Black Knights in title game
Hayesville – Friday’s Smoky Mountain Conference tournament finals will give Robbinsville a chance to win the season series with Andrews.
But so much more is at stake.
Riding the wave of momentum built by a 14-game winning streak, the reigning divisional champions only suffered one black eye in league play this year: a Dec. 19, 51-48 setback on the road against the Wildcats. Robbinsville (No. 1 seed, 19-5) has barely missed a beat since, going 14-3 and collecting its second conference title in three seasons along the way. The Jan. 31 rematch in Graham County was a 56-46 victory for the Knights.
Andrews (No. 3, 19-7) stunned Cherokee (No. 2, 11-8) Tuesday to reach the finals.
So yes, bragging rights are on the line tomorrow night – but so is a high playoff seed: the winner of the tournament is guaranteed a prime spot in the postseason bracket, which is crucial when road trips can be as long as 4-5 hours for a 60-75 minute basketball game.
Robbinsville’s only action in the tournament so far occurred Tuesday, when the Black Knights disposed of Murphy (No. 5, 14-11) in the 76-64 nightcap.
Bryce Adams entered immortality on the first basket of the game, becoming the Knights’ all-time scoring leader on a putback just 26 seconds into the contest. He finished with 17 on the evening and is now at 1,204 overall.
The sharpshooting of Luke Lovin late in the segment helped build more momentum for Robbinsville’s strong first, as the Knights emerged with a 24-14 nod. Transitional buckets in the second from Roman Jones and Darion Ledbetter kept the good vibes rolling, though the Bulldogs were able to chew away at a 35-22 deficit and enter the locker room down 39-30.
A pair of 3’s from Murphy’s top producer Connor Golden made things uneasy in the third, but the Black Knights stayed one step ahead nonetheless. Lovin practically set up shop at the foul line in the fourth, as the Bulldogs entered desperation mode trying to keep their hopes alive. All told, Lovin had 18 points to pace Robbinsville’s offense; he was 11-of-14 from the charity stripe in the final stanza alone.
Also scoring was Jones 10; Dane Knott 9; Ledbetter and Kenyon Swimmer, 7 each; and Isiac Collins and Quinn Jumper, 4 each.
Despite clinching the regular-season crown two days prior, Robbinsville maintained its composure in Feb. 13’s visit to Hayesville, swatting the Jackets 65-49.
Adams posted 18 to lead the Black Knights.
Others to pepper the outcome were Knott 14; Lovin 13; Jones and Swimmer, 7 each; and Collins, Jumper and Ledbetter, 2 apiece.
Junior varsity
The other Smoky Mountain Conference champions from Robbinsville made their tournament debut after Wednesday’s press deadline, but the JV Black Knights (15-3) did polish off the regular season by downing Hayesville 41-22.
Leading the charge was a 16-point afternoon from Eli Lambert. Also scoring was Xamuel Wachacha 11; Elijah Kirkland 6; Bam Nelms 4; and Landon Eddings and Tucker Jones, 2 each.