Coupeville Sports

Monica Vidoni (24), backed up by the Bailey sisters in a game earlier this season, scored a season-high 16 Thursday. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

If Friday Harbor was Tokyo, Monica Vidoni was Godzilla Thursday.

Playing like a rampaging force of nature, the Coupeville High School sophomore threw down a season-high 16 points and shook San Juan Island to its core during the girls’ JV basketball game. Unfortunately, missed free throws and a couple of defensive lapses killed the Wolves in the end, as they fell 37-32 in a non-conference bout.

The loss, which dropped the squad to 4-4 on the season — still the best mark of any CHS hoops team — came despite a strong effort from a group of young women who were playing on the road for the seventh time in their first eight games.

“We played hard on defense and never let Friday Harbor have anything easily,” said Wolf coach Amy King.

Coupeville did struggle with the man-to-man defense their hosts employed. Used to seeing zones, it took the Wolves some time to get used to the new look.

“We pick up our dribble too soon and Friday Harbor did a great job of being out on us every time we did that,” King said. “They were scrappy and consistently grabbing at the ball and just frustrating our team.

“At times we were able to penetrate into the key, but they had some big and tall girls who were doubling up on our posts and clogging the middle, which made getting rebounds more difficult than normal and getting close-up shots even more difficult,” she added.

Vidoni was able to assert her presence in the second quarter, pouring in eight of her points before the break. She then added four each in both of the following quarters, opening some gaps for the guards, who took advantage.

Madeline Strasburg and Wynter Thorne each banked in six in support of Vidoni, while Kacie Kiel popped for four.

With the game coming down to the wire, King switched up tactics and went with her quickest players in a bid to pressure Friday Harbor relentlessly over the final four minutes. It worked, but the resulting shots Coupeville got refused to stay in the bucket.

“I took all the tall girls out and went for a short, fast team who put on a full court pressure defense that really messed with the other team,” King said. “Unfortunately, when we threw up shots they didn’t fall and when they threw them up, theirs did.”

Despite the loss, King was pleased with the effort she saw from a road-weary squad.

“Overall, I was happy with all of our girl’s performances,” King said. “I’d say Wynter, Kacie and Maddi worked very, very hard on harassing the other team, getting their hands or fingers on the ball often. They fought through their own fatigue and just gave defense everything they had all night long.”