A first-half deficit ultimately proved costly for the Cascade Champions (15-11) in the Region 4-A title game on Thursday night.

Cascade was limited to just five points, but surged back into contention in the second half and even led with less than a minute in regulation, but just couldn't quite finish off the Moore County Raiders (15-12) in a 53-48 defeat.

With 51 seconds left in regulation, Lucas Clanton drilled a three-pointer to put Cascade up, 48-47.

Moore County's Riley Holman responded on the following Raider possession by muscling his way to the rim and drawing a foul.

He converted both free throw attempts and Moore County never trailed again.

"It ended up being a really good game. We dug ourselves in a little bit of a hole. We got in a little bit of foul trouble in the first half. We got kind of off a little bit," Champion coach Chris Lawson said.

Cascade opened the game on a made three-pointer by Clanton barely 39 seconds into the game, but didn't manage another shot from the floor in the quarter.

The two teams went back and forth and combined for 37 points in the second quarter, yet Cascade still trailed by eight points at the break.

With Moore County keying on the post and taking away Cascade's inside attack for much of the first half, Lawson and his coaching staff opted for a highly-effective 1-3-1 zone defense that sparked a 15-0 run in the third quarter.

"Coming into the second half, the 1-3-1 was what we had as an answer and they struggled with it. We just couldn't get over the hump. We needed a few things to go our way and we just couldn't get over the hump," Lawson said.

By the end of the third, Cascade had cut the Moore County lead to just two points.

Cascade tied the game on a made basket by Justis Carter with 4:50 left in the fourth, only to be answered on a three-pointer by Andrew Copeland to put the Raiders back up three.

Moore County placed three players in double figures, with Dylan Scruggs and Holman each banking 13 points, while Will Harder chipped in 12.

"You have to give Dylan Scruggs credit. He threw in some shots. He made two threes and scored some threes. They had some things go their way. We still had a shot, but we just couldn't get over the hump," Lawson said.

Cascade also saw three players hit double figures.

Chance Brown led all scorers with 16 points, 11 of which came in the second quarter.

"Tuesday night against Fayetteville, we didn't feel like he (Brown) fit in well with the matchups. Tonight, he was a much bigger piece of the puzzle. He's always confident shooting the ball and he showed it tonight. He kept us in it in the first half," Lawson added.

With the loss, Cascade finds itself on the road in the state sectional game in a win-or-go-home situation.

Twice this season the Champions have won in elimination games on the road and Lawson says his team feels comfortable facing teams on the road.

"At this point in the year, it's going to end soon for everybody. Not that we want it to end, but we're comfortable going on the road. I still feel like our guys have something in them that we can get there with," he said.

On Monday, Cascade will travel to Clay County (26-2) with a trip to the Class A state tournament on the line.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.

Moore Co. 12 19 8 13 - 53

Cascade 5 18 15 10 - 48

Moore Co.: Dylan Scruggs 13, Riley Holman 13, Will Harder 12, Brayden Cashion 9, Andrew Copeland 6.

Cascade: Chance Brown 16, Lucas Clanton 12, Justis Carter 10, Jackson Davis 6, Alex Allison 4.

3-Point goals: Moore Co. (8): Scruggs 2, Copeland 2, Holman 2, Cashion, Harder; Cascade (5): Brown 3, Clanton 2.

Halftime score: Moore Co. 31, Cascade 23.