The Coupeville High School boys basketball team can get a stranglehold on third-place and a postseason berth with a win over visiting Klahowya at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29.
The Wolves, however, did not do themselves any playoff favors by losing 69-49 to visiting Chimacum Tuesday.
A win over Chimacum would have given the Wolves an inside track to at least second place in the 1A division of the Olympic League and a coveted bye in the district tournament.
Four league games remain, and Port Townsend (5-0, 7-9) holds the top spot. Chimacum (3-2, 5-11) sits in second, followed by Coupeville (2-3, 7-8) and Klahowya (0-5, 1-15).
Coupeville can mathmatically still win the conference title, but that is unlike after losing twice to Port Townsend. The Wolves and Chimacum have split so far this season and meet for the final time on the Cowboys’ court at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, in a game that could decide second place.
To get that victory, Coupeville will have to play better than it did in Tuesday’s loss to the Cowboys.
“We were just out of sync, both on offense and defense,” coach Anthony Smith said. “We need to play better as a team.
“We have four games left and we need to find a way to get back to playing for each other.”
Little went right for the Wolves, who had a handful of turnovers and little offensive success in the first quarter.
Two free throws by Gabe Wynn was it for Coupeville, and the Wolves trailed 10-2.
Coupeville’s offense perked up in the second quarter, led by four points each from Risen Johnson and Jordan Ford, but Chimacum still led 26-16 at the break.
The Wolves cut the gap to 33-26 midway through the third quarter with the help of a three-ball by Hunter Smith and two hoops from Ford.
The Cowboys then scored 12 straight points and never looked back, leading 47-30 at the end of the period.
Ford finished with 13 points, Smith 11, Risen Johnson eight, Wiley Hesselgrave seven, J.J. Johnson six, Dante Mitchell two and Wynn two.
(Risen Johnson puts up a scoop shot in Tuesday’s game. Photo by John Fisken.)
