The remaining varsity basketball games on the Plateau wrapped up on Dec. 18 and 19 ahead of winter break, as Summit Charter School hosted IC Imagine Public Charter School and Highlands School traveled to Robbinsville High School.
On Dec. 19, the Lady Highlanders earned their third straight victory in a nail-biter, thanks to a game-winning layup by Charlotte Westendorf with less than 45 seconds remaining. Hunter Conner led the team with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven blocked shots. Jordyn Borino and Charlotte Westendorf added eight and seven points, respectively.
Late in the fourth quarter, Robbinsville hit multiple 3-pointers to take a one-point lead. The Lady Highlanders quickly pushed the ball in transition, with Borino slipping a pass to Westendorf for the go-ahead basket. Highlands then came up with several defensive stops, and Borino blocked the final shot to secure the win.
“It was a great team win,” said head coach Brett Lamb. “Robbinsville is a tough place to play and to get that road win was huge for us.”
The Lady Highlanders move to 6-3 and will host 2-5 Rosman on Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m.
The Highlands varsity boys were outmatched in their game, falling 82-47 to the undefeated Black Knights. The Highlanders dropped to 1-8 and will host winless Rosman at 8 p.m. on Jan. 2, having previously earned their lone victory against the Tigers on Dec. 11.
On Dec.18, Summit’s boys team fell 59-46 to the 8-1 Kingfishers. The Bears struggled to slow down senior Asa Gura while failing to capitalize on several key scoring opportunities.
“All in all, it was a competitive game and I’m proud of the growth our team has shown since playing them last year,” said head coach Matt Reynolds.
At 4-4, Summit is set to travel to Murphy High School on Jan. 2. The Bulldogs currently sit at 2-0.
- Mitch Stone
reporter@highlandsnews.com