Audrianna Shaw scored 12 points Wednesday night, sparking Coupeville’s varsity to a season-opening win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
They played their best at crunch time.
Busting open a tie ball game, the Coupeville High School varsity girls basketball squad used a splendid fourth-quarter run Wednesday to capture a big win in Megan Smith’s debut as head coach.
With four different players scoring in a game-busting 10-3 tear, and a fifth making the defensive play of the night, the Wolves held off visiting Granite Falls 37-34 on opening night.
The non-conference win came against a former league rival, and a scrappy one at that.
Granite made solid runs at the end of each of the first three quarters to stay in the game, but it was Coupeville’s turn at the end.
Things were knotted at 27-27 heading into the final eight minutes of action, and the Wolves actually fell behind after the Tigers netted a three-point bomb to go up 30-29.
That was a response to Coupeville’s Carolyn Lhamon slapping home a bucket in the paint off of a feed from Maddie Georges, and seemed to set Granite up nicely.
Au contraire.
The battlin’ Wells sisters soon went to work, with senior Izzy banking home a shot in the paint, followed by freshman Savina scooping a gorgeous runner over a forest of outstretched arms.
Up 33-30, the Wolves put the ball in the hand of steady Audrianna Shaw, who converted a pair of buckets to break the spirit of the visitors.
The first basket came on a pullup jumper, with Georges putting the ball right on Shaw’s fingertips, before a running layup sealed the deal.
While the 8-0 run was a prime example of the Wolves shining under pressure, the defining moment came on the other end of the floor.
With Granite barreling in for a breakaway bucket, Georges hit turbo, slashed between two rivals and got herself right in front of the oncoming player.
Positioning herself perfectly to draw the charge — and never flinching when the incoming Tiger leveled her — Georges got the well-deserved call from the ref and brought her fan section to its feet.
With the CHS gym roaring, the ever-scrappy Wolf junior popped back up, perhaps moving a bit gingerly, and was promptly pummeled by happy teammates.
While Granite scored a frantic four points in the final 30 seconds to cut the final margin back to three, time ran out on the visitors, letting Coupeville’s faithful celebrate anew.
The game was fairly even all night, with the Tigers up 9-8 at the first break.
Shaw and Georges nailed three-balls in the opening frame, while Wolf senior Ja’Kenya Hoskins ripped a rival’s head clean off with an emphatic block on defense, but the Tigers closed the quarter on a 5-0 run.
Granite was back at it in the second frame, closing things on a 6-2 surge after Coupeville used a pair of three-balls from Georges to stake itself to a seven-point lead.
The best bucket in the quarter came from Nezi Keiper, back on the floor after sitting out last season.
Taking a nice dish from Savina Wells, Keiper backed her defender down, then converted a turnaround jumper which rippled nothing but net.
The third quarter was almost a replay of the first two, as Coupeville opened with a 6-0 tear to go up by nine, before the Tigers scrabbled back into the game.
Lhamon knocked down a three-point play the hard way, with her bucket and free throw set up by an Izzy Wells steal, while Shaw’s three-ball was the saving grace during a 12-3 Granite rally.
That set up the fourth quarter, and a solid finish for the Wolves.
Shaw finished with a game-high 12, and achieved a personal milestone Wednesday, passing the 100-point career mark.
With 105 points and counting, she’s the 103rd Wolf girl to hit triple-digits in the 48-year history of the program.
Georges (9), Lhamon (7), Savina Wells (3), Hoskins (2), Keiper (2), and Izzy Wells (2) also scored Wednesday, with Gwen Gustafson, Lyla Stuurmans, and Abby Mulholland bringing heart and hustle on defense.
The Wolves return to the floor Saturday when they host Forks. Varsity tips at 1 PM, JV at 2:30.
