By Tabitha Evans Moore | EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG — Moore County Raiders senior Peyton Martin has been a beast all season with points underneath. The MCHS post – who just happens to have played linebacker for the Moore County football team – is a money threat underneath for the Raiders. If he goes up, he’s most certainly walking away with points or the foul – sometimes both. On Monday in Lynchburg, he put up 27 against a well-rounded Murfreesboro Central Magnet team. It was nearly enough, but the Tigers pulled away with points from the line with just seconds to play to clinch the one-point non-district victory.

Tigers led by nine at the half

Central Magnet got out to an early 15-12 first period lead. The Tigers won the tip and managed a right-side jumper on their first possession. On the first Raider possession, Colton Morey didn’t quite put enough on his layup, and it bounced off the glass and into the hands of a waiting Tiger defender.

Despite several shots on goal, the Tigers turned the ball over on their next possession and then fouled Gavin Wise. He made one of two from the line to give the Raiders their first points, 2-1. The Tigers answered with a right-side jumper then Brantley Hill inbounded to Wise who drove straight in for two to make it 4-3.

Peyton Martin then rebounded the ball and fed it to Hill, who drove in the paint, drawing the foul. He made one of two from the line to make it 6-4.

At the 3:27 mark, Martin went inside again for points to tie the game 6-6. He drew the “and one” foul but missed the shot. After a pair of Tiger scores, Wise drove inside again to pull back within two.

Central Magnet hit their first trey of the game with a little over a minute to play. A possession later. Martin made the final points of the first period – a jumper with seconds to play. At the end of the first period, the Raiders trailed by just three, 15-12.

Tiger three-point shooters get hot in the second period. They scored 12 from the perimeter in the second stanza – helping them build a nine-point lead at the break.

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

Raiders pull ahead in the third period

We’re not sure what Coach Brown said at halftime, but a motivated Raiders squad roared back in the third period – putting up 22 points while holding the Tigers to just nine.

Martin got the second half scoring started with a left side layup. He also drew the “and one” foul. He’d eventually put up 12 of Moore County’s 22 third period points.

With around five minutes to play in the third, Morey went up for a trey to make it 36-31 – promoting a quick time out. Out of the break, Moore County sent Central Magnet to the line. The Tiger missed both, and Martin took advantage – battling inside for points to pull the Raiders within three, 36-33.

The Tigers drained a trey on their next play, then two teams traded turnovers. Out of a time out, Jay Sparkman snagged a Tiger rebound and fed the ball to Wise, who drove inside for two more points, 39-35.

The two teams traded turnovers, then Wise intercepted a bad Tiger pass to give Moore County the ball back. Hill fought for points underneath and drew the “and one” foul. He missed from the line, but his bucket pulled Moore County within two, 39-37.

Wise then snagged the Tiger rebound again, this time setting up Martin for a right-side bucket to tie the game with a little over a minute to play in the third.

Determined, the Tigers fought for a shot down low and found it to make it 41-39. Then Martin went back underneath for two points and the foul. He tied the game 41-41 then earned the lead from the line.

Moore County held the Tigers on the next possession, then Tristyn Gray drained a buzzer-beater trey to give Moore County a 45-41 lead at the end of the third period.

Raiders fall in the final 10 seconds

Moore County got the ball first in the final stanza, and Martin went right back up for points to improve the lead to six, 47-41. The Tigers answered with their own right-side jumper, then Moore County held the ball for nearly a minute before a frustrated Tiger pushed Morey. Seconds later, Martin went back up and drew the foul. He made one of two, 48-43.

Central Magnet then swished two from the line that Morey answered several possessions later, 50-45. Central then scored once more underneath to make it 50-47 – prompting a Raider time out.

The Tigers came out of the break in a press defense and forced a turnover on the Raiders first possession. Then Moore County sent them to the line to make it a one-point ballgame, 50-49 with a little over three minutes to play.

The Tigers forced the turnover on the next Raider possession then battled for a jump ball that went Moore County’s way. The Raiders then set up a play and dished inside to Martin for two to make it 52-49 with around two minutes to play. It would be the Raiders final points of the night. The Tigers got wrapped up with Wise for another jump ball, then went to the line to pull within one with one minute to play.

The Raiders played keep away for around 30 seconds then Coach Brown called time out with 41.7 seconds to play. Out of the break, Moore County handed the Tigers back the ball. They drove inside – drawing the foul with 10 seconds to play. The Tiger made his first to tie the game and his second to take the lead, 53-52.

Moore County brought the ball down and then quickly called timeout with just 6.5 seconds on the clock. Wise inbounded the ball to Morey, who went up for a floating jumper, but it bounced off the rim – handing the visiting Tigers a narrow one-point victory.

Martin led with 27 points

Peyton Martin led for Moore County with 27 points. Other contributing Raiders were Gavin Wise (8), Brantley Hill (7), Colton Morey (5), and Tristyn Gray (5).

Moore County scored 40 from the floor and just six points from the perimeter – including third period treys by Morey and Gray. The Raiders shot six of 14 (43 percent) from the line. For comparison, the Tigers scored 24 from the floor and 18 points from the perimeter. Central Magnet shot an impressive 11 of 15 (73 percent) from the charity stripe.

Moore County will return to District 9A play on Friday with a home game against Fayetteville. Friday’s matchup will be game two in the 2024-25 series. Moore County notched a 54-47 win in Lincoln County on January 17. {To read our complete coverage of that game, click here.}

With district play winding down, every game counts. Eagleville currently sits in first place with a spotless 4-0 district record followed by Moore County who is 2-2 with wins at Fayetteville and at home against Huntland. The Eagles handed the Raiders both their district loses – 62-30 in Eagleville on January 9 and 74-28 in Lynchburg on January 31.

Tips off of the Raiders game on Friday will happen after the girls’ action.•

{The Lynchburg Times is a locally owned and locally operated community newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee. We’re the only newspaper that publishes new stories every morning as well as breaking news as it happens. We’re also one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. 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. }