Avalon Renninger piled up six points and seven boards in two quarters Wednesday, sparking a Wolf JV win. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Avalon Renninger is a game changer.
The sophomore supernova, who attacks the court with a mix of intensity and glee, was the spark the Coupeville High School JV girls basketball squad needed Wednesday night.
With Renninger providing a scoring and rebounding boost, plus quiet leadership, the Wolves broke open a close game in the fourth quarter, trouncing visiting Concrete 28-18.
The non-conference win, coming as the team heads into a nine-day break between games, lifts the CHS youngsters to 5-3 on the season.
In the early going Wednesday, Wolf coach Amy King had her doubts.
Despite preaching a mantra of “let’s come out strong” in her pre-game speech, she watched in silent horror as her players sputtered in the early going.
“Whistle blows, we get the ball and instantly turn it over,” King said. “They get the ball, score.
“We weren’t making good passes, the trap and defense we warned them about happened and we continually walked right into it.”
With leading scorer Chelsea Prescott jumping to varsity full-time, the JV squad will have to spread its offense out a bit more, and look for different players to step up at different times.
In the throes of a lackluster first quarter, the lone bright light came via Maddy Hilkey, who banked home both of Coupeville’s first two buckets.
Down 8-4 at the first break, the Wolves found their groove when Renninger took the court to start the second. As a swing player, she was only available for two quarters, but she used her time on the floor extremely well.
“Avalon isn’t the tallest or quickest girl on the court, but she instills a calm to her teammates,” King said. “While there were still plenty of turnovers, there were also more rebounds, more help with the ball and a little more confidence, which is what was needed.
“The two quarters that Avalon played in, we outscored Concrete and those number say something.”
Following Renninger’s example, the rest of the Wolves elevated their defensive game against a rough and tumble (if we’re putting it nicely) Concrete squad full of rouges and rough-housers.
Kylie Chernikoff and Nicole Lester teamed up to control the boards, ripping down caroms left and right, while Tia Wurzrainer was a beast unto herself.
The sophomore guard, continuing to show the dedication to defense she brought to the soccer pitch in the fall, controlled a large part of the action, making off with six steals.
Wurzrainer also showed grace under pressure, hitting two free throws seconds after being leveled from behind by a two-handed shove into the back from a rival player.
Up by just four heading into the fourth quarter, the Wolves went into lock-down mode, holding Concrete to a single free throw over the final eight minutes of action.
Coupeville, still missing several players to nagging injuries, had eight players on its active roster, and all of them made solid contributions.
“Everyone got to come out for a breather during the game – but the battle ensued no matter who was in,” King said. “Everyone contributed and all the girls fought.
“They struggled, but never gave up and as a team they finished the night with a W.”
Hilkey and Renninger paced the Wolves with six points apiece, with Wurzrainer (5), Ashlie Shank (5), Chernikoff (4) and Mollie Bailey (2) also scoring.
Lester collected nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots, while Renninger snagged seven boards and Shank hauled down six.
Spanish sensation Julia García Oñoro racked up a rebound, a blocked shot and an assist as she continues to write her American success story.
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