Coupeville Sports

Malachi Somes (5) drives past his defender, who meets a brick wall known as Camden Glover. (Julie Wheat photo)

The road gets tougher from here.

Unable to hold on after jumping out to a 13-1 lead Thursday against host Friday Harbor, the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball squad fell 44-42 in its District 1/2 playoff opener.

With the loss, the Wolves slip to 7-12 on the season, but they’re still alive in the double-elimination tourney.

Win three straight loser-out games, with the first one coming Feb. 17, and Brad Sherman’s hardwood warriors will be headed back to state.

Lose any of them, and it’s time for the Wolves to make plans for spring sports.

That next playoff rumble will send CHS on the road again, this time to face either Mount Vernon Christian or Orcas Island.

Check out the bracket here:

https://www.wpanetwork.com/wiaa/brackets/tournament.php?act=view&tournament_id=4987

Thursday’s game was Coupeville’s third against Friday Harbor this season, and the closest by far.

The Wolverines won the regular season bouts by 12 and 10 points, respectively, but this time around CHS led from opening tip until late in the fourth quarter.

All the momentum early belonged to Coupeville, which ripped off a 10-0 run to stake itself to a 13-1 lead late in the first quarter.

Chase Anderson led the way, slapping home eight points in the opening frame, and things were looking bright for the Wolves.

Then the road rims shrunk a size or two, and buckets were much harder to get the rest of the evening.

After scoring a basket in the waning seconds of the first to cut things to 13-3, Friday Harbor battled to a 15-13 advantage in the second quarter.

Still up 26-18 at the break, CHS hung tough through a cold-shooting third to maintain a (smaller) lead at 32-29 heading into the fourth.

But down the stretch Friday Harbor came up with some big-time buckets to flip the script.

The Wolverines claimed their first lead of the night at 37-36, before stretching it out to 39-36.

Coupeville rallied as the clock madly ticked down, tying things at 39-39 on an Aiden O’Neill free throw, only to have their rivals immediately answer with a three-ball and a field goal to ice things.

O’Neill hit a buzzer-beating trey to set the final score, but it wasn’t to be for the Wolves.

CHS won the three-ball battle 5-4, with Camden Glover and O’Neill each hitting a pair, while Friday Harbor edged Coupeville at the free throw line, netting six of 11 against a 3-5 performance from the Wolves.

The road warriors got all their scoring from four players Thursday, with Anderson rattling the rim for 13 and Glover banking in 12. O’Neill sank nine, while Davin Houston rounded things out with eight points.

Easton Green, Malachi Somes, Carson Grove, and Riley Lawless also saw floor time for Coupeville.