Andrews – With 5.2 seconds left, Drea Cutshaw posted a layup.
The shot gave Andrews Middle School a 28-27 advantage in the waning moments of the back-and-forth tussle against the Robbinsville Middle School girls team on Nov. 16, a game the Lady Knights led 6-3 before Andrews went on a 12-2 run before halftime to pull ahead.
But with ice in her veins, Daphne Barlow maintained her composure as she pulled down the ball from Cutshaw’s basket. She broke up the floor, crossed over half-court to the typical volleyball line and the Robbinsville wing unloaded a prayer into the air inside the Ken Solesbee Athletic Center.
When the shot connected, a mixed reaction followed – heartbreak for Andrews, but shrieks of joy for Robbinsville, which improved to 2-2 on the season with the 30-28 triumph.
“Our team played with grit,” head coach Brittany Snider said after the thrilling conclusion. “We struggled shooting the ball early in the game. At halftime, we talked about playing tough and never giving up. Our girls came out in the second half determined and protecting the basketball.”
Indeed, the Knights struggled to maintain ball control and fell susceptible to turnovers in the first half. Robbinsville limited Andrews to an 8-2 third quarter, but still trailed 17-16 entering the fourth.
Buckets from Cassidy Sudderth and Bella Coats kept the hope alive, but only tied the game before Zaelyn Phillips sank a pair of foul shots with 5:45 to go – the first of which gave the Knights their first lead since the opening stanza.
Unwilling to relinquish the momentum so easily, Andrews continually produced responses – including what could have been the mood-killer with 5.2 left in the scramble. Snider was out of timeouts: the weight of the win fell solely on Barlow’s shoulders.
“Andrews did a great job making sure that Drea hit that big shot with 5.2 seconds left,” Snider said with a tip of his cap. “Daphne hitting that game-winning bank shot was incredible.”
Boys games
Based on early results, the Robbinsville Middle School boys are a finely tuned team.
The Black Knights ran their season ratio to 5-0, producing 128 combined points in a two-game span – to the opposition’s 45 – by defeating Andrews 57-32 on Nov. 16 before taking down Martins Creek 71-13 in a boys-only, home appointment on Nov. 20.