Coupeville miscues lead to loss | Girls basketball

Turnovers doomed the Coupeville High School girls basketball team in its 41-30 home loss to Granite Falls Tuesday, Jan. 24.

Turnovers doomed the Coupeville High School girls basketball team in its 41-30 home loss to Granite Falls Tuesday, Jan. 24.

The Tigers shot only 24.6 percent (14-for-55) from the field but overcame the off night by putting up 20 more shots than the Wolves, thanks to 28 Coupeville turnovers. Granite Falls committed 13 turnovers, while Coupeville shot 34 percent (12-for-35).

The Wolves trailed 11-7 after the first quarter and it could have been worse. They recorded eight turnovers to two for the Tigers, but Granite Falls connected on only four of 19 shots.

After Taya Boonstra hit a hoop to start the second quarter to make it 11-9, the Tigers scored seven straight points and eventually led 19-13 at the break.

Granite Falls (4-5, 8-7) took control in the third quarter by starting the period on a 12-1 run as Coupeville committed eight turnovers and missed its first six shots. In fact, the Wolves didn’t sink a field goal until Bessie Walstad scored with 22 seconds left to make it 35-18.

The fourth quarter was a different story for the Wolves. They hit their first four shots (two by Cassidi Rosenkrance) and sank two free throws, and with 4:24 left they trimmed the 17-point deficit to eight, 36-28.

The Tigers recovered by sinking three free throws and their only bucket of the quarter, and that ended the Wolves’ rally.

Coupeville coach Jackie Bykonen said she was disappointed in her team’s intensity, especially coming off one of its best games of the season.

Rosenkrance topped Coupeville with eight points, Katie Smith scored seven, Boonstra four, Walstad four, Jai’Lysa Hoskins three, Lauren Escalle two and Grace LaPoint two.

The Wolves (0-9, 1-12) play at Sultan (2-7, 4-10) Friday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. and then return home to face King’s (7-1, 12-2) Saturday at 4.