Makana Stone lines up the free throw that would result in her 1,000th career point. (John Fisken photo)
Makana Stone made history, then she and her teammates took care of business.
Throwing down a season-high 28 points Tuesday, including the 1,000th point of her stellar prep hoop career, the Coupeville High School senior lit the fire that launched the Wolves to a 48-34 thrashing of visiting Chimacum.
The conference victory lifted Coupeville to 11-4 overall, 5-0 in 1A Olympic League play.
With three of the league’s four teams making it to the postseason, the Wolves officially clinched a playoff spot.
It also moved them one victory away from clinching back-to-back league titles.
They have a three game lead on Port Townsend (2-3) and Klahowya (2-3) with four to play, while Chimacum drops into the cellar at 1-4.
Win Friday night on the road at Klahowya and Coupeville would be four up on the Eagles with three to play.
Even if Port Townsend beats Chimacum that night to get to 3-3, if the Wolves win, they would be three up on the RedHawks with three to play — and they own the tiebreaker.
Tuesday, the Wolves hit the floor amped up.
Backed by an enuthisastic audience, Stone, who needed 22 to crack the 1,000 point barrier, threw down the game’s first six points and they came on a variety of wicked moves.
First she backed her defender down in the paint, then twirled and banked home a jumper.
Next came a little runner, then she pilfered the ball and beat the crowd all the way down the floor for an emphatic lay-in.
The steal was important, as well, as she needed four to break 200 for her career, to go with the 800+ rebounds she had already snagged.
She finished with seven pickpocket jobs, more than hitting her target.
With Stone dominating — she also capped the first quarter by slashing to the basket and taking a gorgeous entry pass from Kyla Briscoe for another layup — Coupeville had Chimacum on its heels.
Add Mia Littlejohn and Kailey Kellner launching three-balls, and everywhere the Cowboys looked, someone in red and white was throwing down a basket.
Coupeville used a 16-0 run to take a narrow 9-7 lead and pad it out to 25-7, essentially ending the game midway through the second quarter.
Stone had 19 by the halftime break, and, when she wasn’t scoring, she was returning the favor to Briscoe, feeding the Wolf sophomore with her own perfect set-up for a layup.
“I feel like we came out focused and with energy tonight,” said Coupeville coach David King. “Makana set the tone early and often in the first half.
“I was very happy with the focus we had in the first half,” he added. “We moved the ball well and got open shots throughout. We also rebounded better than our previous two games. So that’s a positive.”
The Wolves were stung a bit by their go-go-go style, picking up more fouls than King might have liked to have seen.
“The energy we had was a blessing but also got us in trouble on the defensive end,” he said.
The second half was more of an even battle, as the Cowboys hung around a bit thanks to Coupeville playing a bit wild and loose.
“For some reason offensively in the second half we went away from what was working for us,” King said. “We allowed Chimacum to stay in the game with fouls and turnovers.
“We need to shore up our defense and minimize the turnovers.”
Still, Coupeville thoroughly controlled the boards, winning that battle 46-21.
“Rebounding was outstanding. Everyone contributed,” King said. “Lauren Grove did a great job diving in and picking up some big offensive rebounds, and Lindsey (Roberts) and Kailey got some timely rebounds.
The moment everyone had been waiting for came at the 2:25 mark of the third quarter.
Stone, laser-focused on the game and (seemingly) oblivious to her loud ‘n proud fan section, led by former teammate Kacie Kiel, dropped in a free-throw to crack four digits.
In a nice twist, the moment was called live by PA announcer Randy King, whose daughter Brianne also topped the 1,000 point mark during her days as a Wolf hoops star.
After letting Chimacum slide back within 10 early in the fourth, Coupeville put the game on ice with an 8-0 run that stretched the lead out to 48-30.
One of those buckets came on a soft, arcing jumper from Skyler Lawrence, a swing player who made a big impact in her fourth quarter cameo.
On the very next play down the floor, Lawrence whipped a pass between two defenders, dropping the ball right on to the fingertips of Allison Wenzel, her partner in crime on the Wolf bench.
Unfortunately, a Chimacum finger poked the ball at just the wrong moment, spoiling Wenzel’s layup attempt.
As the duo sprinted back on defense, they exchanged smiles and a little light ribbing.
Stone added 16 rebounds and two blocks to go with her 28 points, while Littlejohn put together an eight point, eight rebound, four assist evening.
Kellner drained six, snatched seven boards and dealt out three assists while Roberts, Lawrence and Kyla Briscoe rounded out the scoring with a bucket apiece.
Roberts snagged six rebounds, with Grove and Tiffany Briscoe hauling down four each. Grove and Kyla Briscoe each had two assists.
As Coupeville moves forward, King knows his team, which has never lost in league play (14-0 over the past two seasons) remains the hunted.
“We realize that the other other three teams are coming for us every game,” he said. “That means we have to be at the top of our game; tonight we did that.
“We did a lot of things well tonight.”
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