Coupeville Sports

Grady Rickner torched the nets for 12 points Friday as Coupeville’s JV smacked Sultan. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

This time, the Turks didn’t escape.

The first meeting this season between the Coupeville and Sultan JV boys basketball teams came down to the wire, and the wrong team pulled out a narrow win.

Friday night, the Wolves had a different lineup than the first time around, and the addition of Xavier Murdy was huge.

With the freshman pouring in 23 points, including a pair of game-busting three-balls in the fourth quarter, Coupeville got the big payback, punishing Sultan to the tune of 60-50.

The road win lifts the Wolf young guns to 2-2 in North Sound Conference play, 6-5 overall.

It also ties them with the JV girls for the most wins by any of the five CHS hoops squads this season.

When Coupeville and Sultan tangled back in Dec., Murdy was in street clothes.

This time around, he was repping a Coupeville uniform and on fire from behind the arc.

A pair of three-balls fueled a 10-point first quarter for Murdy, and he finished with five treys on the evening.

Clinging to a 15-14 lead after eight minutes of action, the Wolves stretched the lead to 30-26 at the half, then saw it cut back to 42-40 heading into the fourth.

Coupeville never flinched, however, using an 18-10 run to send coach Chris Smith back to the team bus with a grin on his face.

Murdy and Daniel Olson both tossed in six points in the final frame, while Grady Rickner and Cody Roberts chipped in with three apiece.

The Wolves finished the game with eight three-balls, with Logan Martin, Rickner and Roberts each banking home one to go with Murdy’s long-range assault on the net.

Winning the battle from behind the arc helped blunt Sultan’s huge advantage at the free throw line.

Well that, and the fact the Turks were pretty dang awful when given the ball at the charity stripe.

Sultan was constantly rewarded by the refs, but clanked one shot after another, finishing 14-26 on freebies, while Coupeville hit on 8-14.

Rickner finished with 12 points to provide key backup to Murdy’s season-high 23, with Olson rattling the rim for eight.

Sage Downes (6), Roberts (5), Martin (5) and Tucker Hall (1) rounded out the offensive attack.