The Wolves run to playoff success. (Bailey Thule photo)
“These girls are not ready to stop playing.”
The Coupeville High School girls’ varsity basketball squad, led by their Fab Five seniors, won their second-straight loser-out game, bouncing visiting Auburn Adventist Academy 39-29 Monday in the bi-district opener.
Now 10-10, Megan Richter’s pack of scrappy ballhawks return to their home floor Wednesday to face either La Conner (17-4) or Northwest Christian of Lacey (7-7) for the tourney title and the lone berth to state being awarded to girls’ teams in Districts 1/2.
The Braves and Wolverines were also supposed to play Monday, but their game was bumped to Tuesday after high winds affected the Port Townsend ferry, stranding NWC on the mainland.
La Conner and NWC’s girls now play Tuesday at 7 PM, bumping the boys’ playoff game between Coupeville and NWC from 6:45 up to 5:15.
Having endured a tiebreaker game to earn their playoff ticket, Coupeville’s girls were playing for the third time in four days when they took the floor Monday night.
But the Wolves were also playing at home for the first time in a week, they were wearing their snazzy black uniforms, and the fan base — including several former Wolf coaches — was solidly on their side.
And they responded in style, jumping on Auburn quickly and leading from first bucket to final buzzer.
Springy sophomore Lyla Stuurmans, who drove the Falcon ballhandlers batty all game on defense, knocked down a running layup off of a long pass from Maddie Georges, and things were underway.
An early three-ball from Alita Blouin, and another breakaway bucket from Stuurmans staked Coupeville to an early 9-2 lead, though the Falcons fought back.
Hitting the first of its five treys, Auburn sliced the lead back down to 9-7 heading into the final minute of the opening frame, setting up a potential back-and-forth brawl.
But the Wolves responded, and quickly, with Georges burying a three-ball of her own, before coming back around to fuel yet another Stuurmans layup with a precision half-court pass.
Toss in a free throw off the fingers of Mia Farris, and CHS was up 15-7 at the first break and in control.
Not that Auburn gave in, however, as the Falcons fought for every loose ball and rebound, slicing its deficit back to four points right before halftime.
To which Georges, a four-year varsity vet, said, “Not my gym, not tonight,” banking home a three-ball which beat the buzzer by .000000002 of a second.
“I will make them cry. I promise you that!” (Bailey Thule photo)
The well-timed bomb from Georges sent Coupeville to the break leading 24-17, and the Wolves pushed their lead into double digits early in the third quarter.
Ryanne Knoblich knocked down back-to-back buckets, one off of a rebound, the other set up by a Carolyn Lhamon kick-out pass, before Gwen Gustafson started rainin’ baskets from mid-range, putting the cherry on the sundae.
Auburn rattled home a pair of three-balls in the fourth quarter, but otherwise could not get anything going, while Coupeville milked the clock and eased home with the win.
Six of eight Wolves to see the floor Monday scored, led by Blouin, who popped for a game-high 11 points.
Alita Blouin, knockin’ down buckets and takin’ names. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Georges (9), Knoblich (8), Stuurmans (6), Gustafson (4), and Farris (1) also scored, while Lhamon and Katie Marti dominated on the boards.
Several Wolves hit personal milestones in the playoff win, led by Georges, who moves past Shawna West (388) and lands at #25 on the CHS girls all-time scoring list.
The fiery, yet composed, Wolf point guard, sits with 393 career points, while Blouin became the 61st Wolf girl to crack the 200-point club since the program launched in 1974.
She’s collected 204 points — tying her with Izzy Wells at #58 all-time — while playing in just 22 games.
Injuries limited Blouin to two games through her junior year, but she’s bounced back to start all 20 contests during her senior season.
Lastly, Stuurmans, just a sophomore, cracked the 125-point club.
With 130 and counting, she passes two former players with a direct connection to this year’s team — Christi Messner (125) and Kayla Lawson (124).
Messner is the mom of Stuurman’s fellow sophomore, Katie Marti, and was on the PA system Monday night, while Lawson is the sister of current Wolf JV coach Kassie O’Neil.
