By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Offenses usually snag the headlines, but any lifelong basketball fan or former player will tell you that defense wins games. On Friday night in Eagleville in the District 9A Championship game, the Moore County Raiderettes defense became the difference maker in a 40-37 win that earned Moore County the District 9A crown for the second year in a row.

Moore County played smart, lights out defense and drew only 11 team fouls compared to Eagleville’s 22 including one technical for an intentional foul, according to the game stats.

Raiderettes play lights out defense but struggle to score in the first half

Moore County jumped out to an early 7-4 lead in the first period. Eagleville got the ball first and started the game with a turnover when Meah Thompson fouled Ellie Graham. It was a foreshadowed start, as foul counts became a deciding factor in the game.

Moore County returned the turnover favor, then snagged a rebound on a missed layup to regain possession. Anna Harder then made a left side trey to earn Moore County’s first points of the game. Lady Eagle Isabella Sawyer answered with a left side layup, 3-2.

Moore County played aggressive for the next several minutes. They stole passes, tipped balls, fought for rebounds, and trapped Lady Eagles mid-dribble to earn back possessions. They also missed easy layup and treys bounced off the rim. They couldn’t turn those opportunities into points.

The two teams traded turnovers for nearly the next two minutes until Lady Eagle Sawyer went back to the left side to earn the lead, 4-3, at around the 2:54 mark. A left side layup for two by Audrey Harder immediately earned Moore County back the lead, 5-4.

At around the one-minute mark, a heads-up Katy Fletcher snagged a Lady Eagle pass and drove down for a right-side layup to close the first period scoring. At the end of the first period Moore County led 7-4. Moore County earned two fouls in the first period and Eagleville earned four.

Moore County scored seven in the second period – six from Dingler and one from Graham – and Eagleville paced them with six points. Moore County had three second period fouls and Eagleville had four.

Dingler makes six of nine from the line in final minute

Both teams battled in the third period. Moore County put up 13 including points from Fletcher, Graham, Anna Harder, and Audrey Harder. The Lady Eagles managed 10 points. Moore County committed no third period fouls while the Lady Eagles racked up three more. At the end of the third, Moore County led 27-20.

But Eagleville attempted a fourth period comeback. Lady Eagle Sawyer made the first basket of the fourth quarter to cut the Moore County lead to five, 27-22. Anna Harder immediately answered with a heads-up right-side basket, 29-22.

Sawyer ran over Dingler on the next possession but Dingler earned the foul. Graham went to the line and made one of two, 29-23. Then McClaren made a left side layup and drew the “and one” foul and headed to the line. She missed it, 29-25.

On the Moore County end, Katy Fletcher drew a foul and headed to the line. Despite a few pre-shot shenanigans, she made one of two, 30-25. The Eagles turned the ball over then Dingler drove nearly untouched down the left side for two crucial points, 32-25.

Dingler got trucked a second time and for a second time refs saw it Eagleville’s way. She sent Meah Thompson to the line for two shots. She made both to pull Eagleville within five, 32-27.

Audrey Harder drew a foul, and as the referee walked to the scorers table, the ball got under his feet and he fell. The crowd held their breath, but he popped up and walked it off as Fletcher gave him an “atta boy” pat. Harder then drew another foul. Now in the bonus with 1:56 to play, the Raiderettes had Eagelville exactly where they wanted them. Harder headed to the line and made both, 34-27.

Anna Harder fought for possession on the next play then dished to Dingler who was immediately fouled. After a timeout, she hit one, 35-27 with 1:38 to play. Thompson answered with a trey, 35-30.

Eagleville once again fouled Dingler – sending her to the line. She made both to build the lead to seven, 37-30. Shelbie Mooneyham got a bucket to cut the lead back to five, 37-32 with 29 seconds to play – prompting a timeout.

Out of the break, the Lady Eagles again sent Dingler to the line and again she made both, 39-32 with 20 seconds to play – essentially putting the game out of reach for Eagleville.

Moore County sent Aubrey Merrit to line with 12 seconds to play. She made both, 39-34, with 12 seconds to play. The Eagles immediately fouled Dingler again, but this time with a little extra push. The ref called the offender for a technical for an intentional foul. Dingler went to the line. She made her first and then her second rolled in and out of the basket, 40-34, with six seconds to play.

Raiderette Graham went to the line with three seconds to play and missed both. Lady Eagle Sawyer hit a buzzer beater three from the half court line as time expired but it was a little too little, a little too late. Moore County earned the District 9A crown with a 40-37 win over Eagleville in Eagleville.

Dingler led with 14 points

Madison Dingler led for Moore County with 14 points followed by Audrey Harder with nine points and Anna Harder with seven points. Both Katy Fletcher and Ellie Graham added five points each. Eliza McClaren led for Eagleville with 13 points.

Free throws were part of the difference maker for Moore County. They made 11 of 23 (47 percent) from the free throw line. The Raiderettes made 20 points from the floor and another nine from behind the perimeter.

The Lady Eagles tried to let treys do the heavy lifting. Eagleville made 14 from the floor and added 18 from the perimeter. They were five of seven from the line (71 percent).

Following the game, Katy Fletcher and Madison Dingler were added to the District 9A All Season Team and area coaches named Ellie Graham as District 9A Most Value Player. Both Anna Harder and Katy Fletcher were named to the District 9A All Tournament Team and area coaches named Madison Dingler as District 9A Tournament Most Valuable Player. They also named Raiderettes Head Coach Chad Spencer as District 9A Coach of the Year.

Their first place finish in District 9A earns Moore County a home game for the Region 5A Quarterfinal game on Friday, February 23. Moore County will play whomever wins the Santa Fe vs. Culleoka District 10 A consolation game on Monday night in Cornersville.

As always, if you can’t come out on Friday and support the Raiderettes in person, the Moore County High School Student Broadcasting Team will broadcast the game live on the NFHS Network or The Times will post live score updates from the game on our Facebook page. •

{Community newspapers like The Lynchburg Times serve an important roll to high school athletes. Players use links to our articles in college applications and the TSSAA keeps up with Moore County star athletes through our coverage. That leads to more awards and recognition. Please consider supporting our work by subscribing. Click this link to sign up.}