Carolyn Lhamon was a powerhouse on both ends of the floor this season. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
The Tigers were too tough.
Having traveled 241 miles down the highway, the Coupeville High School girls basketball team put up a strong fight Saturday but fell a game short of qualifying for the state tournament.
Ultimately, the Wolves couldn’t stop host Tonasket on its home court, falling 58-24 in what turned out to be the season finale.
Coupeville finishes 9-9 in Megan Smith’s first year as head coach and can return nine of 13 girls who scored in a varsity game this season.
With the win Tonasket gets to 16-7 and advances to the 16-team 2B state championships.
The Tigers, who emerged from a tough district, are a talented, battle-hardened team, and they came out strongly in front of their largely-maskless home fans.
Coupeville trailed 11-0 before it finally got the ball to stop popping out of the basket, and the Wolves had trouble breaking through Tonasket’s stingy defense in the first half.
Wolf senior Izzy Wells finally got her team on the board at the 4:15 mark of the first quarter, snatching a rebound and slapping the ball back home.
But down 20-2 at the first break, Coupeville needed an offensive surge and couldn’t find one, failing to put together back-to-back buckets at any point in the first 16 minutes of play.
Not that the Wolves weren’t in there, scrapping away for every opportunity – because they certainly were.
Lyla Stuurmans, playing on dad Scott’s birthday, banked home a jumper from the top of the key for Coupeville’s best-looking bucket, while Nezi Keiper used and abused the defense down low for a score in the paint.
Lyla Stuurmans is one of four Wolf freshmen to see varsity action this year.
The problem was Tonasket responded almost immediately to each Wolf score, and often with a three-ball.
The Tigers rained down eight treys on the afternoon, with five different players netting at least one shot from distance.
Down 41-10 entering the second half, Coupeville dug deep, playing its hosts virtually even across the game’s final 16 minutes.
The Wolves finally got back-to-back buckets in the third quarter — with Carolyn Lhamon and Izzy Wells teaming up to make the net jump — then closed the game on an 8-3 mini-tear.
That run, which had four different CHS players knock down shots, also featured a tooth-rattling block on defense from a rampaging Ja’Kenya Hoskins.
It was the final high school hoops contest for Hoskins, Abby Mulholland, Izzy Wells, and Audrianna Shaw, plus manager Mckenna Somes, as the five-pack all graduate with the Class of ’22.
Audrianna Shaw clamps down on defense.
While her team won’t get a chance to head to state like the Coupeville boys, Megan Smith came away from her first campaign as Wolf head coach pleased with a lot of what she saw.
“It was a heck of a season and I’m super proud of how far these girls came this year,” she said. “Lots of ups and downs and all around. They battled through it all.
“It was a great group of kids to have for my first season of many as a head coach,” Smith added. “I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of this program.
“We have a bright future ahead of us!”
Izzy Wells made her swan song a memorable one, pacing the Wolves with eight points, which allows her to crack the 200-point club for her career.
Lhamon dropped in four in support, with Stuurmans, Maddie Georges, Savina Wells, Shaw, Mulholland, and Keiper each adding a bucket to the cause.
Hoskins and Gwen Gustafson also saw floor time, with youngsters Katie Marti and Mia Farris and injured junior gunner Alita Blouin rounding out the 2021-2022 squad.
Final season scoring stats:
Maddie Georges – 129
Audrianna Shaw – 119
Izzy Wells – 91
Savina Wells – 74
Carolyn Lhamon – 65
Gwen Gustafson – 38
Lyla Stuurmans – 36
Abby Mulholland – 32
Ja’Kenya Hoskins – 27
Nezi Keiper – 27
Alita Blouin – 11
Katie Marti – 9
Mia Farris – 4
Izzy Wells finishes her CHS varsity hoops career with 204 points.
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