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Posts Tagged ‘Lauren Grove’

Perfection Mambo #2!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on February 10, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The Wolf JV celebrates during their final ferry ride of the season. (Amy King photo)

The Wolf JV celebrates during their final ferry ride of the season. (Amy King photo)

Different team, same tune.

Capping a miracle season that virtually mirrors that of the Wolf varsity, the Coupeville JV girls’ hoops squad drilled host Klahowya 47-27 Monday night.

The victory, their eighth straight, gave the Wolf young guns a final record of 14-5 overall, 9-0 in Olympic League play.

In their first-ever season in the new four-team league, the CHS girls combined to go 18-0 against Port Townsend, Chimacum and Klahowya.

Perhaps already dreaming about the pending post-game celebration (or having to play second due to scheduling for a possible run to the ferry), the Wolves came out a bit cold Monday, then turned it on with a passion.

Trailing 5-3 after one (Klahowya hit a late three-point bomb to snatch the lead), Coupeville went on a 14-4 tear in the second, then put the game out of sight with a 30-18 advantage after the break.

Kicking it up a notch or three hundred on defense keyed the surge.

“Starting in the second quarter, we decided to pick things up and just started intercepting passes, getting steal after steal,” said Wolf coach Amy King. “Of course, sometimes we would steal only to blindly pass and have them steal right back, only for us to steal again and get down the court to score.

“Everybody had steals tonight whether it was reading passes, grabbing it right out of their hands or tipping it away from somebody trying to dribble.”

Klahowya tried to counter with a full-court press, but the Wolf ball-handlers broke it with ease, and most of the CHS offense developed naturally in the flow of the game.

“Our offense came alive and I don’t remember us running even one play,” King said. “Everything was fast break. We had great passing too.”

Two big plays broke Klahowya’s spirit.

The first came when Kailey Kellner launched herself out of bounds in pursuit of a loose ball, snagged it and fired it back to a waiting Tiffany Briscoe.

The second had Skyler Lawrence working the high post with multiple defenders coming out on her. Waiting until she drew them to her, she then banged the ball down low to a wide-open Allison Wenzel.

“That really sparked the team. Everyone worked so hard together,” King said. “When the Lauren’s (Rose and Grove) were out taking a break, Kailey and Kyla (Briscoe) took over the ball handling responsibilities.

“Allison was tough as always on defense, even had two blocks and instructing her teammates the whole game.”

Team-wide the Wolves came extra hard on defense, closing the season with well-honed aggression on display.

“Lauren and Lauren were so tough defensively, Skyler and Tiffany rebounded around the Eagles bigger posts and Kailey played the best game she has played in a little while,” King said. “She helped wherever needed, got air on rebounds and drove strong or just took the outside shots.”

All eight of the Wolves got their moment in the spotlight, seven on the court and one off of it.

“While Brisa (Herrera) couldn’t play, she was on the bench telling her teammates what to watch for, reminding them to keep their heads up to see the floor,” King said. “A lot of encouraging.”

Kellner paced the Wolves with a stat-sheet exploding 15 points, 17 rebounds, seven steals and two blocks, while Grove (13 points, five rebounds, eight steals, two blocks) and Rose (seven points, five rebounds, eight steals) were hot on her heels.

Tiffany Briscoe (four points, ten rebounds, four steals), Lawrence (four points, nine rebounds, two blocks), Wenzel (two points, eight boards, two blocks) and Kyla Briscoe (two points, six rebounds, six steals) all chipped in, as well.

“These girls really wanted to go undefeated in league and gave it everything,” King said. “I have to say, this JV team got better as the season went on.

“They corrected their game on personal levels as well as a team. They talked about what they needed to do and picked each other up continuously,” she added. “All in all, overall, they made my job easy.

“I am going to miss this group.”

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Shove this, Chimacum!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , , on February 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Amy King

Wolf freshmen Kyla Briscoe (top) and Lauren Rose get up to pre-game shenanigans. (Amy King photos)

ta da

When Wolves attack.

From class to crass.

A game after the undermanned Port Townsend JV showed themselves to be the kind of plucky, big-hearted young women rival fans would root for, Chimacum arrived on Whidbey Friday and left a far different impression.

The end result was the same, a huge win for a red-hot Coupeville JV girls’ squad, which, despite suiting only six players, romped to a 48-13 win.

The victory, the team’s seventh straight, lifted the young Wolves to 13-5 overall, 8-0 in Olympic League play.

And yet, what will be talked about is that rarity of rarities — a full-blown ejection in a JV basketball game.

On a night when three separate Chimacum teams would receive at least one technical foul, the cherry on top of the sundae came courtesy of an overly-touchy Cowboy.

After a fourth-quarter battle for a rebound, Wolf freshman Allison Wenzel gained control of the ball.

With the play dead, a Cowboy approached the surprised Wenzel and, using both hands, shoved her hard enough in the face and chest that the refs immediately booted the offender from the game.

“The girl got up in Allison’s face. Allison stood her ground, we got the free throws and the ball back,” said Coupeville coach Amy King. “Don’t mess with one Wolf, because we take care of each other.

“The rest of the game was full of steals and great basketball. Our team stepped up and played a great quarter.”

Coupeville responded by drilling Chimacum in the game and not starting a full-blown brawl, something parents appreciated.

“It’s nice to know our kids don’t play like that. Makes me proud,” said Susan Wenzel.

Apart from the WWE action, the game was decided with an 18-0 second quarter run from the Wolves.

The surge came after a lackluster first quarter that ended with Coupeville clinging to a 4-3 lead. The moment prompted a rare chewing out of her team from the normally serene King.

The fiery oratory lit a spark under the Wolves.

“What was said worked, as we came out more focused, did a better job on offense and just started stealing the ball and getting fast breaks off our press,” King said. “The girls took their time, moved the ball around well and just played more like they can.”

Coupeville attacked in a frenzy over the final three quarters with “more passes up court than I’ve seen in a game.”

Lauren Grove and Kyla Briscoe were relentless, working their “anticipation magic” and converting steal after steal, with Lauren Rose leading the break, flying down the court after every steal and rebound.

Grove was on fire all game long, banging home a season-high 15, while filling up the stat sheet with six rebounds, five steals and a block.

Kyla Briscoe added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, barely missing a triple double with seven steals.

Tiffany Briscoe (eight points, nine rebounds, three steals), Rose (seven points, three rebounds, five steals), Kailey Kellner (six points, eight boards, two steals) and Wenzel (two points, nine boards, two blocks) rounded out the roster on the evening.

As the Wolf JV nears the end of its magical season — they close play on the road at Klahowya Monday — King has a mix of emotions.

“Last home game and making their parents proud. Classy group of amazing young women,” she said. “It is sad the season is almost done.”

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Stroll to victory! Roll to victory!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on February 3, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Kailey Kellner, seen here in an earlier game, beat Port Townsend 15-4 by herself Tuesday. (John Fisken photo)

Kailey Kellner, seen here in an earlier game, beat Port Townsend 15-4 by herself Tuesday. (John Fisken photo)

It was a tricky task.

Facing a Port Townsend squad that could only field five players Tuesday, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team danced a delicate dance.

On the one hand, the Wolves wanted to win (and win big, if possible), while, on the other hand, not unnecessarily embarrass the Redhawks.

Under the deft guidance of coach Amy King, Coupeville managed to pull it off however.

Holding the visitors to just a pair of baskets, the Wolves strolled to a 35-4 win, but they did so without trying to run up the score or pull off overly aggressive tactics once the lead was established.

And, while the Redhawks had a fair amount of trouble even getting shots off, much less hitting them, the 32-minute women did stay on their toes until the end, fighting until the final buzzer.

The win kept Coupeville’s winning streak going (it now sits at six games and counting) as the young Wolves improved to 12-5 overall, 7-0 in Olympic League play.

In the early going different players took the lead, with Skyler Lawrence, Kailey Kellner and Lauren Grove taking turns scoring back-to-back buckets as Coupeville built a 13-0 lead.

After Port Townsend finally cracked the offensive code on a put-back off of a rebound, the Wolves immediately responded with a three-pointer from Lauren Rose.

Taking the inbounds pass as she sauntered towards the parking lot, the freshman paused for a millisecond, locked on the basket and let it fly with precision.

From there it was a lot of passing to keep the clock running and a handful of nice buckets (Allison Wenzel hit a pair of baskets on strong drives to the hoop while Rose took a ball coast to coast for a sizzling layup).

Kellner paced the Wolves with a game-high 15, while Rose and Lawrence each dropped in six. Grove and Wenzel rounded out the scoring with four apiece.

Tiffany Briscoe, Brisa Herrera and Kyla Briscoe all chipped in with strong rebounding, as all eight CHS players made an impact in the win.

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“Perfect way to end the week!!”

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , , on January 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Lauren Grove, seen here in an earlier game, outscored Port Townsend by herself Friday night. (John Fisken photo)

Lauren Grove, seen here in an earlier game, outscored Port Townsend 14-10 Friday night. (John Fisken photo)

They were a bit nervous. Didn’t need to be.

Only able to use top scorer Kailey Kellner for a half, so she’d be able to swing up to varsity and fill in for an ill teammate, the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team scored three seconds into the game Friday and never looked back.

Kyla Briscoe beat two Port Townsend players to the ball, snatched the opening tip and spun around, driving in for a game-opening layup to set things off.

From there, the rout was on, with Lauren Grove overcoming a bout of motion sickness brought on by a rough ferry ride to pour in 14, outscoring the host Redhawks by herself in a 43-10 victory.

The third straight win for the young Wolves — tying the JV boys for the longest streak this season — it brought their record to 9-5 overall, 4-0 in Olympic League play.

And to think normally unflappable coach Amy King had a few concerns going into the start of play.

“Knowing Port Townsend had their taller girl this time around had me a little nervous,” King said, adding the Kellner and Grove situations to her early concerns. “That nervousness quickly got calmed.”

Sparked by Briscoe’s bucket, Coupeville attacked with great intensity, rolling out to a 22-2 lead at the half.

“Everyone did their part in anticipating passes, and played our usual tough, tough defense,” King said. “Lauren Grove had many key steals in the first half, sprinting down the court to score.

“When Port Townsend tried to dribble or pass away from Grove, they ran into Lauren Rose, who matched Grove in the intensity and determination to take the ball on a trip to our end of the court.”

The Wolves held the Redhawks completely scoreless in the second quarter and surrendered just four points through the first three quarters.

Only a few desperation shots near the end of the game allowed Port Townsend to finally crack double digits.

“Allison (Wenzel), Brisa (Herrera), Tiffany (Briscoe) and Skyler (Lawrence) worked hard disrupting their offense,” King said. “The only shots they got without harassment were outside of the three-point line.

“In the fourth, two players threw up shots just trying to get points on the board and hit one each,” she added. “The posts made sure no shots went up in the key.”

With the game well in hand, the Wolves used the latter stages of the game as a competitive scrimmage.

“In the fourth we called off steals and worked on our plays,” King said. “No shots until the shot clock hit 10 seconds left.

“We drew up a play for Brisa, executed perfectly and she hit a swish. Very exciting!,” she added. “The girls played great. It was the perfect way to end the week.”

After shaking off the after-effects of the choppy water, Grove was money all game long, compiling 14 points, nine rebounds and five steals to pace the Wolf attack.

Kellner (seven points, four rebounds and three steals), Lawrence (six points, five rebounds), Kyla Briscoe (six points, three rebounds, two steals) and Rose (six points, six steals) were hot on her heels.

Herrera (two points, six rebounds), Wenzel (two points, four rebounds, two steals) and Tiffany Briscoe (three rebounds, two steals) all chipped in with big-time contributions, as all eight Wolves on the roster captured their moment in the spotlight.

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Wolves fire up the spankin’ machine!!

Posted in Girls Basketball, tagged , , , , on January 6, 2015| Leave a Comment »

Kyla Briscoe (John Fisken photos)

   Kyla Briscoe played with this same determination Tuesday, scoring eight in a 49-5 Wolf win. (John Fisken photos)

Brisa Herrera

Brisa Herrera brings the defense every game.

There are nights where just about everything goes your way.

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015 was one of those nights for the Coupeville High School JV girls’ basketball team, which put visiting Port Townsend through the spanking machine for 32 minutes en route to a 49-5 win.

And no, that is not a misprint. It really is supposed to say 49-5.

The victory, the third in the last four games for the young Wolves, lifted them to 6-4 overall, 2-0 in Olympic League play.

With three players scoring in double digits (and a fourth missing by just a bucket), Coupeville put together a 32-0 run, held the Redhawks scoreless in two separate quarters and gave coach Amy King plenty of time to work on every last play she had highlighted in her book.

For a moment, near the start, it looked like it might be a close game.

After Kailey Kellner opened things up for Coupeville with back-to-back buckets, Port Townsend drained a long jumper from the right side to cut the lead to 4-2.

That would be the last time a Redhawk player would find the bottom of the net until late in the third quarter, when a desperation heave from three-point land somehow found just the exact right combination of bounces before flopping through the net with an audible sigh.

While Port Townsend was shooting blanks, the Wolves took turns attacking the basket with glee.

Kellner tossed in 10 in the first quarter alone, then let teammates Skyler Lawrence, Lauren Rose and Kyla Briscoe go on mini-scoring runs of their own.

The play that summed up the disparity between the two teams came midway through the second quarter, when Coupeville snagged four straight offensive boards on one possession.

Finally tired of watching her teammates roll the ball around the rim and off it, Lawrence grabbed the final board and shot back upwards, banking the ball off the glass with a decisive thunk.

The next sound you heard was the sound of five sets of Port Townsend shoulders slumping as the Redhawks stumbled back up court.

Seriously, it made a whooshing sound.

Which was barely audible over the hootin’ and hollerin’ of the small, but vocal, pack of Wolf fans who had made it into the gym for a 3:30 start.

Despite sitting out the fourth quarter, so she could make her varsity debut later in the evening, Kellner paced Coupeville with 14 points, while Lawrence banged home 12 and Rose dropped in 10.

Briscoe tossed in eight, Lauren Grove kicked in three (and spearheaded the Wolf fast break on numerous occasions) and Brisa Herrera banked home her second bucket of the season.

Allison Wenzel was the lone Wolf to go scoreless, but more than made up for it with her ferocity on defense. With her long braid cracking in the air each time, she was a beast on the boards.

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