Gwen Gustafson helped spark the Coupeville JV to a come-from-behind win on opening night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Third quarter for the win.
Bouncing back from a seven-point halftime deficit, the Coupeville High School JV girls basketball squad blew the doors off the gym in the second half Tuesday.
Sparked by a 19-4 run in the third frame, which accounted for half their points on the night, the Wolves held off host Darrington 38-34.
The non-conference victory, coming on opening night, was the first at the high school level for new JV coach Megan Smith.
The #4 scorer in Wolf girls varsity basketball history, the 2010 CHS grad bounced up from a middle school coaching gig to replace the retired Amy King.
One game in, things are looking good for Smith and her young squad.
“We started out pretty flat, but came out swinging in the second half!,” Smith said. “I’m very proud of our girls, how we played, and how we handled ourselves in adversity.
“A pretty solid way to start out the season, and excited to see where we go from here!”
Playing after the varsity Tuesday night, the Wolf JV fell behind early, trailing 13-8 after one quarter and 19-12 at the half.
At that point, Coupeville had hit just a single basket from the field, thanks to freshman Gwen Gustafson, with the rest of its points coming at the free throw stripe.
The third quarter was a different story, however, as Gustafson and fellow fab frosh Alita Blouin lit up Darrington, combining for 14 points in the frame.
Blouin tossed in nine of her 11 in the third, including hitting a three-pointer, while Gustafson netted five of her team-best 12.
CHS got scoring from all directions, with Ryanne Knoblich banking home four of her six points in the quarter, and Ella Colwell slipping a free throw through the net to round out the offensive explosion.
Samantha Streitler, Morgan Stevens and Colwell finished with two points apiece, while Jessenia Camarena chipped in with three.
Whether they scored or not, all 11 girls in uniform had strong performances.
Heidi Meyers, Natalie Castano, Lily Leedy, and Savana Allen also saw floor time for Coupeville, which returns to action Wednesday with a game at Oak Harbor.
