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Limited minutes, unlimited impact

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 16, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Another week, another honor for Coupeville’s Makana Stone.

Like clockwork.

Every week, FocusHoops selects five female players from the National Basketball League in England and honors them for their on-court achievements.

Coupeville’s Makana Stone has been a regular presence on the weekly team — even being tabbed Player of the Week three times — and this time around, she’s right back in her comfort zone.

Despite playing just 22 minutes Saturday, thanks to Loughborough University annihilating winless BA London 76-42, the former Wolf managed to put up some nice stats on the hardwood.

While Stone normally stays on the floor for close to the full 40 minutes, with the Riders up 44 points at one point, coach Quintero Cano seized the opportunity to give his bench substantial playing time.

Coupeville’s progeny used her time well, however, dropping in 12 points, snatching a game-high eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, and making off with three steals.

Stone hit on 85% of her shots in the paint.

On the season, Loughborough is 9-3 overall, 9-1 with the former Cow Town resident anchoring its lineup.

Through her 10 games, Stone sits with 168 points, 155 rebounds, 24 assists, 34 steals, and five blocks.

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It’s a Stone-cold massacre

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 13, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville’s Makana Stone collected 12 points and eight rebounds in limited minutes Saturday, as she and her team rolled to a big win. (Photo property Loughborough University)

She came. She saw. She conquered. She sat.

Coupeville’s Makana Stone dominated play in the first half Saturday, then she and her fellow Loughborough University basketball starters watched their backups do the same down the stretch during a 76-42 rout of winless BA London.

The Riders did just about everything right, scoring inside and outside at will, eventually building a 44-point lead before the visitors shaved a few points off at the end.

With the win, Loughborough, second in the National Basketball League standings, improves to 9-3 overall, 9-1 with Stone in the lineup.

Limited to just 22 minutes of action when she normally plays 38-39 a game, the former Wolf saw her double-double streak end at nine games.

Still, Stone’s 12 points was one off the game-high, her eight rebounds was a game-high, and she added four assists and three steals before being prematurely plucked from the game.

BA London could do little to stop Coupeville’s progeny, as she slapped home eight points in the first quarter, nearly equaling her foes as Loughborough bolted out to a 21-9 lead.

Stone’s buckets came on a variety of moves, highlighting all the weapons in her arsenal.

She banked home a bucket, put an offensive rebound back up and in, knocked down a breakaway layup, then split a pair of defenders, slicing to the hoop and tossing the ball high off the glass.

Stone capped a super-efficient 6-8 shooting performance with a pair of quick baskets in the second quarter.

After that, she spent the rest of her time on the floor making John Stockton-style passes and scaring any BA London player foolhardy enough to momentarily think about invading the paint.

Loughborough, which is now off until April 10, had an incredibly well-balanced stat ledger.

Robyn Ainge tossed in 13 points, Stone and Erin Hikin added 12 apiece, and 11 Riders made it into the scoring column, with six notching eight points or more.

Through 10 games, Stone sits with 168 points, 155 rebounds, 24 assists, 34 steals, and five blocks.

 

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Masks stay, more fans allowed

Posted in coronavirus updates, Fashionable Fans, tagged , , , , on March 11, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Attendance at high school sporting events can double in size, from 200 to 400, as of March 18. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

A full return to high school sports competition in Washington state took a new, positive turn Thursday afternoon.

In a press conference, Governor Jay Inslee announced his Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery plan will transition back to a county-by-county evaluation process Monday, March 22.

Island County will no longer be lumped into a region, and will stand on its own. Also, smaller counties will be held to different numbers than larger counties.

Under the plan, all counties will move into a new Phase 3, which allows for increased fans at outdoor and indoor sports events.

Currently, the cap is 200, and many leagues have opted not to allow fans for any sports.

The Northwest 2B/1B League, which includes Coupeville, currently allows home fans at baseball, girls tennis, and softball competitions.

Road fans are barred, and no fans at all are allowed at track meets.

As of Mar. 18, the limit jumps to 400 individuals at “outdoor venues with permanent seating with capacity capped at 25%” and “indoor facilities — so long as 400 people does not exceed 50% capacity for the location.”

Physical distancing and masking protocols will still be enforced.

Five of Coupeville’s six scheduled track meets, including a home event April 3, fall after the increase from 200 to 400 fans.

NWL Athletic Directors have not yet commented on how the change will affect the status of road fans, or whether fans will be allowed to attend track meets.

While many leagues opted to open with traditional fall sports, the NWL chose a spring-fall-winter format for this pandemic-afflicted school year.

That should prove to be a financial boon for the league.

By holding off on football, the leading money maker, until season two, the NWL will benefit from increased crowd capacity, something which has dinged most schools currently playing on the gridiron.

The transition also makes it much more likely winter sports, considered the “highest risk” by the State Department of Health, will play during the planned season of May 3 to June 12.

“The sports guidance applies to a safe and healthy expansion of youth sports,” Inslee said on his official Twitter account. “High-contact sports like basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading will be allowed to have competitions again.”

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One more time, with feeling

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 9, 2021| Leave a Comment »

Makana Stone drills a jumper during warm-ups. (Photo property Loughborough University)

This one was a slam dunk.

Coming off of her most-dominating performance in England, Coupeville grad Makana Stone was tabbed Tuesday as the National Basketball League Player of the Week.

It’s the third time this season she’s received the honor.

The former Wolf was lights-out Saturday, when she went off for 20 points, 26 rebounds, six steals, four blocked shots, and three assists as she helped Loughborough University top Worcester 73-64.

That victory avenged an earlier-season loss to the same team in a game in which Stone and a fellow starter were fouled out right before overtime started.

Coupeville’s progeny has amassed a double-double in every game she’s played overseas, a big reason why Loughborough is 8-3 overall, 8-1 with Stone in the lineup.

On the season, the American assassin has racked up 156 points, 147 rebounds, 20 assists, 31 steals, and five blocks, while also working on her master’s in exercise physiology.

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Don’t hurt ’em, Kana (too late)

Posted in Basketball, tagged , , , , on March 6, 2021| 1 Comment »

Makana Stone threw down a 20-point, 26-rebound performance Saturday in England. (Photo property of Loughborough University)

The wrecking crew has arrived.

Going on the road Saturday, Coupeville’s Makana Stone delivered maybe her most explosive basketball performance since arriving in England.

The former Wolf went off for 20 points, 26 rebounds, six steals, four blocked shots, and three assists as she helped Loughborough University avenge an earlier-season loss.

Using a fourth-quarter run to pull away in a nail-biter, the Riders exited with a 73-64 victory against host Worcester.

That was sweet payback for an overtime loss in November, a game in which refs fouled out Stone and another key Loughborough player right before the extra period.

This time around, the zebras were more realistic, assessing just two fouls on Coupeville’s progeny as she played all but 35 seconds of the game.

With the win, Loughborough improves to 8-3 overall, 8-1 with Stone in the lineup, and 8-0 in games where she’s allowed to play until the final buzzer.

Saturday’s rematch went back-and-forth until the Riders pulled away in the final nine minutes of the game.

Trailing 21-19 after one quarter, and 36-35 at the half, Loughborough slipped back in front 50-49 headed to the game’s final frame.

Worcester had one last push, briefly pulling ahead 54-50, then fell apart as Stone took control down the stretch.

Pumping in 10 of her 20 points in the fourth quarter, she sparked Loughborough to a 23-10 finish to seal the deal.

The Riders cracked Worcester with a 12-0 run, with Stone banking home a team-best five points during the surge.

She now has a double-double in all nine games she’s played in England, and sits with 156 points, 147 rebounds, 20 assists, 31 steals, and five blocks on the season.

The Riders, who played Saturday without big-time basket producers Robyn Ainge and Katie Januszewska, got 20 points from Molly James and 11 out of Hannah Bird in support of Stone.

Loughborough, which is second in the National Basketball League behind Ipswich (9-1), returns to action next Saturday, March 13, when it hosts winless BA London.

 

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