Black Knights still battling for playoff spot
Robbinsville – Tuesday’s 62-47 home victory was crucial.
Not only was it the Robbinsville Black Knights’ (7-4, 5-4) first win over the Cherokee Braves (6-4, 5-4) since Jan. 27, 2017 – a 53-50 home triumph – but it also moved Robbinsville solely into third place in the Smoky Mountain Conference.
With so much riding on the conference getting two automatic playoff bids – and no conference tournament this year, due to COVID-19 – the Knights’ third-place standing could mean a wild-card playoff berth, which is used by the state to fill out the postseason bracket once all automatic qualifiers are seeded.
“We’ve really improved, no question,” said Robbinsville head coach Jake Beasley. “They’ve hung in there all year and who knows what’s to come?”
But the task ahead is daunting. Swain makes a visit to Graham County on Friday, before the Knights finish the regular season at Andrews on Tuesday and against a team that pushed Robbinsville to overtime earlier this year – Murphy – on Thursday, Feb. 18.
“At the start of the year, we set a goal to win the Smoky Mountain Conference and make the state playoffs,” Beasley said. “It’s in reach; we just have to take care of business over the next three games.”
Robbinsville stayed one step ahead of Cherokee all night Tuesday, opening a 15-9 lead after one quarter and leading 29-27 at the break. Though the Braves enjoyed an early third-quarter lead, the Knights pulled back ahead 40-39 on a pair of Drey Keener foul shots with 39 seconds left. Robbinsville carried the margin into the final eight minutes and continued to pile on, using a combination of five team steals and a 92-percent success rate at the free-throw line to limit Cherokee to just eight points.
The Knights raced away from Nantahala (2-8) after an even tilt for much of the first quarter, picking up a sizeable 87-41 victory over the Hawks on Friday.
Jackets triumph
Hayesville – With a season-opening loss to the defending conference champions still weighing heavily on their mind, the Black Knights traveled to Clay County for the rematch Saturday and for the first half, seemed destined to conquer the undefeated Jackets (11-0, 9-0).
But an 11-0 start for Robbinsville slowly faded away, with Hayesville battling back to end the third period in a 34-34 tie and pulling away late to dash the Knights’ effort, 56-51.
“When I walked into the locker room, I knew we were going to play good. I just had a gut feeling,” Beasley noted. “This team has unreal heart. They’re never going to quit.”
Junior varsity
Robbinsville’s unbeaten junior varsity season rolled on, as the Black Knights (8-0) defeated Hayesville 53-49 on Saturday and Cherokee 50-37 on Tuesday.
Leading the Knights’ offense at Hayesville was Xander Wachacha, who finished the game with 23 points. Carpenter amassed 16 points in the win, with Bo Rattler (10 points) and C.J. Ornelas (4 points) rounding out the scoreline.
Against the Braves, Wachacha connected for 31 points. Carpenter had 10, with Andrew Thacker’s 6 points and Ornelas’ 3 filling out the final tally.