Robbinsville – If the first four games of the year are any indication, the Black Knights are going to give fans a similar experience to the 2022-23 season: a roller-coaster ride of emotion, each time a ticket is purchased to watch them live.
After cruising to an 83-21 win over Nantahala to begin the docket Dec. 5, the Knights have rattled off three more wins: a 63-57 home triumph over Smoky Mountain on Dec. 7; a 60-48 victory at Highlands on Friday; and a 48-44 road achievement over the Copper Basin Cougars on Tuesday.
Robbinsville (4-0) doubled Smoky Mountain’s output in the first quarter Dec. 7 and had even built a 15-point advantage by halftime. But the Knights ultimately had to contend with Ben Brown, who came to life for the Mustangs in the third with a quick 9-0 run (a 3-point play, followed by back-to-back trey’s, which cut Robbinsville’s lead down to 44-40 in the blink of an eye).
But in a display of the same on-court poise and team mentality that led the Black Knights to the Smoky Mountain Conference title last year, Robbinsville proved it was unwilling to secede the momentum. After Brown’s outburst, aggressive work on the glass and speedy defense from Bryce Adams, Donovan Carpenter and Kenyon Swimmer helped spark a 10-0 run for the Knights as the third-quarter clock wound down.
Robbinsville continued to answer to Brown’s offensive attack in the fourth, as even his 25-point night was not enough to lift Smoky Mountain (1-6) to the win.
On the road
A trip to Highlands followed the next night, where the outcome was never in doubt.
Robbinsville led 23-13 after the first quarter and though Highlands (2-7) kept pace in the second – trailing 34-26 at the pause – the Knights came out of the locker room energized and held the Highlanders in check during the third, building a 13-7 segment to put the game out-of-reach.
The Black Knights did find themselves in a joust Tuesday, as Copper Basin held firm on its home court with an 11-11 tie at the end of the first.
But a 13-4 second stanza for Robbinsville was enough to derail the Cougars’ hopes for an upset, even after outscoring the Knights 17-12 in the third and matching them point-for-point in the fourth quarter.
Junior varsity
Robbinsville (0-1) suffered a tough 65-31 loss to Smoky Mountain to begin its junior-varsity boys season Dec. 7.
Isiac Collins’ 12-point afternoon led the Black Knights.
Also scoring was Kyzik Teesateskie 9; Nathan Frederick 6; and Kasen Buchanan and Tucker Jones, 2 each.