Lady Raiders fall to Brentwood in Section Semis

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Another spectacular season for the CCMS Lady Raiders came to a close on Thursday night, as a Brentwood buzzer beater handed Coffee County their only loss of the season in the 3A Section 2 Semifinals at Stewarts Creek Middle School.

After beating Oakland 27-17 in the Section Quarterfinals on Wednesday night, the Lady Raiders turned their attention to a Section Semifinals rematch with the Brentwood Vikings. The two schools met in last year’s Section 2 Semis with Coffee County winning that game 40-32 on Feb. 1, 2024.

This year’s clash with the Vikings would go a little differently.

The Lady Raiders would pull out in front in the first quarter with an 11-5 run, and despite the Vikings holding Coffee County to two points in the second, the Lady Raiders would head into the locker room with a 13-10 lead at halftime.

Coffee County seemed to regain control in the third quarter, outscoring the Vikings 12-8 to take a 25-19 lead into the fourth, but the Lady Raiders struggled to find some points in the fourth quarter, allowing Brentwood to claw back and tie the score at 25-25 in the waning moments of regulation.

With 2.5 seconds to go, a costly travel by the Lady Raiders on an inbounds pass attempt would give the Vikings a chance to break the tie in their own offensive zone.

Brentwood proceeded to take advantage of the miscue with a 15-footer that bounced in off of the backboard as time expired, giving the Lady Raiders their only loss of the season in heartbreaking fashion, 27-25.

“We had plenty of opportunities in the fourth quarter, but we just couldn’t seem to hit any shots when we needed them,” said Coach David Vinson. “It’s a tough way to end the season and it’s heartbreaking to see these girls crying here in the locker room, but it shows how much they care. I’m so proud of them and I love every single one of them.”

With the loss, the Coffee County Middle Lady Raiders end the season with a 23-1 overall record. Despite an early exit, the Lady Raiders saw a successful campaign that included a CTC Tournament Championship and an Area 6 Tournament Title.

Coffee County: 11, 2, 12, 0 – 25

Brentwood: 5, 5, 9, 8 – 27

Coffee County (25) Jenslee Nogodula 16, Harper Crosslin 5, Avery Pruitt 4.

Brentwood (27) K. Sexton 11, R. Jackson 5, W. Wood 4, C. Corder 3, S. Hooper 2, S. Story 2.