S

On Wednesday night, the No. 2 ranked Coffee County Lady Raiders took down No. 7 Lincoln County for the fourth time this season 58-43 to claim the 4A Region 5 Championship for the second straight year.

Just nine days after their epic battle for the 4A District 9 Championship, the two schools faced off once more, this time in front of a raucous crowd at Joe Frank Patch Memorial Gymnasium.

Both teams set a furious offensive pace in the first quarter, but it would be the visitors from Fayetteville taking an 18-15 lead after the first eight minutes of play. Senior Molly Brown proved to be a threat to the Lady Raider defense early on, hitting three triples and scoring 11 points in the first quarter. Jules Ferrell scored six, Natalie Barnes scored five and Channah Gannon scored four for the Lady Raiders in the first frame.

In stark contrast, the second quarter was much more subdued with both teams combining for only four field goals. Gannon scored four more points and Olivia Vinson got on the board for the Lady Raiders while Abby Bryan scored all four of Lincoln County’s second quarter points. Despite being held to just a single field goal in the second frame, the Lady Falcons went into the locker room with a 22-21 lead.

The Lady Raiders ran out with all guns blazing in the third quarter, as Vinson and fellow senior Ava McIntosh hit two three-pointers apiece and Gannon added six more points to help Coffee County outscore Lincoln 21-12 to take a 42-34 lead into the fourth quarter.

Gannon put her stamp on the game in the final quarter, scoring 10 of the Lady Raiders’ 16 fourth quarter points to help Coffee County run away with a 58-43 win and another Region Championship.

“They’re definitely a physical team, probably the most physical team that we’ve played,” Channah Gannon said of Lincoln County after the game. “We knew we had to come in, step up and hit some shots. To win the Region Championship for two years in a row is really special.”

“It’s been a good couple of years of war with them,” Coach Joe Pat Cope said of the rival Lady Falcons. “I believe tonight was the 21st win in a row for our group against a ranked team and that’s pretty unheard of. It’s a testament to how hard these girls work and the blood and sweat they put into the game. Region Championships are hard to come by, and to get them back-to-back, that’s something that these girls will have for the rest of their lives.”

With the Region Title now clinched, the Lady Raiders will have to win over Region 6 runners-up Mt. Juliet in the Sectional Round if they want to make a return trip to Murfreesboro.

The Lady Raiders will face the Lady Bears in the Sectional Round at Joe Frank “Patch” Memorial Gymnasium on Saturday, March 8 at 7 p.m.

Coffee County: 15 6 21 16 – 58

Lincoln County: 18 4 12 9 – 43

Coffee County (58) – Channah Gannon 24, Jules Ferrell 11, Natalie Barnes 9, Olivia Vinson 8, Ava McIntosh 6.

Lincoln County (43) – Molly Brown 17, Abby Bryan 14, Alyssa Petty 6, Reagan Bragg 3, Mattie Graham 3.