Culleoka answered with their own 3-point shot and Will Baker answered with two points. The Raiders and Warriors traded points for the next minute, then Dawson White swished two inside to tie the game 25-25 with 3:57 to play in the half. Points by Baker and another trey by Copeland gave Moore County a five point lead with a little over two minute to play until halftime.

Culleoka answered with a three, then Keller Morey drained a perimeter shot to build the lead back to five. Culleoka missed an inside basket on their next possession then fouled Peyton Martin, who hit one of two from the line. Culleoka turned over the ball on their next possession, then Wes Clifton hit a trey to give Moore County a 36-29 lead. The Warrior his a basket at the buzzer to cut that lead back to five points. At halftime, Moore County led Culleoka 36-31

Moore County maintain their lead down the stretch – outscoring the Warriors 18-12 in the third period and 16-11 in the fourth.

Peyton Martin led all scores with 21 points followed by two other Raiders with double digit points: Alex Copeland scored 15 including nine from the perimeter and Will Baker scored 13. Other contributing Raiders were Keller Morey (8), Dawson White (8), Wes Clifton (3) and Sawyer Parks (2). Bo Gilliam (17) and Beckham Faulkner (16) led for Culleoka.

Moore County also beat MASE on Monday night at the Riverdale Classic in Murfreesboro by a final of 58-31. Will Baker led with 19 points.

The Raiders will play Upperman on Wednesday in a holiday tournament and return to regular season action on January 3 at Forrest. •

{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.}