Coupeville 6th grader Tamsin Ward has a bright hardwood future. (Photo courtesy Jandellyn Ward)
“What a cap to the season.”
The Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball squads brought an end to the campaign Thursday, netting a huge win and a narrow loss to archrival South Whidbey.
The Wolves #1 team pulled out its first victory of the season on their home floor, holding on for a 35-30 triumph, while the second unit lost a heartbreaker 10-9 at the buzzer.
How the day played out:
Level 1:
Big shots from behind the arc sparked Coupeville in a tense, physical conflict between two fairly evenly matched squads.
Wolf 8th grader Haylee Armstrong departed middle school hoops by splashing home a trio of three-balls in the third quarter, while 6th grader Tamsin Ward buried a huge trey in the game’s final minutes.
“The 1’s came out and played the most physical game of the year,” said Coupeville coach Bennett Richter. “They battled through bumps and bruises to pull out the win!
“These girls steadily improved and continued to work hard throughout the season and got their revenge on a very physical South Whidbey team.”
Coupeville jumped out to an early lead, heading to the first break up 8-4, before South Whidbey closed the gap back to 15-14 by halftime.
The third quarter was vintage Hayley Time, as the fast-dribbling, sweet-shooting Armstrong rattled the rims for all of her team’s points during a game-busting 11-4 run.
That gave the Wolves a lead they wouldn’t relinquish, though the visitors made things interesting at the end.
Armstrong, who now moves to high school softball to cap her 8th grade year, finished with a team-best 16 points, while Ward knocked down five in support.
Tenley Stuurmans, Lexis Drake, and Rhylin Price added four points apiece, with Capri Anter banking in a bucket to round out the scoring effort.
Chelsi Stevens and Adeline Maynes also saw floor time for the Wolves, providing scrappy defense.
Level 2:
South Whidbey bounced back from being blanked in the first quarter to pull out the win, with the game-deciding bucket falling through the net with mere ticks left on the clock.
In a game where scoring was at a premium, Coupeville led 2-0 at the first break thanks to an Ava Lucero bucket, and 3-2 at the half after Lina Shelly slipped a free-throw through the net.
The Wolves put up four points in the third quarter, with Kennedy O’Neill and Ari Cunningham both scoring, and carried a 7-4 advantage into the final frame.
Cunningham notched another bucket in the fourth, but South Whidbey managed to pull out the victory on the game’s final play.
Win or lose, first-year Coupeville hoops coaches Richter and Mia Littlejohn came away satisfied with the growth and effort of their players.
“It was a very intense final couple of minutes,” Richter said. “They played so incredibly hard.”
Izzy Bowder, Melanie Wolfe, Taylor Marrs, Amaiya Curry, Lillie Ketterling, and Isa De Souza Oliveira McFetridge also saw action in the finale.
While South Whidbey only has two teams, Coupeville’s numbers were booming this season, with the Wolves fielding three squads most days.
All three CMS units enjoyed the taste of victory, heralding a bright future for Wolf girls’ basketball.
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