Andrews – Admittedly, it took Robbinsville’s inside game over half the season to become confident.
It’s not like the size (junior power-forward Aubrie Wachacha is 6-foot-2) or the athleticism (sophomore small-forward Liz Carpenter is a 3-sport athlete for the Knights) wasn’t there; it just took the two embracing their God-given talents.
But when they did, opponents who dared to enter the paint quickly ran into a recurring nightmare.
The latest team that incurred a sleepless night was Murphy. Though the Lady Knights had swept the season series against the Lady Bulldogs, Robbinsville (No. 2 seed, 17-7) wanted one final parting shot – and though it took overcoming an 11-point deficit at halftime, the deed was done.
Carpenter (17 points) and Wachacha (16) both moved around on the interior at-will throughout Tuesday’s Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament semifinal. Coupled with the outside work of seniors Desta Trammell (25) and Kensley Phillips (14), all Murphy (No. 3, 11-14) could do was watch the midway advantage slip away, as Robbinsville delivered a slew of broken hearts on Valentine’s Day, 76-69.
“Every time we play Murphy, it’s very emotional,” Wachacha said. “The first half, I did really bad, but once I got a few points, I felt fine.”
“The same thing happened last time; they were beating us at halftime,” Carpenter pointed out. “We knew we were going to lose if we didn’t get more aggressive; we kind of acted like we didn’t want the win.”
The Bulldogs’ hot start was largely thanks to Addie Johnson’s six buckets from outside the arc in the first half, as well as Lailee Holloway’s inside jumpers. Robbinsville only trailed 18-16 at the end of the first, but could not cool off Murphy down the stretch – as even Lochlan Rogers launched a hope at the halftime buzzer that sank through the net, sending the Knights into the locker room in a 41-30 hole. Trammell dished out five of her team-best 12 assists in the third quarter, exposing the flaw in Murphy’s gameplan to contain the senior point guard that now sits at 1,776 for her career.
Carpenter had warmed up to the contest in the second quarter – hitting 10 inside – but Wachacha was awakened by Trammell’s passes and ultimately had an 8-point segment, with four rebounds. Phillips hit back-to-back attempts from the corner and suddenly, the affair was tied 55-55.
The difference in the fourth? Robbinsville stuck to what was working; Murphy could not adjust.
But the Lady Knights are not through. Redemption could be just around the corner, as the win sets up a tournament-final pairing with Cherokee (No. 1 seed, 22-3), which will take place at 6 p.m. Friday at Andrews High School.
The Lady Braves are the only team to defeat Robbinsville in divisional play this season.
“It’s a big game, so we’ll have to have our heads in a good place and play like we’re capable of,” said Wachacha.
“We have to slow the game down; they’re fast, everybody knows that,” Carpenter added. “We match up with them pretty well; we just have to get out of our heads and play.”
Junior varsity
Robbinsville (No. 3 seed, 6-7) sprinted away with the lead in Tuesday’s junior-varsity girls’ tournament opener against Hayesville (No. 2), giving up a scant two points in the first half and piling on in a 44-7 win.
Katie-Lyn Gross dominated inside for the Lady Knights, sending up 18 points. Anna York had 10, while Maleah Cox landing eight. Anna Williams’ six and Kadence Howell’s two rounded out the drubbing.
The Lady Knights face Cherokee (No. 1) for the JV girls tournament championship at 6 p.m. tonight.