By Gary Corsair
Sports Writer
Hayesville’s varsity girls basketball team did an admirable job of containing the Smoky Mountain Conference’s best player last Friday, but solving the problem of largely unheralded Aubrie Wachacha was another matter.
Robbinsville repeatedly pounded the ball inside to their tallest player in the first quarter and Wachacha, 6-foot-1, responded with Robbinsville’s first 6 points to give the Lady Knights a lead they never lost in a 55-29 win.
Wachacha scored 10 points in the opening quarter. Hayesville, as a team, tallied 6.
By then, the best player in the SMC, Desta Trammel, was looking to score. By halftime Trammel had 13, compared to Hayesville’s 12, Robbinsville as a team had 31.
Trammel finished with 19 and the Lady Yellow Jackets made her work for just about every point.
On the other end of the hardwood, Hayesville struggled to score. The Lady Jackets were 9 of 29 from the floor, 2 of 9 from distance, and 5 of 12 from the line.
Brooke Graves had the best shooting eye. She made 2 of 2 from the field for 4 points.
Ava Shook was also on target. She made 2 of 4 from the floor for 5 points. Briley Clampitt was good for 3 of 8 and six markers. She also pulled down three boards and made two steals. Bryleigh Krieger canned her lone shot from the field. She also had three boards.
The shots may not have been falling for the other Lady Jackets, but each and every player contributed.
Lila Roberts had three steals to go with 6 points, two boards, and two assists. Breanna Abrams had a team-high five rebounds and 2 points. Emma Ashe led Haysville with four steals, 3 points and two rebounds.
The Lady Yellow Jackets were also hampered by a slow start last Tuesday when Cherokee came calling.
Cherokee 64,
Hayesville 22
Cherokee is a very good basketball team; possibly a Final Four team.
That was obvious as the Braves sprinted to a 16-2 first-quarter lead with aggressive defense that forced eight turnovers that kept the visitor’s fast break pumping.
Roberts paced Hayesville with 8 points and five rebounds. Shook nailed 3 of 5 from the field in scoring 6 points. She also had two assists. Clampitt scored 4, cleared five caroms and served two dishes. Graves pulled down four boards to go with two points. Abrams had three rebounds and 2 points. Ashe added two assists.