Robbinsville boys finish 3rd in standings
Cherokee – In a span of two days, the Robbinsville Black Knights watched their Smoky Mountain Conference title defense slip away.
Though Feb. 7’s non-divisional, Senior Night clash against Blue Ridge School resulted in a decisive 71-36 win, Robbinsville (16-6, 6-4) could not shut down Swain County and Cherokee in the final two showdowns of the regular season.
Playing in rabid atmospheres, the Black Knights fell late against the Maroon Devils on Friday, 65-60; and to the Braves on Tuesday, 74-68.
The loss at Swain County (17-7, 7-3) was detrimental to Robbinsville’s chances of repeating as divisional champs, but the Knights entered Tuesday with a chance to play spoiler at Cherokee (13-8, 7-3), which was still in the running for the conference crown.
Thanks to a hot start from Bryce Adams – who had five defensive rebounds, two steals and three assists alone in the first quarter – the Knights had plenty of chances to take an early lead. Robbinsville led 23-17 after the first, but the Braves had raced back and tied the affair 33-all by halftime. The see-saw battle continued throughout the third, but a pair of 8-point segments courtesy of Darion Ledbetter and Kenyon Swimmer managed to tilt the score in favor of Robbinsville by the outset of the fourth, 56-54.
Cherokee’s Jack Teesateskie warmed up in the second half, though and the Knights could not isolate the offensive threat. He swished 20 of his Braves-leading 25 points through the net after intermission, including four long-range jumpers. Down the stretch, Teesateskie was responsible for clutch baskets that nudged Cherokee past Robbinsville in the closing minutes; the Knights’ shooting cooled at the wrong time, scoring just 12 in the final period.
Ledbetter emerged from the outpour with a Robbinsville-best 16 points, while also tacking on six rebounds and five steals. Swimmer put up 15 points, four rebounds and a steal; Adams finished with a double-double (14 points, 13 rebounds), as well as three assists and two steals. Others to score for the Black Knights were Donovan Carpenter 12, Dane Knott 7, and both Roman Jones and Nathanael Shope with 2 each.
Scoring leaders from Friday’s loss at Swain County were not received by Wednesday’s press deadline.
The lopsided win over Blue Ridge School (4-18) was semi-competitive early on, with the visiting Bobcats hanging tough in the first quarter and only trailing Robbinsville 22-15. In response, the Black Knights raced away with the victory on the strength of a 19-8 second period and a 20-7 fourth.
Carpenter muscled ahead with the team lead against Blue Ridge, turning in a double-double of his own (18 points, 10 rebounds) to go with four assists, three steals and a block. Knott finished with 10 points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist, with Ledbetter mixing in nine points, three rebounds, three steals and an assist.
Filling out the scoreline for Robbinsville were Adams and Swimmer with 8 each, Quinn Jumper 6, Nathan Frederick and Shope with 4 apiece, and Isaiah Brown and Trey Lambert put up a basket each.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville finished the JV regular season 9-5, after splitting the bill with Swain County and Cherokee.
The Knights downed the Maroon Devils 55-44. Isiac Collins’ 25 points led Robbinsville, but he was followed closely behind by Frederick’s 21. Kasen Buchanan and Everett Taylor recorded 4 each, while Slade Freeman sank a foul shot.
In Tuesday’s matchup with Cherokee, Robbinsville fell 53-39. Frederick led the way with 17 points, eight rebounds and one steal, while Collins posted his own double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds), plus four assists, four steals and one block. Others scoring for the Knights were Buchanan 4, Taylor 3, and both Tristan Blevins and Tucker Jones connected for a bucket each.