Robbinsville – Four games in as many school days kept the local high school basketball stars busy.
In the case of the Lady Knights, the hectic slate was kickstarted with Robbinsville (7-8, 3-2) exacting a measure of revenge on Highlands (11-8), which robbed the Lady Knights of success in the season opener. After three quarters of back-and-forth jostling, Robbinsville shut down the visitors in its only home game of the week to pick up a 42-34 victory Jan. 23.
Highlands started the game on a 5-0 run, broken up by Claire Barlow dropping a pair of free throws. The Highlanders led 8-6 at the end of the segment, but the Knights pulled back ahead and carried a 16-14 lead into the locker room. The third stanza ended in a 32-32 stalemate.
Liz Carpenter led Robbinsville with 15 points. She also mixed in six rebounds, three steals and an assist. Suri Watty had 11 points and snagged two rebounds, while while Bentley Riggins added seven points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Also scoring for the Lady Knights were Zaelyn Phillips 5; and both Barlow and Abby Wehr, 2 each.
Road opener
Cherokee – The Lady Braves went from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds to open up Robbinsville’s 3-game road trip Friday, sprinting to a 14-0 lead in the first 2:30 of the affair and holding the accelerator to the floor until the final buzzer in a 96-30 win over the Lady Knights.
Against Cherokee (14-2, 5-0), Carpenter again paced the Lady Knights with a 15-point effort. She also pulled down nine boards and had one assist. Phillips scored four, but had five rebounds and an assist, while Riggins also had four points.
Rounding out the scoreline was Barlow 3; Wehr 2; and both Watty and Katie-Lyn Gross, one foul shot each.
Offensive struggles
Copperhill, Tenn. – In a return meeting from Robbinsville’s come-from-behind, 52-49 win over Copper Basin (8-8) on Dec. 10, the Lady Knights struggled both offensively and defensively.
The Lady Cougars crashed the boards effectively throughout Monday’s proceedings, disrupting Robbinsville’s attempts to get into a groove and holding the Knights to just eight points in the first half. The end result was a 47-21 loss for Robbinsville.
Carpenter put up 10 points and added two rebounds to the final outcome. Both Riggins and Wehr each deposited four points, with Riggins pulling down seven boards and Wehr snagging four rebounds, two steals and an assist, while Claire Barlow hit a long-ranger in the fourth to go with four rebounds, two steals and an assist of her own.
Down, Dogs: down
Murphy – The Knights overcame a lethargic start Tuesday night, scoring 15 unanswered points across the first and second quarters to collect a 54-27 win over Murphy (8-10, 1-3).
A pair of 3’s from Lady Bulldogs’ Emma Laney and Kennedy White had the home stands thundering, but Robbinsville quickly silenced the detractors by dropping four straight to cap the opening segment and beginning the second on an 11-0 run. Watty busted a pair of trey’s and sank two free throws to firmly shift the momentum into Robbinsville’s corner, though the entire team joined in on the changing tide and helped limit Murphy to just five more points before halftime.
Firmly in control, Robbinsville outscored the Bulldogs 21-7 in the third and then completed blanked the hosts in the final segment.
Carpenter put up 20 to lead the Lady Knights once more. Watty finished with 14, while Phillips delivered seven to the net.
Also scoring was Riggins and Wehr, 5 each; and Barlow 2.
Junior varsity
A reinvigorated Lady Knights program took the floor for the 4-game opener Friday, as Robbinsville (3-4) won the junior varsity girls game 45-36 at Cherokee.
MyKayla McGuire led Robbinsville’s offense with 11 points, while Novie Dutcher and Ella McGuire each scored 10. Others adding to the final outcome were Chasity Jones 8; and Emery Beasley, Bella Coats and Tiara Welch, 2 each.
Robbinsville found itself playing catch-up at Murphy on Tuesday, with the Knights unable to pull ahead and falling 45-33.
Scoring for the Knights was led by Welch, who posted eight. Others contributing were Jones and Ella McGuire, 6 each; MyKayla McGuire 5; Dutcher 4; and both Beasley and Coats, 1 apiece.