NCHSAABB

Robbinsville senior Kensley Phillips (right) drives past Brevard’s Shaniya Cook during Dec. 29’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Invitational appointment with the Lady Devils. The Lady Knights’ shooting guard was all over the floor in the lopsided victory, picking up her first career triple-double in the process. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville senior Kensley Phillips (right) drives past Brevard’s Shaniya Cook during Dec. 29’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Invitational appointment with the Lady Devils. The Lady Knights’ shooting guard was all over the floor in the lopsided victory, picking up her first career triple-double in the process. Photos by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Repetition is key

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, January 5, 2023
  Sylva – It takes a lot of chips falling into place for any basketball player to record a triple-double. For such a polished, versatile athlete like Kensley Phillips, everything clicked from the opening tip of Dec. 29’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Invitational finale for Robbinsville.
Delaney Brooms (right) keeps pace with Murphy’s Amber Martin during Robbinsville’s Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament finals showdown with the Lady Bulldogs on Friday. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Delaney Brooms (right) keeps pace with Murphy’s Amber Martin during Robbinsville’s Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament finals showdown with the Lady Bulldogs on Friday. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Total dominance

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Robbinsville – Now that’s how you put the rest of the playoff picture on notice. In what can only be described as a lopsided affair, the Robbinsville Lady Knights (No. 13 seed, 18-6) began Tuesday’s first-round postseason pairing with Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (No.

Dream on

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
Hiwassee Dam – Robbinsville’s magical season will continue. A back-and-forth outing in the first round of the state playoffs Tuesday at Hiwassee Dam tilted in favor of the Black Knights late, with Robbinsville knocking off the No. 8-seeded Eagles, 61-53.
Robbinsville sophomore Donovan Carpenter drives to the paint during Feb. 12's Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament quarterfinal against Cherokee. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville sophomore Donovan Carpenter drives to the paint during Feb. 12's Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament quarterfinal against Cherokee. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Black Knights continue magical run through playoffs

Kevin Hensley
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Concord — Content with the role they were assigned, the Robbinsville Black Knights fought tooth and nail to remain the postseason picture Thursday. Sadly, a strong fourth quarter from Carolina International (No. 9 seed, 19-9) doused Robbinsville’s (No.
Robbinsville senior Yeika Jimenez guards Murphy's Addie Johnson during Friday's Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament finals at Swain County High School. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Robbinsville senior Yeika Jimenez guards Murphy's Addie Johnson during Friday's Smoky Mountain Conference Tournament finals at Swain County High School. Photo by Kevin Hensley/sports@grahamstar.com

Lady Knights continue quest for state championship

Kevin Hensley
Sunday, February 20, 2022
Spencer — The Robbinsville Lady Knights saw their 2021-22 season come to an end Thursday night, as they watched a halftime lead over North Rowan slip away in a 78-64 loss. Both Desta Trammell and Yeika Jimenez put up a team-high 18 points for Robbinsville (No. 13 seed).
It was another history-making night Tuesday for Robbinsville junior Desta Trammell, who shattered the state consecutive free-throw record during the semifinals of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament against Cherokee.

It was another history-making night Tuesday for Robbinsville junior Desta Trammell, who shattered the state consecutive free-throw record during the semifinals of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament against Cherokee.

Rewriting history

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, February 17, 2022
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.
Robbinsville senior Gabby Hooper (right) looks to outpace Murphy’s Kaiya Pickens during Saturday’s third-round playoff matchup. Photo by Montana Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Robbinsville senior Gabby Hooper (right) looks to outpace Murphy’s Kaiya Pickens during Saturday’s third-round playoff matchup. Photo by Montana Buchanan/Robbinsville High School Yearbook

Lady Knights fall in sectional final

Kevin Hensley
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Robbinsville – The Lady Knights held all the cards: home-court advantage, two wins over their opponent earlier this year and a wave of momentum coming off a huge road victory Feb. 25. But it was not meant to be. Robbinsville (No. 8 seed, 15-2) fell 49-37 to the visiting Murphy Lady Bulldogs (No.

And ... on to Round 2!

Kevin Hensley
Friday, February 26, 2021
Robbinsville – Two Lady Knights hit 10 3’s. The defense took care of the rest. Robbinsville (14-1, No. 8 seed) trounced the visiting Chatham Charter (8-3, No. 9) Lady Knights 78-41, thanks largely to a 33-point game from Desta Trammell and a 15-point night by Kensley Phillips, both sophomores.

All good things must come to an end

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Pilot Mountain – If not for a lethargic second quarter, Robbinsville very well could have advanced to the third round of the state playoffs. But the Lady Knights (No. 13 seed, 22-7) ran into offensive trouble at East Surry (No. 4 seed, 20-6) on Feb.

Like the Phoenix, the Lady Knights will rise

Kevin Hensley
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Robbinsville – It was the very definition of a “team win.” The Robbinsville Lady Knights (No. 13 seed, 22-6) put other teams in the 1A playoff bracket on-notice Tuesday night, exploding in the second-half to topple the Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy Lady Phoenix (No.