Gary Corsair • Clay County Progress Hayesville sparkplug Breanna Abrams, No. 4, winds her way through Robbinsville traffic.
By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Don’t let the diminutive stature fool you; pound-for-pound, inch-for-inch, Breanna Abrams is one of the toughest basketball players in the state.
Hayesville’s sparkling 5-foot-2 sparkplug proved how big she really is by making three crucial plays in the final minute to lift the Lady Yellow Jackets to a 49-45 victory over visiting Robbinsville in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 1-A playoffs Tuesday, Feb. 27.
Don’t be fooled by Abrams’ baby-face teammate Brooke Graves, who blitzed Robbinsville with “kick butt and take names later” intensity. Graves defended like a solider, cut in and out of the lane like a Mayo Clinic surgeon, passed to teammates with the precision of Tom Brady, rebounded like Rodman, hit a pair of crucial free throws that gave Hayesville a 44-42 lead, had a key rebound with 2:04 remaining, and lit up the scoreboard for a season-high 13 points.
Graves’ wild abandon and “won’t back down to anyone” fearlessness kept Hayesville in contention whenever Robbinsville surged. It was Abrams who delivered the down the homestretch in a contest that was a tilt-a-whirl from the opening tip and a full-blown scrambler by the final minute.
The score was knotted at 44 with 1:11 remaining, but Hayesville ended Robbinsville’s season with heroics by tough-as-nails Abrams, whose body of work in the final minute included a key steal, a crucial rebound on a missed free throw by Robbinsville and two free throws that put Hayesville up, 46-44. She finished with 4 points.
Two freebies by Emma Ashe, who made a much-needed steal with the score tied at 44 with :52 on the clock, and another by Shook in the final :15 clinched Hayesville’s fourth win in as many games against Robbinsville.
“We knew it would be tough just like the first three,” Hayesville Coach Chad McClure stated. “I’m proud of the girls for finding a way to win. I can’t say enough about my staff and players and the work they’ve put in. It’s playoff time — survive and advance.”
Hayesville’s march to victory received a notable boost when Mallory Peck swished 3-of-4 free throws after two technical fouls were assessed by referee Ernie Giles to a Robbinsville player, who suffered a meltdown after she and two Yellow Jackets scrambled for a ball as it went out of bounds early in the fourth quarter.
The double technical amid catcalls and shouts of protest and affirmation that climaxed as the ejected player waved to Hayesville fans and threw kisses as she exited the floor.
“It was a great atmosphere and very intense game. The fans and students were incredible,” McClure remarked.
So were the Lady Jackets. In addition to the huge contributions of Abrams and Graves, Unshakeable Shook did a brilliant job of running the offense and scoring 16 points, Ashe was superb on offense, scored 5 points and hawked Lady Knights ball-handlers relentlessly, Bryleigh Krieger owned the paint like Sherwin Williams and scored 3 points and Jasmine Brooks did her part to keep the ball moving and scored 2.
The victory sends Hayesville, 21-6, into the second round to face host Bishop McGuiness, 23-4 and ranked No. 2, Friday, March 1.