Robbinsville – It took the Lady Knights a full quarter to get their offensive engines roaring.
Starmount was left in their dust.
In what could be the final home game for Robbinsville (No. 13, 18-8) this season, the Lady Knights shot right past the visitors from Boonville on Tuesday, overcoming a 12-10 deficit at the end of the first to lead 33-29 at the break and piling on 50 more in the second half to stifle their first-round adversaries, 83-60.
“I feel like we definitely started off slow, especially on the defensive end,” said senior Desta Trammell, who ran her career-point total up to 1,838, while mixing in a pair of sevens in assists and steals.
“We were not playing like the team we were when playing for the Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament championship.
“But after halftime, we all came alive and it started with our defense. We were able to get some fast breaks and get to the foul line.”
Starmount (No. 20, 14-13) benefitted immensely from its leading scorer this year: forward Morgan Pinnix, who proved to be tough to defend while in the game. Pinnix found herself in foul trouble early, opening up the interior for Robbinsville in the second. Trammell started doing Trammell things – inside drives for lay-ups, steals and several good reads on passes for assists – and the momentum soon altered its course, in favor of Robbinsville.
In fact, the first quarter was the only one in which the Knights scored under 20 points.
With two minutes left in the blowout, head coach Lucas Ford lifted his starters and Trammell, Kensley Phillips and Fala Welch – the three Robbinsville seniors this year – walked off the floor to a thunderous ovation from the home crowd.
“Things got pretty chippy at the end, but we all made sure to keep our composure because it would hurt us bad if one of us were to get suspended,” Trammell said. “I’m proud of everyone for waking up after halftime tonight, but that game is over.”
Indeed, the victory moves Robbinsville onto the second round of the postseason – and the task ahead will not be easy.
A 4 ½-hour trek to Albemarle (No. 4, 22-4) awaits the Lady Knights. Tip-off for tonight’s game had not been confirmed by press time Wednesday.
“We have to fully focus on Thursday’s game and be sure to not look ahead, because one loss could send us home,” Trammell noted.
Finals heartbreaker
Andrews – No one in the Smoky Mountain Conference was able to slay the Cherokee Lady Braves this season.
But Robbinsville – by far – came the closest to completing the quest.
Cherokee (23-3, No. 1 tournament seed) was the first divisional test for the Knights this year, making the trip to Graham County on Dec. 13 and delivering an unwelcome 78-59 loss to Robbinsville (No. 2 seed). The return affair at Cherokee on Jan. 24 ended with an even-larger margin of victory for the Braves, 77-50.
Friday, Robbinsville lost 72-71 in the finals of the conference tournament … in overtime.
“You couldn’t have asked for a greater effort out of a group. I thought we played as clean and as good as we could play,” said Lady Knights head coach Lucas Ford. “I felt like we really controlled the fourth quarter.
Cutting down the scoring gap was another resounding presence inside from Wachacha and Carpenter, who posted respective 19- and 15-point showings against a team that had been dominant in the paint against Robbinsville all year. Wachacha also had her second double-double of the tournament, clearing 11 rebounds.
Trammell – who also recorded her second-consecutive double-double, recording 10 assists – surpassed the 1,800-point mark on the overtime-clinching layup with two seconds left in regulation, but uncharacteristically fouled out early in the extra segment. This shoved Phillips into the role of point guard and – coupled with a Trammell free throw and a Watty three – the tenacious senior connected for a basket in overtime.
But Phillips was rang up on a block attempt with 20 seconds left to play and Whitney Rogers went 1-for-2 at the line. Wachacha snagged the rebound on the miss and Robbinsville drove quickly to the basket – only to be denied, via turnover.
The Lady Knights spent the remainder of the deciding frame trying to foul on the other end of the floor, but nary a whistle sounded: only the final buzzer.
“We had some unfortunate things happen that took the game out of the kids’ hands,” said Ford. “But as far as the effort, grit, determination and progress goes, this has been one of the funniest groups we have ever coached. We’re excited about where we are right now. They’re hungry and they want more.”
Cherokee remained poised inside and out, with Rogers dropping three from outside and finishing with 19 to lead the Braves. Loshi Ward also hit a trio from beyond the arc – posting 11 on the evening – while Dvdaya Swimmer sent 17 through the net.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville (6-8, No. 2) was rewarded with an appearance in the junior-varsity finals as well, but could not stunt the speed and size of Cherokee (No. 1) in a 50-15 loss Feb. 16.
Still, Ford is ecstatic about the growth of the next Lady Knights’ superstars this season.
“The progress from the beginning to the end has been incredible,” said Ford. “We went from not winning a JV game in three years to reaching the conference-tournament finals.
“There’s a lot of excitement in Graham County for Robbinsville girls basketball right now.”
Katie-Lyn Gross led Robbinsville with six points, eight rebounds and one steal. Anna York had four points, three steals and two rebounds, while Maleah Cox recorded three points and three rebounds.
Kiara Swartz’s two points applied the final polish on the scorebook.