Katrina McGranahan catches some air during the opening tip. (Justine McGranahan photos)
Kyla Briscoe hauls in a rebound.
McGranahan gets back on defense.
It may not have been pretty, but it was winning basketball.
Playing against rough-and-tumble teams in Sultan (what a surprise…) Wednesday, the Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads eventually limped out of town with a few more bruises and three wins in four games.
The Wolf 8th graders split a pair of games, with the JV storming back to win 5-4, while the varsity lost 28-16.
Down 4-0, Coupeville pulled out the JV win by scoring the final five points on a bucket by Robin Cedillo and three points from Naika Hallam.
It was the 7th grade squads that laid down a whuppin’, however, as the JV blanked Sultan 12-0 and the varsity clamped down defensively on its way to a 15-4 win that should have been much bigger.
Sparked by a run of steals, the JV stormed the hoop and spread the wealth. Emma Blanchette and Brittany Powers each popped for four, while Kameryn St Onge and Allison Wenzel each dropped in a bucket.
The 7th grade varsity ramped up their defensive pressure considerably, employing a full-court press for the first time this season, and it paid immediate dividends.
“Their team could not have had more than eight shots the whole night,” said Coupeville coach Sarah Stuurmans. “We either stole the ball or caused a turnover on about 95% of their possessions.”
However, poor shooting by the Wolves allowed them to run their full-court press longer than anticipated. Middle school teams aren’t allowed to press if they’re up by 10 or more points, something which didn’t come into play thanks to numerous missed shots.
“It really was almost comical, if I wasn’t the coach,” Stuurmans said. “It could not have been a worse shooting night for us.
“We could not get that ball in the hoop,” she added. “It was not for a lack of trying. I sincerely wish I could get an official count on missed shots. It had to be close to 80.”
With offensive rebound after offensive rebound, it ended up not mattering, as enough shots dropped through in the end.
Mia Littlejohn rained down 11 points to pace the Wolves, while Sage Renninger and Katrina McGranahan each chipped in with a bucket.
Poor shooting or not, a win is a win, and this one had many moments Stuurmans could appreciate.
“Either way, the positives are that we played amazing defense, anticipated passes, and did outstanding offensive rebounding. It was rare for us to get less than two shots on each possession,” she said. “We played through some very physical play and not a single girl quit or complained. I was very proud about that.”
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