Second-half defense key in Black Knights victory
Andrews – Time and time again, it is proven that defense wins ball games.
After surrendering 35 points in Monday’s road tangle with Andrews, the Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights (6-3) held the hosting Wildcats to a mere nine points in the second half, while speeding back from a 35-28 halftime deficit to prevail 49-44.
Four different players pushed their way into double digits for Robbinsville. Owen Blevins, Dane Knott and Luke Lovin contributed 11 points each to the final outcome, while Isiac Collins had 10. Tillman Adams, Dane Daniels and Kyzik Teesateskie posted two apiece.
However, the Lady Knights were unable to capture the same fourth-quarter magic that led to a 20-17 win over Andrews on Nov. 4, as Robbinsville (1-7) fell 40-28 on Monday.
Abby Wehr dropped 15 points on the Lady Wildcats, leading the Knights’ offense.
Also scoring was Novie Dutcher 4, Zaelyn Chekeleelee 3 and Chloe Adams, Katie Lyn Gross and Anna Williams with 2 each.
Braves sweep Knights
Cherokee – As Robbinsville began working its way through the second half of the schedule, both programs were stymied once again by the Cherokee Braves.
The Lady Knights fell 61-17 in the Dec. 2 opener, while the Black Knights were handed a 55-38 loss. The girls put up nine points in the first quarter – to Cherokee’s 23 – but a repeated cycle of bad passing and a speedy Lady Braves’ defense held the Lady Knights to just eight more points across the remaining three segments.
Wehr’s eight points led the scoreline. Gross, MyKayla McGuire, Zaelyn Phillips and Cassidy Sudderth had a bucket apiece, with Adams sinking a foul shot.
Both offenses in the boys matchup were held to a mere four points in the first quarter, before both the Knights and Braves woke up in the second. However, Cherokee outscored Robbinsville 23-13 in the stanza and, despite an improved effort on the boards, the Knights could not trim the deficit to any less than nine in the second half.
Knott’s 12 points led the Robbinsville offense. Also scoring was Blevins 8, Collins 7, Adams 6, Benny Moose 3 and Lovin 2.