Coupeville Sports

   Wolf freshman Chelsea Prescott knocked down 12 points Monday in her first high school basketball game. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Bench? Amy King don’t need no stinkin’ bench.

Opening a new season Monday in Bellingham, the Coupeville High School JV girls basketball squad had only six of its 11 players in uniform.

Then the Wolves lost fab frosh Genna Wright to a painful leg injury in the third quarter, leaving their coach with no more ability to sub players.

So, it doesn’t come as a huge surprise that the CHS young guns fell 41-22 to their large-school 2A rivals in a non-conference tilt.

With tired players and a Red Raiders squad which featured twin towers — the sight of players standing six-foot-one and 5-10 in a girls JV game is, shall we say, super-rare — Coupeville absorbed a few lessons.

One of those is to be wary of rival JV coaches up by 20 in the fourth quarter on opening night who are still screaming at their defenders to double on the ball-handler.

But playing against a coronary waiting to happen or not, the Wolves impressed their own coach with their refusal to back down.

“We didn’t have it easy; we worked for everything we got,” King said. “The girls did great. I was very happy with the effort they gave and the way they played.

“Now we just need to get a few more healthy bodies before the next game.”

Despite not having any players who physically matched up to Bellingham’s 6-1 banger, the Wolves shut her completely down, limiting her to a single bucket in the second half.

Four of the six Wolves took her at one point or another on defense, with Nicole Lester, Chelsea Prescott, Kylie Chernikoff and Genna Wright all denying the Red Raider skyscraper.

Bellingham boasted a full bench, and took advantage of the disparity to run the Wolves ragged.

Coupeville fought back, though, with Prescott knocking down a team-high 12 points in her first high school hoops game.

When she wasn’t shooting, the fast-rising freshman set up her teammates, with one pass to Chernikoff a particular highlight.

“Chelsea had a great drive to the basket,” King said. “The defense came out to stop her and boom… a sweet bounce pass out to Kylie and a basketball player is born.

“Kylie’s first basket in her first year playing.”

Chernikoff also had the defensive play of the night, “chasing a girl down the court, running her down, hand out, and making the block to stop a fast break lay up.”

“Our side of the gym erupted!,” King added.

Freshman spark-plug Mollie Bailey backed up Prescott with five points, while Wright dropped in three and Chernikoff added a bucket to round out the scoring.

Lester and Tia Wurzrainer were stellar on defense, helping to disrupt Bellingham’s game plan.

“Tia, Nicole and Chelsea all had steals,” King said. “Which is so great to see, the anticipation and focus they have.”