Coupeville Sports

  CJ Smith had a game-changing steal late in the game, and hit four free throws down the stretch, to help ice Coupeville’s win. (Shelli Trumbull photo)

It would have been easy to lose.

After falling apart a bit in the third quarter, the Coupeville High School JV boys’ basketball team trailed by four heading into the final eight minutes Saturday against visiting Mount Vernon Christian.

Six minutes later, things looked a bit bleaker, with the Wolves now down by seven with under two minutes to play.

But it was at that exact moment that CHS reached down deep and found a miracle ending, using a mix of three-point bombs and precision free throws to stage a clock-busting 13-3 rally that carried it to an unexpected 54-51 win.

It was the third win in the last four games for the Wolf JV, and one that will leave a lasting impact.

“Very proud of our boys. They showed great resolve today,” said Coupeville coach Dustin Van Velkinburgh. “They stayed together, worked their tails off and were rewarded for their hard work with a win they will remember for a long time.

“They showed their heart.”

The ending was a wild one, as the Wolves got their points from three players who all shone brightly under pressure.

DeAndre Mitchell started the rally with a trey, then hit two free throws, while Gabe Wynn (a three-pointer and a free throw) and CJ Smith (four free throws and a huge steal) chipped in with four apiece during the run.

In a game where both teams lived at the charity stripe, Coupeville started slowly (8 of 22) but found its groove in the fourth, draining 14 of 19 down the stretch.

The Wolves, paced by big-time rebounding from Jared Helmstadter, went to the locker room with a six-point lead.

“We played with heart and enthusiasm in the first half, especially on the defensive end,” Van Velkinburgh said.

MVC rallied in the third, throwing together a 17-5 run, but Coupeville blunted the surge a bit by successfully pulling off a basket on an in-bounds play to end the quarter.