By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

JACKSON COUNTY, Ala. — On Thursday, Raiderettes fans may have been scratching their collective Columbia blue heads wondering why Moore County was headed nearly an hour south across the Tennessee, Alabama line to take on the Pisgah High School Eagles.

The answer is simple: Raiderette’s Head Coach Chad Spencer believes to be the best you must play the best and he makes it a habit of scheduling non-conference games that challenge his team.

The Pisgah Eagles certainly qualify. Overall, they’ve have earned 10 state championships – second only to Lauderdale County’s 13 for most in Alabama history. They’re coached by eight-time girls basketball state championship coach Carey Ellison and in 2019 boasted Alabama’s Miss Basketball Annie Hughes, who would eventually sign with Auburn.

Thursday’s match up felt like a game between programs with a tradition of success, and the Raiderettes more than held their own – walking away with a 52-38 victory.

{Editor’s Note: This year’s Raiders basketball coverage is free to all readers thanks to our community partner, Woodard’s Market.}

Dogged Raiderettes defensive performance

Moore County jumped out to an early 13-6 first period lead. Junior transfer Ally Sharpe and senior Ellie Graham combined for all 13 points.

Sharpe is no stranger to Alabama girls’ basketball as she formerly played with the Cullman Lady Bearcats. She is the daughter of University of Alabama at Huntsville Women’s Basketball Coach Allen Sharpe and former Raiderette Susan Faulkner Sharpe. The family recently relocated to Lynchburg to be close to family.

Sharpe made a pair of treys and a pair of baskets for 10 of Moore County’s first stanza points. Graham added the other three from the perimeter.

Anyone in Class A girls’ basketball knows the reputation of a Chad Spencer-coached defense and Moore County’s is all gas no breaks this season – pun intended. They held the Eagles to just six points – a basket by senior Campbell Barron and a basket and two from the line by Ashton Childress.

Barron recently put up 35 on a Class 2A opponent and the Raiderettes held her to a more modest 20 points on Thursday.

Pisgah got hot from the perimeter in the second period. They scored 15 points – 12 from outside and another three from the line. Moore County matched them with 18 points including three from Sharpe, four from Graham, a trey from Madison Dingler, a basket from Moore County’s sixth starter, Emma Sazonov, and six from Katy Fletcher, who dominated in the paint.

Moore County went into the locker room leading by 10, 31-21. Sharpe led in the first half with 13 points followed by Graham with seven.

After catching their breath, the dogged Raiderette D smothered the Eagles in the third period. They put up 16 points while holding Pisgah to just six – all but two from the charity stripe.

The Eagles battled back in the fourth – thanks in no small part to Barron, who got hot from the perimeter once again. She scored nine of Pisgah’s final 11 points, but it was too little too late.

At the final buzzer, Moore County downed a quality, non-conference foe, 52-38.

Sharpe, Fletcher, and Graham scored double digits

Three Raiderettes managed double digits on Thursday. Ally Sharpe and Katy Fletcher led with 13 points each followed by Ellie Graham with 11 points. Emma Sazonov added another six. Madison Dingler and Mackenzie Goodwin scored three points each. Audrey Harder swished a basket and Abbey Mason came off the bench and aced one from the line.

Moore County scored 30 points from the floor and 15 from the perimeter. They shot seven of 12 (58 percent) from the line. For comparison, the Eagles swished eight points from the floor and 18 from the perimeter. They were 12 of 18 (67 percent from the charity stripe).

Moore County will play at Culleoka next Tuesday followed by their first home game on Friday against Forrest. Both games will tip off at 6 p.m. with the Raiders to follow immediately after. •

{The Lynchburg Times is a locally-owned and locally-operated community newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee and one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. It’s owned by a Tulane University-educated journalist with over 20 years of experience. We’re supported by both readers and community partners who believe in independent journalism for the common good. You can support us by clicking here. }