Black Knights roll to 12th win of season
Highlands – From the opening tip, it was all Robbinsville.
With Friday’s trek to Hiwassee Dam postponed due to inclement weather, the Black Knights’ only action of the week came at another Little Smoky Mountain Conference school Monday: a trip to Highlands.
Playing its first game in six days, Robbinsville (12-3) made the most of its foray onto Macon County’s share of the plateau, as three different Knights posted double-digits in the scorebook as part of a 61-41 thrashing of the Highlanders.
“Tonight was really about ball movement,” senior point guard Brock Adams said. “As a team, everyone was sharing the ball and not being selfish. (Assistant coach Adam) Brooks has been telling us to pass the ball more and we’ll get more open shots. That showed tonight.”
Robbinsville exploded for a 9-0 start in the game, with the aggressiveness of Brock Adams, Donovan Carpenter, Bo Rattler and Xander Wachacha all contributing to the cause. Highlands’ Landon Green drained a 3-pointer midway through the first to break up the monotony, but the Black Knights promptly responded with another 9-0 sprint.
Highlands (2-10) pieced together a quick 5-0 flurry to trim the deficit to 18-8 at the outset of the second, but the 10-point spread was the closest the hosts would come to threatening Robbinsville’s attack.
Brock Adams inevitably hit a trio of trey’s in the first half, recording 17 total points on the night to tie junior wing Xander Wachacha for the team lead. Wachacha also kept the perimeter active throughout the victory with a hat trick from beyond the arc, while Carpenter pounded the paint for an eight-point opening segment, helping pad a 14-point evening.
Also scoring were Bryce Adams with 5; Caleb Draper and Rattler, who each hit a 3-pointer; and Quinn Jumper, 2.
With Robbinsville knocking off the rust from a weather-imposed pause, the Knights are poised for the slate ahead: a home game against Cocke County, Tenn., after press time Wednesday, then a pair of Smoky Mountain Conference appointments at Swain County tonight and Cherokee on Tuesday.
Robbinsville is 5-0 after its first run through the conference, but the 3A Fighting Cocks were able to best the Black Knights 63-53 on Jan. 6. Adams is confident the team will leave the return pairing with triumph No. 13.
“The first time was a surprise, honestly: they play with a different ball, a different set of refs and a lot more physical than we’re allowed to play in North Carolina,” Adams said of the first outcome. “I think with them having to travel like we did – plus having to use our ball and our refs – that will make a lot of difference.”
Junior varsity
In the only JV contest of the week, Robbinsville (4-6) defeated Highlands in Monday’s opener, 50-32.
Dane Knott sprinted to the team lead for the Black Knights, putting up 15 points on the Highlanders. Isiac Collins was hot on his heels with 14, while Isaiah Brown posted 7.
Tacking onto the final tally was Luke Lovin, 5; Drake Anderson, 4; Trey Lambert, 3; and Tanner Hedden, 2.