Coupeville Sports

Danica Strong played a stellar defensive game Saturday night. (Julie Wheat photo)

Forget about the third quarter and it was a nail-biter.

Having traveled way down the road Saturday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad squared off with a very-strong Morton-White Pass team and held its own.

Other than in the third quarter.

The host Timberwolves used a 21-7 surge in that frame to capture a 54-38 non-conference win, getting to 8-3 on the season while dropping a scrappy CHS squad to 2-7.

After playing its last four games on the road, Coupeville returns home Tuesday for a Northwest 2B/1B League brawl with Friday Harbor, and Scout Smith’s road warriors will be ready.

Much of what the Wolves did Saturday worked, from strong team-wide rebounding efforts to a balanced offensive attack.

Trailing just 11-10 at the first break with senior Teagan Calkins having rained down eight points fueled by a pair of three-balls, Coupeville was bidding for the upset.

MWP slightly stretched the margin out to 25-20 at the half, then pulled away with a decisive burst in the third.

Even then, the Wolves fought back, closing the game on an 11-8 run sparked by a rampaging Tenley Stuurmans.

The sophomore sensation finished with a team-high 11 points, while Haylee Armstrong, Coupeville’s top scorer this season, added 10 more to her total.

Calkins (9), Arianna Cunningham (6), and Adeline Maynes (2) rounded out the offense for CHS, with Danica Strong, Kennedy O’Neill, and Lexis Drake also seeing floor time.

Strong anchored Coupeville’s defense, ripping down six rebounds and rejecting three shots, while Calkins also snared six boards.

Armstrong, Cunningham, and Maynes each collected five rebounds apiece as the Wolves fought for every carom.