Ari Cunningham clamps down on defense. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Some things are clicking. Some things need to be worked on.
The Coupeville Middle School girls’ basketball teams made their debut Thursday, squaring off with next-door neighbor South Whidbey.
While the Falcons escaped with narrow wins in all three contests, the host Wolves made fourth quarter rallies each time out and shared the scoring load.
But what killed comeback hopes was an unforgiving rim on free throw attempts, as the CMS squads combined to net just 4-29 from the charity stripe.
Still, even there, the positive was the Wolves showed a far superior ability to get to the line in the first place, with South Whidbey going just 2-8 overall.
How the day played out:
Level 1:
It was a defensive struggle for much of the game, with South Whidbey eking out a 25-17 win.
Ari Cunningham netted a free throw to account for Coupeville’s lone first quarter point, with the Wolves trailing 3-1 at the break.
From there the Falcons held on to an 8-6 advantage at the half, before stretching the lead to 19-9 through three quarters.
The Wolves put together their best offensive surge in the fourth, with Cunningham, Lillian Ketterling, Sydney Van Dyke, and Adie Maynes scoring down the stretch.
Cunningham paced CMS with seven points, while Tenley Stuurmans (3), Ketterling (3), Maynes (2), and Van Dyke (2) rounded out the attack.
Laken Simpson, Tamsin Ward, Ava Lucero, Chelsi Stevens, Olivia Hall, and Taylor Marrs also saw floor time for the Wolves.
Level 2:
Coupeville closed the game on an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter but couldn’t quite get all the way back in a 24-19 loss.
South Whidbey inched out to an 8-6 lead after one, stretched it to 20-11 by the half, then coasted into the fourth frame up 24-11 after the Wolves went scoreless in the third.
Willow Leedy-Bonifas got Coupeville’s offense re-started in the final quarter, tossing in a pair of buckets to give her a team-high eight points, while her teammates were locked-down on defense.
Kennedy O’Neill banked in five points to back up Leedy-Bonifas, with Amelia Crowder, Sophia Batterman, and Rhylin Price each recording a bucket.
Amaiya Curry, Isabella de Souza Oliveira Mc Fetridge, and Elizabeth Marshall rounded out the CMS roster.
Level 3:
A slow first quarter hurt the Wolves, but they closed strongly during a 22-18 loss.
South Whidbey claimed the lead after a 10-0 run in the first, before the two teams battled dead even through the second and third frames.
Trailing 18-8 heading into the fourth, Coupeville rallied for a game-closing 10-4 run behind the shooting of Kaleigha Millison and Brooklyn Pope.
The duo finished the game with eight and six points, respectively, while Cassandra Powers and Emma Cushman both rattled the rim for a bucket.
Also seeing floor time were Zariyah Allen, Claire Lachnit, Zayne Roos, and Cameron Van Dyke.
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Coupeville Sports 