By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Post season basketball is full of interesting storylines and on Saturday in Eagleville at a District 9A game to determine third place, two seniors, Dawson White and Alex Copeland, were the main characters in a 73-67 overtime win over the Huntland Hornets. The two seniors combined for 51 points and White made 12 of 15 from the line down the stretch to help earn the victory.

It was the second match up between the Raiders and Hornets in little over a week. On Friday, February 9 the Raiders narrowly lost their final home district game to the Hornets. The Raiders put up a heck of a fight against Huntland in that game – pulling within one point in the fourth period – but the Hornets pulled away down the stretch to hand Moore County a 55-48 loss in Lynchburg. {To read our full coverage of that game, click here.}

Raiders lead in the first and trail by the half

Moore County jumped out to a narrow 14-13 first period lead on Saturday.

Huntland got the ball first and turned it over before two seconds could tick off the game clock. On their first offensive possession, Gavin Wise’s jump shot hit just left of the basket and Huntland rebounded. The two teams then traded turnovers before Huntland’s Demetri Reed made the first points of the game – a trey at the 6:46 mark. Moore County’s Wes Clifton answered with a trey of his own to tie the game.

Two possessions later, Lashawn Kimmons swished another Huntland trey to make it 6-3 with 5:34 to play in the first. Then a gritty Raider offensive fought for rebounds and made multiple shots on goal until Copeland went up with his own three to tie the game.

Reed dribbled in and made a floating jumper on the next Huntland possession. Wise answered with his own floating jumper to knot the game once again, 8-8.

Huntland missed a trey on their next possession and Copeland rebounded. He passed to Peyton Martin who dropped back and made an effortless-looking three-point shot, 11-8. Huntland missed another trey and then Copeland and Dawson White battled for the rebound. Copeland went up for two and despite being clobbered got neither the points nor the foul. Then Simmons swished a left side trey to tie the game again, 11-11, with 2:51 to play in the first.

The two teams traded turnovers then Huntland rebounded the ball and attempted to throw it all the way down court to the waiting Trace Kilpatrick but Moore County’s Mr. Football Dawson White telegraphed the pass and intercepted it. He then drove down for two. He missed but drew the foul and made one of two, 12-11.

Huntland then turned the ball over following another missed trey. Tucker Smith dished to Peyton Martin for an easy left side layup, 13-11. The Hornet ‘s Stewart made the final points of the first period. At the end of the first eight minutes, Moore County led 14-13.

Huntland battled back in the second period putting up 19 points to Moore County’s 12. They went into the halftime locker room leading 32-26.

Huntland misses in final seconds to send the game into OT

Moore County battled back in the third thanks to points by Copeland, Dawson White, Martin, Wise, and Matthew White.

Dawson White made a trey at around the seven-minute mark to get the Raiders within three, 34-31. Around the five-minute mark, Martin put up a right-side layup to pull the Raiders within one, 36-35. Copeland swished a trey at the 4:02 mark to give Moore County back the lead, 38-36. They held on to it down the stretch to head into the final stanza leading 44-42.

In the fourth, Huntland managed to earn the lead when Clifton pushed off defending Reed and sent him to the line for two shots. He made both, 57-55. Dawson White immediately answered with a floating jumper to tie the game back at 57-57.

Huntland tired to drain the clock – dribbling at the top of the key until the 13 second mark – then called time out. Following the break, Simmons attempted a fade away as time expired but it missed – sending the game into overtime.

With four minutes to earn third place in District 9A, the Raiders quickly went to work. Huntland turned over the ball on their first possession, and White passed to Sawyer Parks underneath for a quick two, 59-57.

The two teams traded baskets for the next three minutes then Moore County fouled Simmons from the perimeter. He made all three to pull the Hornets back within two with 14 seconds to play, 69-67. It was as close at Huntland would get.

The Hornets immediately fouled Dawson White on Moore County’s next possession. This time, he got pushed and the Hornet got a technical for the intentional foul. White stood alone at the free throw line and made both to make it 71-67 with 13.1 to play. Nearly immediately, Simmons again fouled White and he made both to put the game out of reach with nine seconds to play, 73-67. Matthew White stole the ball from a dribbling Reed as time expired to seal the overtime win.

White and Copeland combine for 51 points

Dawson White led for the Raiders with 28 points and Alex Copeland followed with 23 points. The duo combined for all but 16 of Moore County’s points against Huntland. Gavin Wise and Wes Clifton added five points each. Matthew White swished three and Sawyer Parks added two.

Area coaches named both Copeland and White to both the District 9A All Season and All Tournament teams.

Moore County will travel to play a Class 1A Regional Quarterfinal game against the winner of the Richland/Santa Fe game. That round one game will take place next Saturday February 24.•

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