Maddie Georges rattled the rims Friday for a season-high 16 points. (Karen Carlson photo)
Big moments are made for big stars.
Playing in their next-to-last regular-season home game Friday, Coupeville High School’s seniors combined to score all but four of their team’s points in a 47-27 romp over visiting Friday Harbor.
Hitting six three-balls while playing inspired defense, the Wolves led virtually start to finish while grabbing a win which has huge playoff implications.
The victory lifts Coupeville to 7-8 on the season, but it was whom it came against which matters most.
The Northwest 2B/1B League has three 2B schools, and two earn berths to the bi-district tourney based on how they do against each other in the regular season.
La Conner is 2-0 in the round-robin, Coupeville is 1-1, and Friday Harbor 0-2.
The Braves and Wolverines play again Feb. 3, with Coupeville hosting La Conner Feb. 7, then travelling to Friday Harbor for the regular-season finale Feb. 10.
In between that, CHS has a road game Feb. 2 against non-league foe Auburn Adventist Academy.
Friday’s win give the Wolves a big leg up on Friday Harbor in the scramble for a playoff berth, and Megan Richter’s squad made a statement.
Alita Blouin splashed home a three-ball to open the game, before Coupeville fell behind for the one and only time, trailing 5-3.
That was when senior point guard Maddie Georges stepped up, muttered “give me the dang ball” (I’d like to think…), and flipped the script.
First, she pegged a floor-long pass to Ryanne Knoblich for a game-tying layup, before knocking down back-to-back treys, which each shot coming from a different side of the floor.
In between the game-altering bombs, Georges also made off with a steal, collected a floor burn or two, and delivered withering side-eye to anyone who dared to step into her path.
So, a typical day for the calm, yet fiery one.
Heading into the first break with an 11-5 lead, Georges and her associates kept attacking in the second quarter, with Knoblich knocking down a pair of buckets to kick things off.
One of her baskets was set up by a slick inbounds pass from Lyla Stuurmans, the other came courtesy of Knoblich wrestling a rebound out of the hands of a taller rival.
Coupeville as a team has struggled at the free throw line all season, but on this night, Georges calmly sank four in a row, signaling a positive change.
The lead was up to double-digits by halftime, with the Wolves heading to the locker room with a 23-11 advantage, but CHS was just getting warmed up.
Blouin and Georges hit back-to-back daggers from behind the arc in the third quarter, the second and fourth treys of the night for the Wolf sharpshooters, respectively.
Coupeville’s lead ballooned to 14, was trimmed back to eight for a brief moment, then settled in at a comfortable 35-24 heading into the fourth.
That final frame belonged completely to the Wolves, as they held Friday Harbor to just a single field goal over the game’s final eight minutes.
By contrast, Blouin was on a tear, dropping runners in the paint, while Coupeville also hit four free throws and capped things with a beautiful bank shot from Stuurmans.
Scoring all of her points from either the three-point line or the charity stripe, Georges led the way with a season-high 16, while Blouin was hot on her heels with 15.
Knoblich made it three Wolves with double digits, banking in 10, while Gwen Gustafson capped the senior attack with a bucket.
Sophomores Mia Farris and Stuurmans chipped in with two points apiece, with Carolyn Lhamon and Katie Marti also seeing floor time for the Wolves.
While the playoff-positive win was the big headline, two CHS players achieved personal milestones as well.
Blouin, who has played 17 varsity games, cracked the 150-point club and now sits with 159.
Georges, meanwhile, moves into exclusive company, becoming the #30 scorer in CHS girls’ basketball history for a program started in 1974.
With her performance Friday, she jumps to 343 career points, passing all-timers Taniel Lamb (330), Misty Sellgren (331), Amanda Allmer (331), and Kailey Kellner (339).
Coupeville Sports 