Lady Knights pick up conference victory
Robbinsville – Through four Smoky Mountain Conference games this season, the varsity Lady Knights have outscored their opponents 237-133.
Behind a 25-point performance from junior point guard Desta Trammell on Friday night, Hayesville rapidly became the latest Robbinsville foe to fall. An early deficit dissipated quickly, with the Lady Knights cruising to a 64-38 win over the Lady Jackets.
“I feel like we are finally starting to really come together,” Trammell said. “One of our main focuses these past couple of weeks is the third quarter and not letting up during it. We have done a great job focusing on finishing the last few games.
“We have a lot to work on – and improve on – but I know we will be able to do it.”
Robbinsville (7-4, 3-1) needed a few minutes to crank up its offense, with Hayesville (5-7, 1-3) limiting the Lady Knights to a single foul shot from Halee Anderson in the opening three minutes. Obviously unsatisfied by the turn of events, Robbinsville soon reversed its fortunes with a 14-0 run to race ahead, with Trammell hitting a trio of 3-pointers to help widen the margin.
Trammell finished the game with a team-best 25 points, which pushed her to 913 for her career.
“Although it’s very exciting to know that I have passed it (900 career points), I am going to remain focused on the team’s success, rather than mine individually,” Trammell said. “There is no way that I would be in this position, point-wise, if it wasn’t for them.”
Following the first-half outburst, Robbinsville went on a 22-13 run in the second segment and never looked back, even holding the Jackets to just five points in the fourth quarter.
To go with Trammels’ 25 points, senior center Yeika Jimenez posted 13 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two assists. Anderson’s evening wrapped up with nine points, four rebounds and a steal.
Also scoring for the Knights were Zoie Shuler 7, Kensley Phillips and Aubrie Wachacha with 4 each, and Montana Buchanan 2.
Difference-maker
Weaverville – Entering the fourth quarter of the Jan. 5 road battle with North Buncombe (7-4), Robbinsville had broken a 29-29 halftime stalemate to lead 48-40.
But forward Devon Davis had other plans for the home-standing Lady Blackhawks, scoring nine of North Buncombe’s 17 points in the final stanza.
Though Jimenez hit a pair of long-range shots in the fourth – compiling a team-leading 19 points overall – Robbinsville’s offense otherwise could not find the basket, as the Blackhawks prevailed 57-54.
Jimenez’s 19-point evening was mixed with eight rebounds, four steals and two assists. Trammell and Anderson had 11 each, with Shuler recording eight and Phillips dropping five.
Junior varsity
The Lady Knights’ lone junior-varsity action of the week came at North Buncombe, a game Robbinsville (0-5) dropped 52-9.
Helen Ward led the Knights with four points, eight rebounds, three steals and one block. Memory Frapp had three points, four rebounds, three steals and one assist, while Christina Jenkins added two points, two rebounds and an assist.