With its season hanging by a thread, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team stitched it back together with a miraculous 60-57 win at Port Townsend Tuesday, Feb. 3.

The Wolves, down 42-28 heading into the fourth quarter, poured in 33 points to wipe away the Redhawks’ 14-point lead and stave off elimination from the postseason.

A loss would have eliminated Coupeville from earning a spot in the district tournament. The win helped the Wolves (2-5, 6-11) jump into a tie with Port Townsend (2-5, 2-15) for third place in the Olympic League; the top three teams advance to the playoffs.

The win also gave Coupeville the tiebreaker over the Redhawks, having defeated Port Townsend twice in the three-game series this season.

Both teams have two games left; each plays Chimacum (6-1, 7-9) and Klahowya (4-3, 5-12).

Coupeville hosts Chimacum at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, and Klahowya at 4:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9. The Wolves have lost to both teams twice this season.

Coupeville coach Anthony Smith said he believes his club can top either team: “They are good teams, but if we play well, we can beat them.”

Port Townsend entertains Klahowya Friday and goes to Chimacum Monday. The Redhawks have split with Klahowya and lost twice to the Cowboys.

In the comeback win over Port Townsend Tuesday, the Wolves were ignited by Wiley Hesselgrave’s 14 fourth-quarter points and the gutty play of Joe Walstad and Aaron Trumbull, who were playing through injuries.

The Redhawks led 15-9 and 25-18 after the first two quarters.

When the fourth quarter started, the Wolves’ defense went to work.

“We knew we had eight minutes to do it,” Smith said, and his Wolves amped up the pressure.

A full-court, man-to-man press flustered the Redhawks and led to a cascade of turnovers and transition buckets.

“When we are in our game, we have a tendency to frustrate teams,” Smith said.

And Port Townsend’s frustration boiled over into a technical foul late that swung the game in Coupeville’s favor.

A Redhawk was T’ed for slapping the floor after fouling out with about 20 seconds left in the game, Smith said.

Hesselgrave drilled the resulting four free throws to give Coupeville the lead.

The Redhawks sank a bucket to cut the gap to two, but the Wolves hit their free throws at the end to secure the win.

Smith pointed to Hesselgrave’s tenacity as the catalyst for the comeback.

“He plays defense as well as he plays offense, if not better,” Smith said.

Hesselgrave finished with 26 points, three rebounds and three steals.

Having Walstad back after missing time with an ankle injury was “huge,” Smith said. “He didn’t start the game, but he finished it. We are so much better when he is on the floor.”

The senior point guard tossed in seven points.

Smith also lauded Aaron Curtin, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Ryan Griggs had five points and eight boards, and Trumbull added five points and seven rebounds.

Risen Johnson scored three points, Matt Shank two and C.J. Smith two.