ROBBINSVILLE — The holiday winter break may be a time of year for relaxing, but not when you are part of a high school basketball team. For those, this is a time to learn what you do well and where you still need work, usually against different competition. In the second game of the third annual R avens Winter Classic Monday, the opponents were a little more familiar as the Hamilton West girls took on Robbinsville, but the results turned out to be just as promising for both schools. Anyone who watched this game for the first three quarters saw the Hornets in control, leading by eight points with a minute left in the third. Then the Ravens swooped in and went on a 13-4 run to take the lead on 5-foot-7 junior forward Keira Pierini’s jump shot that bounced in with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter. A free throw by Hamilton 5-5 freshman guard Adisin Smith with 55.3 seconds remaining sent the game to overtime. R’ville kept playing good defense and regained the lead midway through the four-minute extra session, only to see West’s 5-10 senior forward Kimani Harlan come up with a steal and lead Adisin Smith for a breakaway layup with 22.5 seconds left. The Ravens had one more chance at the buzzer, only to see the shot rim out, as the Hornets escaped with a 38-37 victory. Hamilton West’s Jurieliz Vargas Gutierrez brings the ball up the court against Robbinsville during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Robbinsville’s Alexa Boss, right, tries to rip the ball away from Hamilton West’s Hailey King, center, and Kiman Harlan, left, during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Robbinsville’s Alexa Boss, left, dribbles the ball as she’s defended by Hamilton West’s Aislin Smith, right, during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Robbinsville’s Keira Pierini, right, goes to the basket past the defense of Hamilton West’s Adisin Smith, left, during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Hamilton West’s Kimani Harlan, 22, reacts to a foul call against Robbinsville during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Robbinsville’s Madison Griffin, center, pulls down a rebound between Hamilton West’s Hailey King, left, and Aislin Smith, right, during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Hamilton West’s Jurieliz Vargas Gutierrez puts up a shot against Robbinsville during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Hamilton West’s Adisin Smith, right, looks to pass the ball as she’s defended by Robbinsville’s Julia Boss, left, during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Show Caption1 of 8Hamilton West’s Jurieliz Vargas Gutierrez brings the ball up the court against Robbinsville during a Ravens Winter Classic game on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025 in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo) Expand “It was a matter of staying calm when they came back. I took deep breaths,” Adisin Smith said. Robbinsville’s rally was a complete turnaround from how the game began. After consecutive 3-point field goals by Hamilton West’s 5-4 junior guard Jureliz “Juju” Vargas Gutierrez put the visitors up by 13 points, 15-2, with 18 seconds left in the first quarter, the game seemed in their control. In fact, when Adisin Smith came up with a steal and score with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter, head coach Rob Farina’s 3-2 Hornets still led, 33-23. Then head coach Justin Schmid’s 1-3 Ravens reeled off 11 unanswered points, led by seven from 5-10 sophomore guard Emma Napierkowski. “The way the game started out, we knew we put ourselves in a deficit,” said R’ville 5-8 sophomore guard/forward Katelyn Bunnell, who, like Napierkowski, provided seven points off the bench. “In the fourth quarter, we really locked in defensively and tried to limit their chances.” Then when the game went to OT and Bunnell hit a 3-pointer with 2:02 remaining to put the home team up, 37-34, a win seemed like a good possibility. “It felt amazing after hitting that shot,” Bunnell said. “We didn’t get the win today, but now we’re ready for tomorrow.” Pierini led Robbinsville with 12 points and six steals. Vargas Gutierrez backed Smith with 13 points, while Harlan led West’s defense with 14 rebounds and four blocks. “Our defense was better today, but we’ve still got to put more points on the board,” said Adisin Smith, who added six steals to her team-leading numbers. The Ravens will try again versus North Brunswick in a noon consolation game Tuesday, while Hamilton returns to play Allentown at 1:30 p.m. in the championship game. HAMILTON WEST (38) Harlan 2-0-4, Vargas Gutierrez 5-0-13, Onorati 0-0-0, King 1-0-2, McCabe 0-0-0, AdSmith 7-2-16, AiSmith 1-0-3. Totals — 16-2-38. ROBBINSVILLE (37) Leeds 1-0-2, Pierini 5-0-12, JBoss 0-0-0, Griffin 1-0-3, Bunnell 2-2-7, Napierkowski 3-0-7, ABoss 2-2-6. Totals — 14-4-37. HamiltonWest(3-2)                       15    4    10      5    4    —    38 Robbinsville (1-3)                           5    5    13    11    3    —    37 3-point goals — Vargas Gutierrez 3, AiSmith (HW), Pierini 2, Griffin, Bunnell, Napierkowski (R). ALLENTOWN 59, NORTH BRUNSWICK 27 ROBBINSVILLE — Lily DeRose paced three Redbirds in double figures with 25 points as A’town moved into Tuesday’s championship game with this win over the Raiders. Makayla Rondinelli and Madison Sullivan added 12 points apiece for head coach Dana Wells’ 2-2 team. NORTH BRUNSWICK (27) Kalawadia 2-0-5, Anthony 1-0-3, Lubchansky 1-0-3, Habib 0-0-0, Bourne 2-1-5, Hardy 4-2-10, Martinez 0-1-1. Totals — 10-4-27. ALLENTOWN (59) Rondinelli 5-0-12, Prekop 1-0-2, DeRose 11-1-25, Sullivan 5-2-12, Harmon 0-0-0, Barry 4-0-8, Cerniglia 0-0-0, Mordecai 0-0-0. Totals — 26-3-59. NorthBrunswick(0-6)                     2    10      8    7    —    27 Allentown (2-2)                           15    22    13    9    —    59 3-point goals — Kalawadia, Anthony, Lubchansky (NB), Rondinelli 2, DeRose 2 (A). ...read more read less