Junior point guard sets new precedent
Bryson City – This is your reminder that Desta Trammell still has a full year of varsity basketball ahead.
Robbinsville’s junior point guard surpassed the 1,000-point mark Jan. 25 – and now sits at 1,175 – but the feat achieved during Tuesday’s Smoky Mountain Conference semifinal matchup with Cherokee might arguably be a bigger milestone.
The precision to hit even two free throws in a row often escapes players in the heat of the moment. But cool under pressure, Trammell unassumingly trotted to the charity stripe after incurring a hard, 3-point shooting foul. She went 3-for-3, but the middle shot launched her into the state record books. The game was hotly contested – Robbinsville went on to knock off the No. 3-seeded Lady Braves 65-58 – and it was not until after the game that Trammell found out she had surpassed North Buncombe’s Kristy Ray for the most consecutive free-throws made, a record that had stood since 1996. Following Tuesday’s game, Trammell had bumped the record to 45 ... and counting.
“I had no idea. Honestly, I’m glad they didn’t tell me, because I was able to lock in and not feel any pressure,” Trammell said. “It’s been a goal of mine to lock in on my foul shots. As the point guard, you’re going to have the ball in your hands and when it comes crunch time – like it was tonight – you have to make those foul shots.”
A fun trivia note: the former second-place holder – Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, who sank 39 foul shots in a row in 1994 – went on to be the coach of Trammell’s older sister Tacey at UNC-Asheville.
“We’re friends, so I’m going to text her and say, ‘Hey, guess what …’” Trammell said with a laugh.
The win set up Robbinsville (No. 2 seed, 17-5) and Murphy (No. 1, 22-3), with the tournament title on the line.
Tip-off for the monumental contest will be at 6:30 p.m. Friday, at Swain County High School.
“Obviously we want another shot at them,” Trammell pointed out. “We have to come into it like it’s just another game, get focused this week on what we need to do and avoid the mistakes we’ve made in the past.”
Trammell’s aforementioned 3-for-3 trip to the free-throw line started a 7-0 run for Robbinsville in the fourth quarter, with a putback from Zoie Shuler and a quick pick-and-steal by Yeika Jimenez closing out the dash. The run helped the Lady Knights pull away after Cherokee’s Erin Rogers hit a 3-pointer with five minutes to go, cutting the lead to 49-47.
It was the second big run of the game for Robbinsville, which rallied back from a 17-14 deficit at the end of the first with an 11-3 run in the second.
“Things got rocky tonight, but the important thing is that we were able to lock in,” Trammell explained. “We’ve been talking about that, because now that it’s coming that time of the season, games are going to be close and it’s important that we overcome adversity.
In addition to a team-high 27 points, Trammell also recorded four assists, two steals and a rebound. Senior post Halee Anderson notched a double-double, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds, five steals and an assist, while junior shooting guard Kensley Phillips had nine points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Also scoring for Robbinsville was Zoie Shuler 8, Yeika Jimenez 6 and Delaney Brooms 4.
Spoiler alert
Hiwassee Dam – Robbinsville’s vaunted press was on full display in the conclusion of the regular season Feb. 9, as the Lady Knights limited Hiwassee Dam – and dampened the Lady Eagles’ senior night – in a 57-31 victory.
Trammell again led Robbinsville with 16 points, four assists, three steals and one rebound. Jimenez had a double-double, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals, while Phillips recorded eight points, three steals, two rebounds and one assist.
Other Lady Knights to score were Anderson 7, Shuler 6, Brooms 5 and Wachacha 2.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville (No. 4, 0-11) was downed in the junior-varsity girls tournament opener Monday by Murphy (No. 1), 62-20.
Memory Frapp, Jozlyn Garland and Helen Ward scored five points each, knotting up the front-runners of the offense. Both Olivia Stewart and Anna York had two apiece, with Karlee Stewart hitting a foul shot.