Nezi Keiper was one of eight Wolves to score Friday in a key road win. (Photos by JohnsPhotos.net)
Advantage, Wolves.
Rampaging on the road Friday, the Coupeville High School varsity girls basketball team rolled to a big win and moved a step closer to clinching a playoff berth.
Taking apart host Friday Harbor to the tune of 39-25, the Wolves improve to 5-3 in Northwest 2B/1B League play, 7-6 overall.
Who the victory came against is almost as important as the fact CHS claimed the rout.
Coupeville, Friday Harbor, and La Conner — the three 2B schools in the NWL — are fighting for two postseason slots.
La Conner has already clinched one berth and is all but assured of being the #1 seed.
With its win Friday, Coupeville pushes Friday Harbor to the edge of elimination.
Beat the Wolverines a second time next Saturday, Feb. 12, this time in Coupeville on Senior Night, and CHS is the #2 seed to the district tourney and plays Auburn Adventist Feb. 15 in a loser-out, winner-to-state game.
But if they should lose that regular season finale, the Wolves will immediately play Friday Harbor again Feb. 14 in a tiebreaker game for that last playoff spot.
Short answer: Friday Harbor can’t lose again, and Coupeville has two chances to win one game (but would prefer to do it in just one game).
Now that it’s all as clear as mud, on to this Friday’s win, in which the Wolves overcame the absence of three key players.
Lyla Stuurmans, Alita Blouin, and Carolyn Lhamon were all sidelined for various reasons, but their teammates more than handled things, with eight different players scoring for CHS.
The game was a tense affair through the first eight minutes, with Friday Harbor clinging to a 9-8 lead at the first break.
After that, the Wells sisters went to work, combining for seven points in the second frame as Coupeville went on a 12-6 run.
Older sister Izzy knocked down a pair of buckets, lil’ sis Savina rippled the nets on a three-ball, and the Wolves went to the locker room up 20-15.
From there Coupeville stretched the margin out to 31-19 through three quarters, then ran the clock out on their hosts.
Izzy Wells dropped in a game-high 10 points to fuel the balanced Wolf attack, with Nezi Keiper, Maddie Georges, and Audrianna Shaw chipping in with six apiece.
Savina Wells (5), Ja’Kenya Hoskins (2), Gwen Gustafson (2), and Abby Mulholland (2) also scored, while Katie Marti brought energy off the bench.
CHS players enjoy the action.
