Lengthy run leads to Knights victory
Rosman – Simply put, Robbinsville made the shots it needed to; Rosman could not buy a basket.
What started as an 13-10 Rosman lead quickly dwindled in the second quarter of Friday’s road affair, as the Black Knights (5-3, 4-3) would stretch a run of 14 unanswered points for the remainder of the second quarter into a 30-0 tally by the midpoint of the third, with Robbinsville putting the throttle on cruise control and knocking off the Tigers, 61-20.
“I challenged our guys to not come out flat, after a huge win versus Murphy (a 62-60, overtime victory Jan. 26),” explained Robbinsville head coach Jake Beasley. “We knew that it is a tough place to play – after the bus ride up there – and we missed some shots in the first quarter, so our confidence dropped a little bit. But at the end of the first, I challenged them to keep the energy up and bring it on defense; that the shots would fall eventually.
“No matter the level you’re playing at, a 30-0 run is very tough to do. That is a testament to the work ethic of these kids, no question.”
The Knights can attribute much of the offensive shift to defensive rebounds in the second, as the team collectively snagged eight missed Rosman shots to keep the Tigers at-bay.
By the fourth, Robbinsville had gotten into such a groove that Rosman was shut out in the final eight minutes, as the Knights dug deep into their rotation and still scored 16 points down the stretch.
“The bench played big minutes and when they went into the game, we didn’t miss a beat,” Beasley added. “The confidence is growing quickly with this team and we could be very dangerous coming down the final stretch of the season.
“Everyone had a lot of fun during the game and I felt like it was the best energy we’ve had, whether that be from the people on the floor, or the bench.”
Junior varsity
Perfection continued for Robbinsville’s junior varsity squad, as the Knights (6-0) toppled Rosman 44-28.
Xander Wachacha dropped 23 points in the victory over the Tigers. Also scoring was Donovan Carpenter 9, Andrew Thacker 6 and Michael Green, C.J. Ornelas and Koleson Dooley recording a bucket apiece.
Tuesday’s scheduled road games at Hayesville was postponed until Saturday, due to inclement weather.