Braden Moore’s 24 points lead Lee County past Sumter County, Lady Panthers dominate in girl’s game

LEESBURG – The No. 5-ranked Lee County Trojans (6-1) overcame an early deficit with a dominant second-half performance to defeat visiting Sumter County 69-50 Tuesday night in Leesburg. In the girls’ game, the Lady Panthers of Sumter County cruised to a 61-30 victory.

Sumter County (4-5) opened the boys’ game with a 7-0 run, but Lee County rallied. Senior guard Torren Williams drilled a long three-pointer at the buzzer to send the Trojans into halftime with a slim 26-24 lead.

Lee County Head Coach Kirven Davis said he gave his team some strong verbal encouragement during halftime and stressed accountability. His words were acknowledged.

Coming out of the break, the Trojans turned up the defensive intensity, deploying a three-quarter court trap that created scoring opportunities. Senior point guard Braden Moore knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, and Matthew Hardwick followed with a turnaround jumper in the paint to push Lee County’s lead to 36-28.

The Panthers fought back, forcing turnovers to trim the deficit to 38-36 late in the third quarter. By the end of the period, Lee County held a 45-40 advantage.

The Trojans seized control in the fourth quarter with a 16-4 run, capped by sophomore Josiah Franklin’s corner three-pointer that extended the lead to 61-44 with 4:04 remaining. After a Sumter County timeout, both teams emptied their benches as the Trojans cruised to victory.

Moore led all scorers with 24 points for Lee County, while Franklin added 13, and Hardwick contributed 12. AJ Kearse paced Sumter County with 15 points, and teammates Jarvis Scott and Amari Hubbard chipped in nine apiece.

In the girls’ game, the Lady Panthers dominated from the opening tip with a relentless trapping defense that stifled the Lady Trojans. Sumter County forced turnovers on nearly every possession, building a commanding 28-6 halftime lead.

Though Lee County found some offensive rhythm in the second half, they never threatened Sumter County’s control of the game. Jesstine Scott led the Lady Panthers with 24 points, while Aliyah McGarrah added 12. Camya Hutcherson and Talyah Porter each scored nine points for Lee County.