CORNERSVILLE, Tenn. — If you suffer from a heart condition, this has not been the week to be a Moore County High School Raider and Raiderettes fan.

On Tuesday, the Raiders narrowly defeated the Cornersville Bulldogs when senior Will Baker hit a game winning 3-point shot with 2.4 seconds remaining to stay alive in district tournament play. On Wednesday, it was sophomore Ellie Graham’s turn to play hero. She caught her own rebound and made a game-winning, put-back, reverse layup to pull the Raiderettes ahead by two against Eagleville with 4.8 seconds left on the clock.

Game tied at halftime 31-31

Moore County doubled Eagleville’s points in the first half using points by Katy Fletcher, Maecy Fletcher, Ellie Graham, and Madison Dingler and holding Eagleville to just seven points to build a 14-7 first half lead. Those stats flip flopped in the second period. The Raiderettes scored two lone baskets – a bucket by Ellie Graham and a trey by Maecy Fletcher for just five second period points while Eagleville used inside baskets to make a comeback. Moore County went into the break trailing by one point, 20-19.

The Raiderettes battled back-and-forth in the third period to go into the final stanza tied 31-31.

Moore County got the ball first in the fourth quarter and Maecy Fletcher drained a trey to pull Moore County ahead by three. Lady Eagle Alex Klarer answered with a left side jumper. On the next play, Maecy Fletcher got her fourth foul and hit the bench, replaced by Emma Sazonov. Brinli Bain hit a trey on the Lady Eagles next possession to give Eagleville a five-point run.

Two possessions later, the Raiderette defense switched from zone to man defense to up the ante. Katy Fletcher couldn’t stay set on the Lady Eagle’s drive by Klarer and sent her to the line. She hit one of two. Ellie Graham answered on the next Moore County possession to pull Moore County ahead by two – prompting an Eagleville time out.

With a little less than two minutes to play, Katy Fletcher hit a trey to make it a one-point game: Moore County 39, Eagleville 40. The Eagleville coach smartly advised his team to take their time on the next offensive series. They passed the ball around for a solid minute, then Madison Dingler got her first foul sending a Lady Eagle to the line. She hit one of two.

Katy Fletcher then thought about the 3-point shot and instead pulled the ball and doggedly drove inside for two points – drawing the and one foul. She made her basket to give the Raiderettes the one-point lead. Mooneyham missed her shot on the next Eagles possession and Dingler rebounded. Paisley Logan then drained a trey to pad the Moore County lead to four, 45-41.

Moore County fouled Brinli Bain on the next possession sending her to the line. She made one of two to cut the lead to three, 45-42 with 37 seconds to go. Bain scored on the next possession to make it 45-44 – prompting a quick Moore County time out with 30 seconds to play. Madison Dingler fouled on the next possession sending McClaran to the line. She made one of two to make it 45-45 with 22 seconds remaining. That’s when Ellie Graham performed her magic – giving Moore County the win and a spot in the title game, which takes place on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

Ellie Graham led for Moore County with 17 points. Other contributing Raiderettes were Katy Fletcher (9), Madison Dingler (9), Maecy Fletcher (7) and Paisley Logan (5).

The win allows the Raiderettes to play host in the upcoming Region 5A Tournament. •

{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.}