The lights went out – figuratively and literally – on the Coupeville girls basketball team in its 54-48 overtime loss at South Whidbey Tuesday.
The win by the Falcons was their first in 13 games this season; Coupeville fell to 4-5 and 9-6. The Wolves travel to King’s (5-4, 8-7) Friday in hopes of catching the fourth-place Knights in the Cascade Conference standings.
The South Whidbey game was tight throughout, according to Coupeville coach Blake Severns. The Falcons led 10-6 in the first quarter, their biggest lead until the end. The Wolves were on top 20-12 in the second for the game’s biggest bulge.
Coupeville was up 11-10 at the end of the first period and then went on a 9-2 run. The Falcons then finished the period with an 11-2 push to go ahead at the break 23-22.
By the end of the third quarter, the Wolves were back in control again, 36-33.
With 14 seconds left in the game and the score tied 39-39, Coupeville’s Megan Smith was fouled and went to the line for two shots. Then the lights went out; someone had flipped the power switch and most of the gymnasium’s lights shut off.
Smith, already in a pressure-pot situation, had to wait 10 minutes for the lighting to be restored. Unfazed she hit both foul shots and Coupeville took the lead.
South Whidbey quickly came back, going coast-to-coast for the tying hoop with seven seconds left. The Falcon was also fouled on the shot, but was unable to complete the three-point play and the game went to overtime.
An extended game was the last thing the Wolves needed. Already missing starter Courtney Boyd who was sick, Coupeville was in deep foul trouble and was losing players fast. By the end of the game, four different Wolves were disqualified on fouls.
South Whidbey outscored the short-handed Wolves 13-7 in the overtime period to grab the win.
Severns said, “We put our selves in a bad situation. We missed a lot of close shots and we didn’t block out. We gave up a lot of put backs.”
Severns said the home crowd was growing in size and noise as it neared the beginning of the boys varsity game. He said the Falcons appeared to be lifted by the support and played spirited ball down the stretch.
He said, “Give South Whidbey credit. When we made a mistake, they burned us. They wanted it more at the end than we did.”
Smith scored 20 points for Coupeville. The Wolves’ second-leading scorer Ashley Manker added 10 although she sat out most of the second half in foul trouble. Kendra O’Keefe scored seven points, Cassidi Rosenkrance five, Marie Hesselgrave five and Katie Smith one.
