Suffering through a miserable shooting night, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team lost 70-19 at Lynden Christian in the first round of the district tournament Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The Wolves (1-20) now go to South Whidbey at 7 p.m. Thursday to face the Falcons (4-18) in a loser-out game.

Coupeville expected a full-court press in its game against top-seeded and third-ranked Lynden Christian, and unlike many times this season, the Wolves had little trouble with the pressure.

Coupeville was so proficient at breaking the press and getting good looks in transition, Lynden Christian abandoned the strategy early in the game.

The Wolves, however, couldn’t take advantage of the excellent scoring opportunities, then or throughout the game, because they shot a frigid 16 percent (7-for-43).

Lynden Christian (16-5), on the other hand, shot a sparkling 54 percent (27-for-50), getting numerous transition baskets from fast breaks off the Coupeville misses.

When Ben Etzell hit his second three-pointer of the game with 4:43 left in the first quarter, the Wolves trailed only 8-6. By the time Wiley Hesselgrave made Coupeville’s next field goal, the Wolves went over 10 minutes without a bucket and trailed 36-9.

Etzell, returning after missing several games with a staph infection, was the only Wolf with more than one hoop in the game; he finished with 10 points. Joel Walstad scored three points, and Hesselgrave, Anthony Bergeron and Nick Streubel had two apiece.

Starter Aaron Curtin missed the game because of an illness.

Coach Anthony Smith said of Lynden Christian, “They can pass, they shoot, they can defend.” He added the obvious, “If we are going to compete, we have to shoot the ball better.”