Hunter Downes was a beast on the boards Tuesday night. (John Fisken photo)
What could have been.
For two-and-a-half quarters, the Coupeville High School boys’ basketball squad went toe-to-toe Tuesday with first-place Port Townsend.
Unfortunately, a cold-shooting first quarter and a late fourth-quarter surge by the visiting RedHawks doomed the Wolves, as they fell 60-39.
The loss drops Coupeville to 1-3 in Olympic League play, 1-10 overall.
With the defeat, the Wolves slide into a tie with Klahowya for third-place in their four-team league, trailing Port Townsend (3-0) and two-time defending champ Chimacum (2-1).
The top three teams earn a trip to the postseason.
There’s still plenty of games ahead, with five more league tilts including the third, and final showdown with Klahowya Jan. 24.
The Wolves and Eagles have split their first two meetings this season, both winning on their home courts.
Coupeville opened Tuesday night’s match-up with just seven active varsity players (or six-and-a-half, if you count Cameron Toomey-Stout valiantly playing through a painful back injury).
It wasn’t the Wolves depth however, but their cold shooting touch, which put them in an early hole.
Unable to only get one bucket to drop — a Gabe Wynn layup off of a long outlet pass — the Wolves went to the first break down 12-2.
Detrius Kellsall stung CHS early, dropping a three-ball from the left side, then making off with a steal for a breakaway bucket.
Port Townsend, a patient team that plays under control and keeps the ball zipping from player to player, made very few mistakes all night.
When Coupeville was at its best, it was because the Wolves were forcing the situation, not because the RedHawks were giving anything away.
Down 14-2 early in the second, CHS put together its most sustained charge, twice cutting the lead down to eight.
The second came when Hunter Smith made a rampaging charge at the hoop, then reared back at the last second and swished a runner over Kelsall’s outstretched hand.
But again, the patience of the RedHawks blunted Coupeville time and again, as Port Townsend found a basket here, a bucket there to keep the lead always hovering just around double digits.
Wynn knocked down the shot of the year, nailing a trey as he got knocked on his rear by two defenders, but as soon as the Wolves pulled to within nine, the visitors had a reply.
This time it was gunner Seth Spencer, hitting back-to-back third quarter three-balls that gutted Wolf Nation.
The closest Coupeville could get in the fourth was 38-27, after Smith swished a pair of free throws to open the quarter, then Port Townsend started to finally pull away.
With Berkley Hill and Kaiden Parcher dropping eight apiece in the final eight minutes, the RedHawks prevented Coupeville from getting back-to-back buckets down the stretch and made the final score a bit deceiving.
The Wolves fought hard until the end, highlighted by junior Hunter Downes, who ripped offensive rebounds out of the hands of rival players on three successive trips down the floor.
“I’m impressed with Hunter Downes, he worked hard all night,” said Coupeville coach Anthony Smith.
“I liked our effort, if not all our results,” he added. “My guys will battle.”
Wynn paced Coupeville, raining down nine of his game-high 18 in the final quarter, while Hunter Smith banked home seven and Ethan Spark tickled the twines for five.
Brian Shank (4), Toomey-Stout (3) and Downes (2) chipped in, while Ariah Bepler turned in a strong defensive effort for the Wolves.
Port Townsend spread its scoring load out, with Kelsall (13), Hill (12) and Parcher (11) all hitting double digits.
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