Coupeville Sports

   The Wolf JV squad was in a great mood Tuesday as it romped to a huge win over big, bad Cedarcrest. (Robert Bishop photo)

Surprise!

Skyler Lawrence is a force to be reckoned with in the paint, a ferocious rebounder and powerful inside presence.

Then she goes and shocks the world with a perfectly-banked three-point bomb, after hauling in a long in-bounds pass that almost went over her head, and you realize there is no way to contain her.

The trey staked the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team to a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter Tuesday night, effectively putting an emphatic stamp on what would turn into a huge victory.

Paced by seven points apiece from Lawrence and fellow freshman Kailey Kellner, and two big plays at the end from junior swing player Wynter Thorne, the Wolves bounced visiting Cedarcrest 46-36.

With nine different players scoring, it was a win for small schools everywhere, as the smallest 1A school in the state (225 students in grades 9-11) soundly beat the biggest 2A school (691 students) in the 1A/2A Cascade Conference.

Other than a momentary letdown in the second quarter, Coupeville controlled every aspect of the game, virtually start to finish.

Down 4-2 early, the Wolves ripped off 10 straight points to end the first quarter.

Kellner, the best British sports import since David Beckham, drilled back-to-back jumpers, then, after Lawrence slammed home a rebound, Kellner went outside and lofted a three-point bomb of her own that touched nothing but net.

A free throw from Lauren Grove capped the surge and the game could have been called at that point.

The visiting Red Wolves managed to shave the lead down after that, but Coupeville never gave it all back. Every time Cedarcrest would pull to within two or three points, another Wolf would pull off a quick bucket to re-stretch the lead.

Sophia Jebrail and Carlie Rosenkrance did the honors in the third, before Lawrence dialed up long distance.

Then, in the fourth, it was a nifty jumper under extreme duress from hard-charging frosh Mattea Miller.

Cedarcrest’s final hopes were doused when Thorne scored four points in four seconds. First she hit a tough one-handed turn-around jumper, then she stole the ball and zipped in for a game-icing layup.

Thorne netted six to back-up Kellner and Lawrence, while Miller and Rosenkrance dropped in four apiece.

McKayla Bailey popped for three, Jebrail and Tiffany Briscoe each hit a bucket — with Briscoe’s coming with a second to play — and Grove tickled the twine with her free throw.