Canton – The Black Knights pulled away from an early 4-4 knot and led until the fourth quarter.
But the spirited effort was not enough.
Coming off a tough 63-53 loss at Cocke County, Tenn., on Friday, Robbinsville (11-3) lost back-to-back games for the first time this season Monday, when Pisgah closed out a 65-58 victory.
The Knights have looked almost invincible for much of the march this year. Even in defeat, the group has refused to be bullied around on the boards, improved its shooting 10-fold and dug deep to display a tenacity not seen in recent history with Robbinsville boys basketball.
And though the lumps have hurt, there has been personal growth. Because even when handed a loss by a 3A school – the Knights have ran the table against 1A competition this season – a big lesson is instilled: these young men can play with any level of competition.
For example, the sluggish start Monday was quickly erased by the work of Xander Wachacha. The junior guard went on a 12-point flurry in the first quarter, which included four steals, three transition baskets and a pair of 3-pointers. Joining the fun in the second was classmate Donovan Carpenter, who had two, first-half blocks to shut down a pair of Pisgah (6-9) hopefuls.
Sophomore guard Dominick Messer heated up for the Black Bears before the break, but Robbinsville stayed one step ahead and led 31-26 at halftime.
Undaunted, Pisgah continued to chip away at the deficit and pulled within one on a Cadden Davis jumper in the third. Senior point guard Brock Adams knocked down a trey for Robbinsville moments later, but the breathing room was temporary – Sawyer Belue hit one from beyond-the-arc with 20 seconds left in the segment to ensure a 44-44 deadlock.
The Bears pulled ahead 47-46 after Belue hit a free throw early in the fourth and even with the Knights staying hot on its heels, Pisgah slowly opened up a 2-3 point spread.
Bo Rattler’s 3 with 3:33 left tied the game again 55-55, but that was the last time Robbinsville would knot the affair. Caden Robinson went 4-for-4 down the stretch from the charity stripe and Brock Adams missed a prayerful 3-pointer with 15 seconds left, which would have trimmed the deficit to 63-61.
All told, Wachacha’s effort on the night resulted in 20 points. Sophomore Bryce Adams had his second double-double in a 3-game span, posting 18 points and 13 rebounds, while Carpenter had 10 points and eight boards.
Mixing into the final outcome was Brock Adams, 7; and Rattler, 3.
Rocky Top blues
Newport, Tenn. – Just an hour outside Knoxville, the Black Knights capped a 4-game set Friday at Cocke County, Tenn.
The Fighting Cocks led from the outset, as Robbinsville needed time to adjust to the climate on the floor. The Knights’ effort was just 17 points in the first half, but Robbinsville came out of its offensive slumber across the final 16 minutes, getting more aggressive on rebounding (7 before halftime; 17 in the second half) and even digging almost out of the hole in the fourth on a Brock Adams 3-pointer, which cut the Cocke County lead to 56-53.
From there, the Knights could not find the net again and in response, the home squad made clutch free throws to help sustain its advantage.
Bryce Adams ultimately led Robbinsville with 14 points, with Brock Adams recording 13 and Rattler posting 12. Also contributing was Wachacha, 7; Carpenter, 6; and Quinn Jumper, 2.
Quick quest
Robbinsville – In the second portion of the Knights’ varsity-only dance with Blue Ridge School (2-8) on Tuesday, Robbinsville dominated from the start, easily dismantling the Bobcats 63-28.
The usual starting-five – Brock Adams, Wachacha, Rattler, Bryce Adams and Carpenter – put up enough effort through the first three quarters that they all grabbed a breather for the entirety of the fourth, giving fans a glimpse at what’s to come for Black Knights’ basketball.
When the dust settled, Wachacha again topped the offense with 17 points. Both Brock and Bryce Adams had 11, while the rest of the breakdown pointed to Nathanael Shope, 8; Carpenter, 6; Rattler, 4; Isaiah Brown and Dane Knott, 2 each; and Jumper, 1.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville (3-6) also suited up for junior-varsity games at Cocke County and Pisgah. The Knights fell 56-28 in Tennessee and 58-25 to the Bears.
Dane Knott lit up the net from outside, draining six for an 18-point afternoon against the Fighting Cocks. Isaiah Brown posted six, while Drake Anderson and Trey Lambert each scored a basket.
Monday’s loss was again led by Knott, who had eight points against Pisgah. Also scoring was Luke Lovin, 7; Dane Daniels, 4; Brown and Lambert, 2 each; and Kasen Buchanan and Logan Callaway, one free throw apiece.