Coupeville Sports

Katie Marti (second from left) scored a team-high 13 points Friday night. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

They started so hot and ended so cold.

The Coupeville High School varsity girls’ basketball squad scorched host Friday Harbor for 15 first-quarter points Friday night, then struggled to scratch out 10 more the rest of the way.

Going six-plus minutes without scoring in the second, third, and fourth quarters, the Wolves eventually frittered away an 11-point lead, falling 30-25 in their conference opener.

The loss drops Coupeville to 2-3 overall, 0-1 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, and stings badly as it comes against one of the other two 2B schools in the seven-team conference.

That could have a major impact in the chase for a playoff berth.

For now, the Wolves get an immediate chance to bounce back, when they host South Whidbey in a non-conference clash Saturday.

JV tips at 5:15, varsity at 7:00, and the program’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated at halftime of the second contest.

Friday’s rumble started like a blowout, with everything going Coupeville’s way.

The Wolves claimed the lead at 4-2 on a bucket in the paint from Jada Heaton and would hold the advantage for almost the entire game.

Five different CHS players hit a field goal in the game’s opening frame, with Heaton coming back around to slap home a rebound with just two ticks left on the clock.

Up 15-6 at the first break, the Wolves added a quick pullup jumper from Katie Marti to open the second quarter, and then things turned bleak.

Coupeville only connected on three field goals, and no free throws, across the game’s final 23 minutes-plus.

Not that Friday Harbor came roaring back exactly, as the Wolverines were madly clanking shots left and right as well.

But slowly, painfully, the host Wolverines crawled back into the game.

Friday Harbor trimmed the lead to 17-10 at the half, then 22-20 through three quarters.

Mia Farris made off with a steal and slashed end-to-end for a breakaway bucket to open the third — snapping her team’s long dry spell — but then CHS went another six minutes-plus with no points.

With the lead slashed to 19-18, Marti knocked down a three-ball, then she repeated the feat to open the fourth, pushing her squad ahead 25-20.

And then Coupeville simply stopped scoring. Again.

Friday Harbor tied the game at 25-25 with a hair over three minutes to play, forcing the first stalemate since way back at 2-2.

From there, a steal, a lob inside for a layup, and one free throw after Coupeville was forced to foul five times in 12 seconds to stop the clock, set the final margin.

Wolf coach Megan Richter was philosophical afterwards.

“It’s a learning curve. We will get there,” she said.

“The nice thing is we are improving every game and that’s all a coach can ask for right now.”

Marti accounted for more than half of her team’s scoring, rattling the rims for a season-high 13, which pushes her one point away from joining the 100-point club.

Heaton and Farris added four apiece, Skylar Parker and Lyla Stuurmans each knocked down a bucket to round out the scoring, and Madison McMillan and Teagan Calkins were ferocious on the boards.

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