Robbinsville – Completing the season sweep over a fierce conference rival helped the Lady Knights end the week with a feather in their cap.
With senior Aubrie Wachacha doing whatever she pleased on the glass, Robbinsville (12-4, 3-3) finished off its regular-season docket with Murphy (2-13, 0-6) on Tuesday by handing the visitors a 51-46 win.
The game started off at a sluggish pace for both programs. The first basket of the event – a Wachacha putback – came after 3:59 had elapsed; the Lady Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard exactly one minute later, thanks to Saige Kent’s inside jumper.
Following a 6-5 first quarter, Wachacha came to life in the second, with four clean-up jobs and a free throw mixed in. Her effort sparked a 20-10 Robbinsville second, with the Knights building on the momentum in a 12-9 third.
Murphy scurried back on the heels of a 14-2 run to begin the fourth. Back-to-back 3’s from Kennedy White topped off the spurt, with the freshman Bulldog hitting her fourth from outside with 1:30 left to bring the score to 46-44. Needing to sink foul shots to add insurance, Robbinsville benefitted from Delaney Brooms, Suri Watty and Claire Barlow making their trips to the charity stripe count.
Kent later hit a long 2-pointer in the final seconds to round out the final score.
Wachacha’s double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) was followed by Wehr’s 9-point night, in which she also had six rebounds, one assist and one steal. Both Brooms and Watty finished with seven each; Liz Carpenter posted six. Barlow’s five filled out Robbinsville’s effort.
Tuesday’s victory was a nice bounce back from a pair of losses last week: a 75-74 defeat by Hiwassee Dam (14-3) and a tough 79-27 outing against division-leading Cherokee (16-1, 6-0).
It took a 23-point showing from sophomore point guard Brooklyn Hyde to lift the Lady Eagles to their first victory over Robbinsville since prevailing 60-58 on Jan. 8, 2019.
A strong showing in relief from Wehr and Bentley Riggins in the first half was squandered, as the Lady Knights watched a 17-11 lead slip away and Hiwassee Dam carry a 37-35 nod into the break after Hyde’s go-ahead floater with 4:17 left in the second.
The Eagles maintained the advantage through the third, but Robbinsville was unwilling to go down quietly. Hiwassee Dam opened a 15-point lead in the fourth, but a mad rush by the Knights quickly trimmed the deficit.
Carpenter hit a basket with 1:30 left to bring Robbinsville within four; Wachacha returned a missed shot one minute later, but her and-one fell short. Watty later drew a crucial 3-shot foul with six seconds left and hit her first two foul shots, but the potential game-tying freebie was unsuccessful.
Though she did not start, Wehr finished as the Knights’ leading scorer after a 14-point game; she also had six rebounds, three steals and an assist. Carpenter notched 13 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal; Wachacha produced yet another double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) to go with two steals, one assist and one block.
Others to score were Barlow and Watty, 11 each, Riggins 6, Brooms 5 and Anna Williams 2.
The defending conference champs left little doubt about the outcome Friday, as Cherokee started the game on an 8-0 run and used its patented, suffocating press to throw Robbinsville off course.
The end result was a 30-5 first segment and an unforgiving offensive flurry for the remainder.
Wachacha did manage another double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in the loss. Barlow, Carpenter and Watty each recorded three; Brooms and Wehr finished with two each.
Junior varsity
It was a split bill for the JV Lady Knights, who edged Cherokee in a slim 27-23 win Friday; before dropping a 49-23 game to Murphy on Tuesday.
MyKayla McGuire finished with eight points for Robbinsville (5-2) in Friday’s win, leading the offense. Helping out the cause was Riggins 6; Novie Dutcher, Ella McGuire and Williams, 3 each; and both Maleah Cox and Katie-Lyn Gross, 2 apiece.
Cox led Robbinsville with six points against the Bulldogs. Others to score were Gross and MyKayla McGuire, 4 each; Riggins 3; and Dutcher, Chasity Jones and Williams, 2 individual contributions.