Coupeville’s Logan Downes (left) and Dominic Coffman prepare to terrorize their foes. (Bailey Thule photo)
They didn’t have a prayer.
Auburn Adventist Academy blew a 13-point lead Thursday, the private school hoopsters unable to stop the Coupeville High School varsity boys’ basketball team when it mattered the most.
In a possible playoff preview, the Wolves stormed from behind to turn their first-half deficit into a 16-point second-half advantage, then held on for a 58-52 road win.
The non-conference victory gives Coupeville its tenth win in its last 12 games and lifts CHS to 12-6 heading into the final week of the regular season.
The Wolves host Northwest 2B/1B League rival La Conner Tuesday, Feb. 7, then travel to Friday Harbor Feb. 10, chasing the top playoff seed from District 1.
Auburn Adventist, which is the #1 seed from District 2, falls to 16-3 after losing its regular-season finale.
The two schools could meet again at bi-districts, and, if they do, it will be on Coupeville’s home floor, as CHS hosts the tourney.
Thursday was about winning now, getting a possible preview of what’s to come, and blowing up the RPI rankings compiled by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
Auburn entered the night ranked #10 in 2B, while Coupeville was slotted at #22 by computers which can’t look deep enough to know that four of six Wolf early-season losses came against much-larger schools.
Having faced off with 2A and 1A rivals, including a wild double-overtime loss to a Sultan squad which is now 16-2, Brad Sherman’s pack of defensive-minded Wolves have gotten stronger as the season plays out.
Physically and mentally.
Which goes a long way to explaining why Coupeville didn’t crack, even when it struggled to find an offensive groove in the early going.
Auburn’s unique gym, which looks like someone took an airplane hangar, slapped down a basketball court, then added a cafe with tables off to the side, also had a rim which was unforgiving in the first half.
Nick Guay did what he could to keep CHS in the game, pumping in six points in the opening quarter, but he was the lone Wolf to get the ball to stay in the bucket on a field goal attempt.
Trailing 17-8 at the first break, Coupeville hit its lowest moment a minute or two later, as the deficit widened to 21-8.
But the Wolves have shown patience as the season has progressed, with the current group jelling as they get further away from last spring’s graduation, which claimed six players from a team which made it to the state tourney.
Logan Downes popped for three buckets, with fab frosh Chase Anderson and wily point guard Cole White also banking in shots, as CHS closed the half on a 10-2 run.
That cut the margin down to 23-18 headed into the locker room but was just a taste of what was to come.
Downes, who is having one of the best offensive seasons in the 106-year history of Wolf boys’ basketball, erupted in the second half, pouring in 32 of his game-high 40 points, while he and his teammates got appropriately nasty on defense.
With Alex Murdy as the point of the spear, Coupeville clamped down big time, frustrating Auburn and preventing the Falcons from getting any easy buckets.
Alex Murdy, on the attack. (Bailey Thule photo)
With refs who called very few fouls, the Wolves stepped up and fought for every loose ball, battled for every rebound, and stayed eternally scrappy.
Then, Downes and Co. took the turnovers, kicked their offense into high gear and made the Falcons back-pedal, splashing home buckets over them as they retreated.
The junior gunner netted four three-balls in the third quarter alone, rippling the nets for 18 points on his own as Coupeville busted out a game-changing 22-6 run.
The Wolves reclaimed the lead at 28-25, their first time in front since 2-0, and never gave back the advantage.
By the time Downes split defenders for a running layup to close the third, the play set up by a Dominic Coffman steal, Coupeville was in front 40-29.
From there, the Wolves pushed the lead out to 45-29, and still led 53-40 after Guay swished a three-ball from the right side with mere minutes to play.
Auburn is a dangerous team, however, with speedy players who force a fair number of turnovers, and the Falcons made one last run.
Three steals fueled a 10-0 run by the hosts, cutting Coupeville’s lead all the way back down to 53-50, but the Wolves never cracked.
Downes beat the defense for a running layup to push the margin back to five, then closed the game at the free throw line, where the Wolves were the better team.
CHS hit 12 of 15 shots from the charity stripe, while Auburn was a weak 3-9 on the night.
As he bumped across the backroads of America on his way home, CHS coach Brad Sherman reflected on what he had seen, and was pleased with a lot of it.
“Just proud of our guy’s toughness and composure to climb back in and take that one,” he said. “Our focus just needs to be one game at a time.”
Guay finished with 11 points, while White (2), Coffman (2), Anderson (2), and Murdy (1) also scored, and Zane Oldenstadt, William Davidson, and Jonathan Valenzuela chipped in with intangibles.
“Give me the dang ball!!” (Bailey Thule photo)
Downes 40-point effort matches his career-high, set earlier this season in another close game, with that one being against Orcas Island.
With two regular-season rumbles left to play, then a possible playoff run, he sits with 430 points on the season.
That’s the fourth-best single-season effort ever by a Wolf boy, and sixth-best by a CHS hoops player.
Downes trails just Jeff Stone (644 in 1969-1970), Jeff Rhubottom (459 in 1977-1978), Brianne King (446 and 442, in 2000-2001 and 2002-2003 respectively), and Pete Petrov (442 in 1995-1996).
By moving into the top 10 single-season performances, he bumps his own coach from the list, as Brad Sherman singed the nets for 396 points back in 2002-2003.
Though, after the win, the always even-keeled Wolf hardwood guru probably has no problem with now being #11.
Career-wise, Downes is still chasing Sherman, and a few others, as he moves from #31 all-time on the boys scoring chart to a tie with Jason McFadyen at #27.
With 654 points and counting, the youngest of Ralph and Angie Downes‘ three sons passes Wiley Hesselgrave (632), Kramer O’Keefe (636), and Rich Morris (637).
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