Mattea Miller flies the friendly skies for two of her game-high 18. (John Fisken photos)
Wolf super fans Abby Parker (left) and Hope Lodell master the art of wordplay.
The odds were not in their favor.
Suiting up just six players, while visiting Bellevue Christian had a full bench and a six-foot-one starter who towered above her foes, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team was at a disadvantage Saturday.
Or were they?
Powered by a scorching hot Mattea Miller, who pumped in a team-high 18 from every direction, the scrappy Wolves ran the Vikings off the court early, then held on for a wild 32-30 win in overtime.
The victory, the second in less than 24 hours, lifted CHS to 2-1. Imagine what they might do when they get back all their players.
Primed to stop the BC ceiling scraper, Wolf defenders Kailey Kellner and Allison Wenzel teamed up to largely shut her down.
“Kailey and Allison did a great job keeping her from getting the ball or being able to do much with it,” said Wolf coach Amy King.
Coupeville broke open the game early, surging to a 13-5 lead at the break, before eventually showing the effects of tired legs.
Knowing the Wolves had no depth, Bellevue kept the pace of the game fast in an effort to rattle them.
“They were really smart to press us the whole game except the first quarter and play us man the entire game,” King said. “They knew we had a short bench and took advantage of that.
“Overall we did a good job breaking the press but struggled on offense,” she added. “The girls were tired and that showed often. But they played with heart and determination.”
After inching back into the game, Bellevue sent it into OT with a last-second shot that was a prayer answered.
“The battle in the fourth quarter went back and forth; we had the lead and watched it dwindle,” King said. “They had a girl who kept putting up shots, ending with 20 points. We had several girls try to defend her.
“Some of her shots were just thrown up towards the basket like the one that tied the game,” she added. “It was a bullet that danced on the rim long enough to drop.”
Not flustered (or hiding it well) the tired Wolves reached down deep in the extra period.
Miller, who snatched 13 boards and two steals to go with her offensive display, scored five in the overtime, including a game-clinching free throw.
Kyla Briscoe started things off, sinking a shot from the weak side, then Tator stepped up and went all Michael Jordan on the Vikings.
“Mattea played smooth like always but got more aggressive on her shot,” King said. “It was nice to see her reading passes and getting the fast break lay up.”
Key to the win was another strong performance on the boards for the aggressive Wolves.
Kellner hauled down 18, to go with eight steals and three blocks, while Briscoe matched Miller with 13. Wenzel got her hands on another 11.
While Miller had the hot shooting touch, four of her five teammates also chipped into the scoring effort. Lauren Grove popped for five, Kellner banged home four, Wenzel netted three and Briscoe saved her bucket for OT.
With her squad the only one of the four Wolf teams that netted a win Saturday, King was justifiably proud of her starting five and plucky reserve Brisa Herrera.
“Excited for the girls with this win,” she said. “They worked so hard and as a team. Wolf pride at its finest!”
