Born in Florence, South Carolina, Moore began playing basketball while attending Wilson High School where she was in the starting line-up for all four years, and achieved early success, earning the MVP award at the 1975 and 1976 AAU Junior Olympic Games.
[2] Moore, who commenced her collegiate career with Anderson Junior College for one semester (where she amassed 177 points in eight games), transferred to Francis Marion University, and, because of AIAW rules, she was immediately eligible to play the remainder of the 1975–76 season for the campus's team, the Patriots.
[3] Patriots head coach Sylvia Hatchell reflected on Moore's unique ability to score: "She was outside, inside, she could handle the ball, draw fouls.
Throughout her career with Francis Marion, Moore always scored in double figures, and posted fewer than 20 points in only 18 of her total 128 games, which both testify to her dominance offensively.
Despite a 36-point game from "Machine Gun" Molly Bolin of the Iowa Cornets, the Stars won the championship series behind a 27-point effort by Moore.
Michael Hawkins, who nominated Moore for the latter honor, called her one of college basketball's most prolific scorers and the best player Francis Marion ever produced.