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The CCHS Lady Raiders defeated Tullahoma 60-33 for their seventh win of the season, but the Red Raiders lost a tight quarters battle with the Wildcats 43-39 on Friday night in Manchester.

CCHS Lady Raiders: 60, Tullahoma Lady Wildcats: 33

After a close battle with Franklin County on Tuesday, the Lady Raiders were looking for a better offensive performance against Tullahoma.

The Lady Raiders were stingy on the defensive end to start the game, outscoring the Lady Cats 12-3 in the opening quarter.

Coffee County would pile on some more points in the second quarter, outscoring Tullahoma 17-7 to build a halftime lead of 29-10 with the help of five combined triples from Natalie Barnes and Jules Ferrell.

The Lady Raiders never let up in the second half, outscoring the Lady Cats 31-23 over the final two quarters for a 60-33 victory.

“They were a little upset after Tuesday night, we didn’t shoot the ball like we were supposed to,” said Lady Raider Coach Joe Pat Cope. “Tonight, the shots were falling and I could tell the girls had a little extra pep in their step. I’m very pleased with the way they played.”

The Lady Raiders will have a short turnaround before playing host to York, a team fresh off of a Class AA State Semifinals appearance last year.

“I told the girls that tomorrow, York will be the best team they’ve played so far this year,” said Cope. “They’ll be ready for it. Our team is a big game team, they love the game of basketball, they work everyday and this is why we are where we are.”

Box Score: Tullahoma Lady Cats (33) McClayne Bobo 7, Faith Vincent 5, Liszzy Sharpton 4, Kenzie Farrell 4, Zoie Roberts 3, Aubrey North 3, Isabella Linstrand 3, Madlin Lidstrom 2, Madison McCart 2.

Coffee County Lady Raiders (60) Natalie Barnes 19, Channah Gannon 12, Jules Ferrell 8, Olivia Vinson 8, Audri Patton 6, Ella Arnold 4, Kaysen Morgan 3.

CCHS Red Raiders: 39, Tullahoma Wildcats: 43

The Red Raiders were searching for some continued momentum after Tuesday night’s win over Franklin County, and they would get some help with senior Cayden Trail making his return to the lineup after an offseason injury.

Tullahoma had the edge in the first quarter, outscoring the Red Raiders 10-9.

The Red Raiders fought back in the second, outscoring the Wildcats 10-7 to gain a two-point edge at the half, 19-17.

Coffee County would lead 29-26 heading into the fourth, but in the waning minutes, the Wildcats battled back to take a 40-38 lead with 1:07 remaining. Cayden Trail would hit a free throw to cut the lead down to 40-39 with 27 seconds to go, but from there, Tullahoma took the game over and went on to win 43-39.

“Overall it was an outstanding effort tonight, but I feel like we lost the game at the free throw line,” said Red Raider Coach Andrew Taylor. “We went to the line 13 times and made only five of them. If you make 50% from the line, which you at least should make, it’s now a one possession game and you’re not having to scramble and foul from behind. However, I thought we battled our tails off. Tullahoma’s got some big strong kids and our guys battled hard with them.”

Coach Taylor also shared his thoughts on Cayden Trail’s return to the lineup and what he brings to the team.

“It’s good to have Cayden back, because he played a lot last year,” said Taylor. “He’s going to bring experience, athleticism and the ability to knock down shots. We’re a team that’s struggling to score right now, so the addition of another athlete of his caliber is definitely good for us.”

With the loss to the Wildcats, the Red Raiders fall to 2-4 on the season.

Box Score: Tullahoma Wildcats (43) Xavier Farrell 19, Khani Johnson 10, Austin Tinnon 6, Alex Bobo 4, Jayden Thompson 4, 

Coffee County Red Raiders (39) Brady Wright 9, Courtland Farrar 9, MJ Rollman 8, Cayden Trail 7, Jaiden Warren 4, Jayden Carter 2. 

CCHS basketball will return to The Patch on Saturday, Dec. 7 to play host to York in a Saturday afternoon showdown starting at 3 p.m.