Coupeville Sports

Danica Strong hits nothing but net. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

“It was a battle!”

Facing a strong Orcas Island squad Friday night, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball team found itself trailing by six points heading into the fourth quarter.

But then, in a move which brought a smile to the face of coach Megan Richter, the Wolves dug deep and rode the cheers of their home fans to a stirring come-from-behind win.

Closing on a 16-7 run, with four different players sharing scoring honors, Coupeville pulled out a 41-38 victory to draw first blood in Northwest 2B/1B League play.

Now 3-2 overall heading into another home game Saturday — a non-conference tilt with Morton-White Pass — the Wolves are starting to jel.

“I’m super proud of these girls and how they stayed in the game and fought until the end,” Richter said.

“Danica (Strong) came up with some big rebounds and put her free throws in when the pressure was on. Our defense was tight, and we worked really well together.

“Things are starting to really come together for us!!”

Strong netted five of her seven points in the white-hot spotlight of the fourth quarter — with all of those late-game tallies coming at the free throw line — while Lyla Stuurmans, Mia Farris, and Katie Marti all chipped in to fuel the frantic finale.

It was an uphill battle for Coupeville, which fell behind 13-6 after one quarter and 22-14 at the half.

The Wolves started to chip away at the deficit with a modest 11-9 surge in the third quarter, then turned things up several notches down the stretch.

Marti, who passed her cousin, Breeanna Messner, to claim 49th on the career scoring chart, paced CHS with 12 points, while Strong (7), Jada Heaton (6), Lyla Stuurmans (6), Farris (6), Madison McMillan (2), and Teagan Calkins (2) also scored.

Fab frosh Tenley Stuurmans brought some defensive heat to her time on the floor, while Haylee Armstrong and Capri Anter were fervent in their vocal support from their perches on the bench.