By, Nolan Buser

December 16, 2022

HAMILTON, NJ. – With 2 minutes remaining in the season opener for both Hamilton West and Robbinsville, the Ravens held a 5-point lead, one they would hold, securing a 51-46 win over rival West.

Junior guard Luke Billings led Robbinsville in scoring with 13-points, highlighted by a 7-point run in the first quarter that dug the Ravens out of an 8-point hole.

But it was the clutch fourth quarter work of Tyler Handy, Evan Bannel and Pat Kapp that allowed Robbinsville to hold onto their lead and win the game.

“This sets a good tone, we had this circled on our calendar and we came out and played our game,” said Kapp.

Hamilton West’s Devyn Wright-Myles was disruptive in the paint and an aggressive scorer, amassing 14 points for the Hornet’s. But he and his teams could not hold up during the pressure imposed in the fourth quarter.

“It was a great environment. The last several years we have had really tough games against them,” said Robbinsville head coach Conor Hayes. “This is a divisional opponent, and they are a phenomenal team that is well coached.”

Robbinsville will have a quick turn-around as they are set to face Trenton Catholic on Saturday at 1 p.m., an opportunity to further stake their claim for a third consecutive conference title.

“We’ve talked about the last two years being champs, and we knew if we want to repeat and keep that consistency we had to show out today, and we did,” said Hayes.