Robbinsville – With 1:30 left before halftime, Tucker Jones drove into the paint and put up a floater that sank through the basket, giving the middle school Black Knights a 25-24 lead over Cherokee.
From that point forward, Robbinsville scored just 15 more points in the game.
Though the Knights carried a 27-26 advantage into the break, the visiting Braves recouped nicely in the second half, pulling away on the strength of a 17-0 run that stretched across the third and fourth quarters en route to a 70-40 win.
Robbinsville (5-3) trailed 17-7 near the end of the opening period, but a quick offensive flurry soon trimmed the deficit to six. Jones dropped a basket, before a thrifty steal by Eli Lambert was handed off to Bam Nelms, who gladly scored at the buzzer.
Building off the momentum, the Knights outpaced Cherokee 18-9 in the second, but the offense began to falter in the third. The Braves pulled back ahead and later expanded a 37-35 lead on a 17-point outburst.
Xamuel Wachacha led Robbinsville with 14 points, while tacking on four rebounds, three steals and two assists across the game. Jones had eight points and four boards, with Lambert settling on the evening by recording seven points, three steals and two assists.
Also scoring was Nelms, 6; Landon Eddings and Elijah Kirkland, 2 apiece; and Easton Shuler, 1.
The Lady Knights could do little to contain Cherokee in Monday’s opener, with the Braves starting the game on a 12-0 run and eventually picking up a 56-16 win.
Robbinsville (4-4) was simply unable to match up to the disciplined Lady Braves – including center Joscelyn Stamper, who stretched over the Knights for 2nd, 3rd and 4th-chance rebounds all evening.
Zaelyn Phillips had a team-best six points for Robbinsville, with three rebounds and an assist to her credit. Cassidy Sudderth scored four, while also plucking two steals and a rebound. Chloe Adams, Bella Coats and Ella Nelms each scored two, to round out the scoreline.
Eagles plucked
Ranger – Robbinsville feasted on the Hiwassee Dam/Ranger Eagles in a Dec. 1 road tilt, with the Lady Knights prevailing 22-18 and the Black Knights cruising to a 56-33 triumph.
Adams led the middle-school girls’ effort with seven points. Also scoring was Phillips, 6; Zayleigh Chekeleelee, Novie Dutcher, MyKayla McGuire and Sudderth, with a bucket each; and Zirriyah Wachacha, 1.
Nelms unleashed a team-best 15 points for the Black Knights in their victory. Following in the score column was Lambert, 11; Wachacha, 9; Tristan Blevins and Jones, with 6 each; Kirkland, 4; Braylen Blevins, 3; and Eddings, 2.