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Archive for the ‘Girls Basketball’ Category

“They aim to please!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Nicole Lester (John Fisken photo)

   Nicole Lester had five rebounds and a blocked shot Saturday, as the Wolf JV rolled to its third straight win. (John Fisken photo)

Not so fast, Eagles.

Klahowya might have been feeling pretty good, having pushed the Coupeville High School JV girls basketball squad to the final seconds in a two-point loss Tuesday, but Saturday was a far different story.

Riding a 13-point, seven-rebound performance from Sarah Wright, the Wolf young guns were in destroy mode this time around, pasting their visitors 42-24.

The win, Coupeville’s third straight and sixth in their last seven, lifts CHS to 5-0 in Olympic League play, 9-3 overall.

Of course, give the young Wolves forfeits for the three times Chimacum and Port Townsend have failed to provide a JV team this season and it’s more like 8-0, 12-3.

After struggling at times earlier in the week, the Wolves played to their full potential this time around.

“Well, we didn’t make any friends from Klahowya today,” said an amused coach Amy King. “I asked the JV to not make it a close two-point game and they aim to please.”

The Wolves mixed things up on defense, starting in a man-to-man look, then snapping into a 1-2-2 press.

“We decided to go a little different to start,” King said. “The lesson early on is that Maya (Toomey-Stout) is the quickest player on the court.

“When she plays you on defense, you don’t get to shoot.”

When they had the ball on offense, the Wolves mixed things up, with Toomey-Stout, Ashlie Shank and Avalon Renninger all chipping in with points in the early going.

As soon as Klahowya went to focus on one CHS player, another rose up and stung them.

Brittany Powers exploded off of the bench, banging home a long bucket, then topping that the next time down the floor with an even-longer three-ball.

Not to be outdone, Toomey-Stout promptly drilled her own trey and the rout was on.

King kept things interesting, shifting her defense into a 2-3 zone, then a 3-2, confounding the Eagles.

When Klahowya tried to counter with its own zone look, the Wolves promptly broke it, with Ema Smith spearheading things and triggering Coupeville’s offense.

“I was proud of the way the girls fought,” King said. “They found a way to get shots up. When one or two of us struggled, someone else was there to pick them up.”

Wright paced the Wolves, pounding away down low for her 13, while Toomey-Stout tickled the twines for eight and Powers was money with seven.

Renninger (6), Shank (5) and Scout Smith (3) rounded out the attack, with Ema Smith and Shank both hauling down six rebounds apiece.

Nicole Lester collected five caroms and emphatically rejected an Eagle shot.

Emma Mathusek (three steals, two rebounds), Maddy Hilkey (two steals) and Tia Wurzrainer (two rebounds) all chipped in, as well.

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Grind it out!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 29, 2017| Leave a Comment »

(John Fisken photo)

   David King has the Coupeville girls flying high at 13-3, winners of nine straight. (John Fisken photo)

No quit in these Wolves.

Overcoming fatigue, a short-turnaround and the danger of overlooking a cellar-dwelling team they had just drilled four days prior, the Coupeville High School girls’ basketball squad took care of business Saturday afternoon.

Playing methodically, and turning up their vaunted defense to a higher level in the second half, the Wolves romped past visiting Klahowya 37-19 to pull within a win of completing their third straight undefeated league season.

Now sitting at 8-0 in Olympic League play, 13-3 overall, Coupeville has won nine straight.

The Wolves have a unique home-and-away non-conference series with Sequim Monday and Thursday, then close the regular season at home Feb. 4 against Port Townsend, where they will make a bid to improve to 27-0 all-time in Olympic League play.

After that comes the playoffs, which don’t start until Feb. 14.

Coupeville, as a #1 seed, will begin in the double-elimination portion of districts, needing two wins to return to the state tourney.

Saturday, the Wolves were playing their second game in less than 24 hours, having knocked off Chimacum Friday night.

Many of the Wolves were back in the gym at 8:15 Saturday to coach and ref youth basketball, before taking the floor for an early 12:30 tip-off.

Fatigue seemed to catch up to CHS in the early going, as it weathered crisp shooting from Klahowya’s Amber Bumbalough and held just a 9-7 lead after the first quarter.

“The first quarter was a struggle,” said Wolf coach David King. “Many of our jump shots were short (tired legs); we just didn’t have the lift needed in the legs, even though the mind told us differently.

“What kept us in the quarter was our offensive rebounds and put backs.”

Things began to take a turn for the better in the second, as Coupeville shied away from long jumpers and attacked the basket en route to a 12-6 advantage.

Despite being up 21-13 at the break, the Wolves rallied together as a team in the locker room, pledging to put the game away.

“The great thing at halftime was the whole team wasn’t satisfied with our halftime lead or our effort,” King said. “They knew we could play better in the second half.”

And they did, using a 14-2 surge in the third to take the last bit of fight out of Klahowya.

Key was going to a press on defense, which triggered a number of easy buckets off of turnovers.

The Wolves were quick to back each other up on defense, something which brought a smile to their coach’s face.

Whether it was Lindsey Roberts alertly moving to pick up a player after a teammate slipped, or Tiffany Briscoe sliding over to shut-down Roberts original rival, the Wolves were firing as a group, five players working as one.

That carried over to the offensive end, where several players stepped up to have one of their better shooting performances of the season.

Junior Mikayla Elfrank pumped in a game-high 11, while speedy Kalia Littlejohn knocked down eight and Roberts banked in seven.

Briscoe (3), Mia Littlejohn (3), Kailey Kellner (3) and Sarah Wright (2) rounded out the offensive attack.

“Every game we have players stepping in and up to help with the scoring,” King said.

Roberts also hauled down 10 boards, while Lauren Grove added four rebounds and three steals. Both Littlejohn sisters doled out three assists apiece.

While he would like to work on cleaning up some areas (free throws and minimizing turnovers), King likes the grit he sees from his players.

“This team never quits,” he said. “Never thinks they are out of a game if down or if our lead starts to shrink.

“They are unflappable! They refuse to lose.”

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Team ball, team win!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 27, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Lindsey Roberts and Coupeville are all smiles after winning their eighth straight game. (John Fisken photo)

   Lindsey Roberts and Coupeville are all smiles after winning their eighth straight game. (John Fisken photo)

Get rocked, never get knocked out.

Twice Friday night Chimacum made runs at the Coupeville girls’ basketball squad and cut the lead to a single point.

Both times the Wolves dug down deep, found an answer sparked by an aggressive team-wide display of defensive excellence and rose to the moment.

Bending just a bit, but never breaking, the host Wolves eventually rolled to a 44-33 decision for their eighth straight victory.

Now 7-0 in Olympic League play (25-0 all-time) and 12-3 overall, CHS got something from everyone on their roster.

Big buckets from Kailey Kellner, huge rebounds from Lindsey Roberts, gritty work in the paint from Tiffany Briscoe, electrifying passes from Mia Littlejohn and a spark off the bench from both Kalia Littlejohn and Mikayla Elfrank.

The Wolves bolted out to a 10-0 lead, holding Chimacum scoreless for the first 7:58 of the game.

Kellner rippled a three-ball from the right corner, after playing give-and-go with Mia Littlejohn, to kick things off and Coupeville pressed the pedal through the metal in the early going.

Elfrank added three the hard way, making off with a steal and beating the Cowboy defense to the other end, then added a free throw after being hammered at the very last second.

The steal was one of four the Wolf junior made off with in a wild two-and-a-half minute stretch after she first jumped off the bench and jump-started Coupeville.

Chimacum, a scrappy, physical team if ever there was one, finally settled in and cut the lead to 12-11, but the Wolves never blinked.

Two free throws from Briscoe — she was 4-of-4 at the charity stripe in the first half — sent CHS on an 11-5 tear to end the half.

Four Wolves scored in the run, with Roberts nailing a gorgeous trey from the left side that was set up by Briscoe, who hauled down an offensive board, dribbled out of danger and found an open teammate.

The Cowboys made their second, and final, run right after the halftime break, using three straight baskets in the paint to once again cut the margin to a single digit.

Enter the cold-blooded Kellner, who scorched the net with a three-ball from the top of the arc.

That sent the Wolves on a game-busting 14-0 run, with Elfrank hitting twice, both on plays set up perfectly by teammate’s passes.

First Roberts dished, then Kellner, as the Wolves got out on the run and finished strongly.

Coupeville stretched the lead out as far as 17 before cruising in during the game’s final minutes, giving their end-of-the-bench players a chance to stretch their legs.

Before she left, Kellner dropped another trey, set up by Mia Littlejohn beating the Chimacum press by bull-rushing two defenders, then firing the ball over the top to her waiting shooter.

Kellner paced the Wolves with 15, while Roberts and Elfrank each went for nine. Briscoe added a season-best seven, while Lauren Grove and Kalia Littlejohn each had a basket.

Roberts hauled in 12 boards, while Kellner had eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

Mia Littlejohn played inspired ball at the point, picking up four assists and setting up numerous plays with her ball movement and dribbling skills.

Lauren Rose, Allison Wenzel, Ema Smith and Sarah Wright all got floor time as well, with Wenzel being especially scrappy on the defensive side of the ball.

Coupeville returns immediately to action, hosting Klahowya (0-5, 3-12) Saturday in a game that was postponed earlier by bad weather.

The varsity tips at 12:30, followed by the JV at 2:00.

JV sits night out:

The Wolf young guns are officially 4-0 in Olympic League play, but, if you count forfeits, they sit at 7-0.

Chimacum cancelled for the second time in three games Friday, citing a lack of players.

Tack on an earlier cancellation by Port Townsend and Coupeville’s JV has barely been able to take the court for 50% of its scheduled league clashes this year.

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Once, twice, three times a champ!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 24, 2017| Leave a Comment »

(John Fisken photo)

   Mia Littlejohn (left) and Tiffany Briscoe are league champs, again. (John Fisken photo)

Our league, yesterday, today, tomorrow.

There ain’t ever been a dynasty in the 1A Olympic League like the one being crafted by the Coupeville High School girls varsity basketball program.

Playing at home for the first time in 45 days Tuesday, the Wolves jumped out to a 13-2 lead after one quarter than strolled home with a 41-26 victory over visiting Klahowya.

The win, Coupeville’s 24th without a loss in the three-year history of the conference, clinches a third-straight league title for the Wolves.

Now sitting at 6-0 in league, 11-3 overall, CHS is on a seven-game winning streak and hasn’t tasted defeat since Dec. 16.

Coupeville, which has five regular season games left, will open the playoffs Feb. 14 against a yet-to-be-decided foe at Bellarmine Prep High School.

With the league title, the Wolves have automatically qualified for the double-elimination portion of districts and will need to win twice to punch their ticket to state for a second straight year.

To see the playoff bracket, pop over to: http://www.olympicleague.com/tournament.php?tournament_id=2187&sport=12

CHS girls’ hoops joins Klahowya girls’ soccer as the only 1A Olympic League programs to have won three straight league titles, but the Wolves 24-0 mark betters the Eagles booters, who are 20-0 in league play all-time.

To get there, Coupeville hit the court aggressively Tuesday night.

After playing an unprecedented eight straight on the road (and going 7-1 against a mix of league and non-league foes), the Wolves might not have recognized their own gym, but they adapted quickly.

Kailey Kellner kicked the game off with a long three-ball from the left side, then, after a Klahowya bucket sliced the lead to one, it was all Wolves, all the time.

Six different players scored to stake Coupeville to a 13-2 lead after one quarter, with Kellner capping things with a running layup off of a nifty steal and set-up pass from Kalia Littlejohn.

The Wolves continued that trend, of teammates setting each other up, throughout the game.

Whether it was Lindsey Roberts snatching a rebound and dishing to Mia Littlejohn for a put-back, or Littlejohn returning the favor by leading a breakaway, then dropping the ball into Roberts waiting fingers at the very last second, CHS was a well-oiled unit for much of the game.

Wolf guards Lauren Grove and Mia Littlejohn were on top of their passing game, threading balls between bodies or sucking in defenders, then flipping the ball to waiting teammates like Allison Wenzel for easy buckets.

Coupeville stretched the lead out to 31-14 midway through the third quarter, before hitting its only true dry spell.

Three straight Klahowya buckets, two coming off of in-bounds passes, put a little starch in CHS coach David King’s collar, and the loss of defensive scrapper Kyla Briscoe (she emerged from a tussle with a broken nose) slowed the Wolf strut for a moment.

But just a moment, as Coupeville came out firing in the fourth, scoring the quarter’s first 10 points to put an exclamation point on things.

Kellner knocked down a runner off a pass from Grove, then stepped outside, way outside, to drain a pretty three-ball, before Mia Littlejohn twinned her, but in reverse order.

Her trey, which was launched from somewhere up around Deception Pass, came first, before Littlejohn dropped in a jumper off of a little stutter-step drive to cap things.

“Mia played one of her better games all year,” King said.

He also praised Wenzel (“Allison gave us some really good defense”), Roberts (“she has provided us with a strong rebounding presence out there all year”) and Coupeville’s ability to control the boards against the Eagles.

Roberts (11), Kellner (7) and Tiffany Briscoe (3) led the carom collection troops, as the Wolves repeatedly got second chances in the paint off of offensive boards.

Coupeville put eight of its 12 players in the scoring column, led by Kellner, who rained down a game-high 18, scoring in every quarter.

Mia Littlejohn (7), Roberts (6), Mikayla Elfrank (3), Wenzel (2), Tiffany Briscoe (2), Grove (2) and Kalia Littlejohn (1) rounded out the well-balanced attack.

Lauren Rose was a spark-plug on both sides of the ball, Kyla Briscoe was a ball-hawk (even while getting blasted across the face by a wayward elbow) and swing players Ema Smith and Sarah Wright brought hustle to the floor in the late-going.

After playing so much of their season on the road, the Wolves close with five of their final six on their home court.

They have two more games this week, with Chimacum (3:30 JV/5:00 varsity) in town Friday and Klahowya (12:30 varsity/2:00 JV) returning to Whidbey Saturday.

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Our spirit is strong, our game better!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on January 24, 2017| Leave a Comment »

Brittany Powers was one of several Wolves who hit huge fourth-quarter shots Tuesday night. (John Fisken photo)

   Brittany Powers was one of several Wolves who hit huge fourth-quarter shots Tuesday night. (John Fisken photo)

Guts.

The Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball squad does not back down, does not give in, does not believe it will lose.

And that’s why the Wolves won again Tuesday night.

Because, one player after another stepped into the spotlight, seized their moment and sent their family and friends home riding a wave of euphoria.

Scoring the game’s final six points, the Wolves upended visiting Klahowya 29-27 to remain undefeated in Olympic League play.

They sit at 4-0 (6-0 if you give them forfeits for the two times league foes cancelled due to lack of players) and 8-3 overall.

Playing at home for the first time in 45 days, the young Wolves saved their best for the finale.

Trailing 23-21 coming into the fourth, they got one high-pressure play after another, with every player on the floor stepping up at one point or another.

Brittany Powers got things started when she swished a long jumper from the left side to knot things back up, before Klahowya scored back-to-back buckets to take its biggest lead of the night.

Little did the Eagles know they would never score again.

Sarah Wright pulled Coupeville within a bucket, backing her foe down in the paint before whirling to drop in a softly-banked shot off the glass, then Ema Smith sacrificed her body for the good of the team.

Charging from one end of the court to the other, in a mad attempt to get ahead of the ball-handler, Smith somehow got between the basket and the hard-charging Eagle.

Planting herself squarely in the oncoming path of a runaway freight train, she held her ground and got promptly run over.

A little dazed and confused, Smith happily peeled herself off the hardwood as the ref emphatically whistled an offensive foul on Klahowya, giving CHS the ball and a chance to tie with the clock ticking under a minute.

The Wolves took advantage, beating the Eagle press and putting the ball in Ashlie Shank’s hands.

Playing on the day her dad (Coupeville Superintendent Dr. Jim Shank) was celebrating his birthday, the youngest member of the clan drilled a soft jumper to knot things back up at 27-27.

Re-enter Smith, who got in the middle of a scramble for a loose ball — having been the one to knock the ball free in the first place — and recovered it while being blasted to the floor again.

Bouncing down court, the ever-giddy one grabbed the ball from the ref, and with no fanfare or wasted time, swished both of her free throws to give the Wolves a lead they would not relinquish.

Coupeville had started the game strongly, with Maya Toomey-Stout draining an eye-popping three-ball from the corner that she banked off the glass.

With Shank on a rampage — she dropped six of her team-high nine in the opening quarter — the Wolves ran to an early lead, then built on it later with strong inside play.

Nicole Lester dropped in a pair of buckets to fuel an 8-0 run in the second quarter, the first coming off of a rebound, the second on a picture-perfect play where she relentlessly backed down her defender in the paint.

The Wolves spread out their scoring, with seven of 11 players scratching their names in the scoring column.

Shank had four steals to go with her nine points, while Toomey-Stout rattled home five points and Lester and Wright banked in four apiece.

Powers (3), Ema Smith (2) and Avalon Renninger (2) rounded out the scoring, while Scout Smith ran the point and the three-headed beast of Maddy Hilkey, Tia Wurzrainer and Emma Mathusek harassed the Eagles on defense.

Lester led the Wolves on the boards, collecting seven caroms.

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