NASHVILLE — First there were 32 and now there are 16. That’s the way it goes in post season high school basketball play.

The Moore County Raiderette got a breezy 61-32 win over LEAD Academy on Friday night to set them up for a second round rematch with fellow District 8 foe Huntland. But it wasn’t really a fair fight. The Nashville magnet school boasted just eight players and managed only six games this season due to COVID restrictions. The 7 p.m. Friday tip off happened inside a nearly empty gym. Other than players, coaches, officials, and staff, there were just 27 fans in the stands, according to the Moore County Sports Network who broadcast the game live on the NFHS Network.

The Raiderette established a 18-6 first period lead and never looked back. By the halftime break, the Raiderette lead by 14. They padded the lead against the Lady Panthers, 42-34, in the third period and finished with nearly twice the points of their region quarterfinal opponent. At the final buzzer, Moore County beat LEAD Academy 61-32.

Every Raiderette got valuable playing time as everyone came of the bench to play. Robin Smedley led with 16 points. Chloe Brazier (15) and Macey Fletcher (10) followed. Other Raiderettes getting on the board were: Hayley Horton (5), Breanna Burks (5), Charlotte Ray (3), Paisley Logan (3), Erica Clifton (2), and Madison Floyd (2). Aisha Starling was the top scoring Lady Panther with 21.

Rematch with the Huntland Lady Hornets

The Raiderette now move on to a rematch with the Huntland Lady Hornets (14-4, 9-1) tonight in Huntland. The District 8 rivals are no strangers. Huntland beat Moore County on January 15 in Lynchburg by a 63-44 margin and again on February 2, 56-51.

Tip off will happen at 7 p.m. Local fans can watch via the NFHS Network thank to the MCHS Sport Network student broadcasting crew. Click here for that link. •

{The Lynchburg Times is an independently owned and operated newspaper in Lynchburg, 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.}