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After waiting a week in between games due to the issues caused by last weekend’s snow and ice, Coffee County basketball was back in action Friday night.

Traveling to McMinnville for a Class 4A District 6 showdown against rival Warren County, both the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders took care of business and returned to Manchester with a sweep of the doubleheader. The girls got it started with a 43-34 victory over the Lady Pioneers, before the boys took down Warren County 36-32 to close out the evening.

Coffee County (19-5/4-1 district girls, 12-11/2-3 district boys) returns home to face Cookeville in a district rematch on Friday. The girls’ game is set to tip off at 6 p.m.

Lady Raiders bounce back

Coffee County girls’ basketball came into Friday’s game looking to get back on track after suffering its first district loss of the season against Lincoln County on Jan. 23.

The Lady Raiders took care of business this time around, holding off Warren County to secure the win and hold steady at the top of the district standings. Friday’s victory also gave Coffee County the regular-season sweep of the Lady Pioneers, following the team’s 52-35 win over its district foe at Joe Frank Patch Gymnasium on Jan. 13.

“With Natalie (Barnes), we’re missing about 25 points a game. Teams, where they were having to guard their best player with Natalie and their second-best player with Audri (Patton), now Audri and Kaysen (Morgan) are getting all the defensive attention. We’ve gotta have some of the younger kids step up and score,” Coffee County coach Joe Pat Cope said. “Audri was able to get double digits tonight and then Kaysen hit three of four shots from so deep.”

Up 12-6 after the first quarter, the Lady Raiders opened the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers from Kaysen Morgan and Audri Patton to briefly push their lead into the double digits. Warren County answered by cutting it back to nine points, before another trey from Morgan put Coffee County ahead 21-9. The Lady Pioneers followed with five points to send Coffee County into halftime with a 21-14 lead.

The Lady Raiders began the second half with another pair of 3-pointers from Patton and Morgan to push their lead to 13, but Warren County continued to linger. After Morgen Spears hit a free throw late in the third quarter to make it a 30-18 Coffee County lead, Warren County responded with one more bucket of its own to send the Lady Raiders into the fourth quarter up by 10.

The Lady Pioneers kept at it from there, cutting the Coffee County lead to 30-25 before Spears went back to the free throw line and put the Lady Raiders ahead by six. Morgan followed with another shot from downtown to make it a 34-25 Coffee County lead, but Warren County answered with two more points to make it a seven-point game.

Coffee County ultimately held off the Lady Pioneers’ late efforts, not letting them come any closer than within six points over the game’s remainder on the way to winning by nine.

“We’ve just gotta to keep going. After a loss, you’ve gotta keep going to win it all,” Morgan said. “We all know we’re shooters, so just shoot when you’re open.”

Morgan led the way with 17 points, 15 of which came on five 3-pointers. Patton followed with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers as well. Spears and Jenslee Nogodula both added six points each. Jaydee Nogodula had a single free throw for one point.

Raiders keep rolling in district

The last time Coffee County boys’ basketball faced off against Warren County, the Red Raiders came out on the losing end of a 36-32 overtime loss in Manchester on Jan. 13.

This time around, it was the Red Raiders who came out victorious over the Pioneers, winning on the road by the same score as the two teams’ previous meeting. The win also gave Coffee County its second straight district victory in as many games, following its road win over Lincoln County on Jan. 23.

“It was actually about the exact same situation, I’m pretty sure the same score, not in overtime, so nice to see that. Nice to not have to grind it out for four extra minutes,” Coffee County’s Audie Nicoll said. “We’ve just been working on it in practice, staying composed, that was the big thing. I had my fair share of mistakes, we all did, but when it was crunch time, we took care of the ball, we trusted each other. I think that’s ultimately what helped us win.”

Opening the game with a 7-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Red Raiders continued to push ahead with seven unanswered points to open the second. After Warren County temporarily slowed the Coffee County advance with a basket, Luke Campbell buried a shot of his own to put the Red Raiders ahead 16-6. The Pioneers did not let Coffee County break away any further, closing out the first half with seven straight points to make it a 16-13 game at the break.

Warren County kept rolling as the second half got under way, opening the third quarter with seven more points to put the Red Raiders in a 20-16 hole. Coffee County tied it up with a basket from Nicoll and a pair of free throws from MJ Rollman, but the Pioneers retook the lead with a basket and free throw shot to go up 23-20.

The Red Raiders did not stay down for long, answering with a pair of buckets from Nicoll to take a one-point lead. After a basket and free throw opportunity for Rollman expanded the Coffee County lead to four, a pair of Warren County shots once again tied the game up at 27-27. Kaysen Lowery broke the tie with the go-ahead basket, sending the Red Raiders into the fourth quarter ahead by two.

Coffee County continued to give itself more breathing room from there, opening the fourth with baskets from Rollman and Campbell to build a 33-27 advantage. The Pioneers were able to cut it to within three, but the Red Raiders answered right back with a bucket and free throw from Jerrad Morgan to make it a 36-30 game.

Warren County hit one more basket, but Coffee County did not let the Pioneers get any closer on the way to securing the rivalry win.

“I think we’re starting to hit our peak. I think our ceiling’s not reached yet. We obviously still have things to work on, but it’s a great sign that we’re out here getting road wins and that we’re capable,” Nicoll said. “We know we’ve got this and we can carry this momentum, finish the district season strong and hopefully get a good seed for the tournament.”

Nicoll led the Coffee County offense with 10 points. Rollman followed right behind with nine points, finishing just ahead of Morgan with eight points. Lowery added five points. Campbell had four points.