The Coupeville boys basketball team suffered a couple of road losses this weekend.
King’s edged the visiting Wolves Friday night 54-49, and University Prep of North Seattle dumped Coupeville 49-32 the next afternoon.
The loss to King’s dipped the Wolves’ Cascade Conference record to 0-3, and the pair of defeats left Coupeville 1-5 for the year.
Coupeville goes to Bellevue Christian (2-2) next Tuesday, Dec. 21, and then completes its nonleague schedule at home Tuesday, Dec. 28, with La Conner (3-2) at 7 p.m.
It wasn’t all bad news this week for the Wolves. Hunter Hammer, out all year with a back injury, returned to the lineup.
The King’s contest was tight throughout. The clubs were tied after one, 15-15, and the Knights led after two 28-25 and after three 39-34.
Coupeville was right there at the finish until it suffered “a couple of crucial turnovers,” according to coach Randy King.
Despite the loss, King said, “We played pretty well….really good effort.”
Ian Smith, who had a “really good shooting game,” according King, hit a season-high 19 points for the Wolves. Tyler King added 10, Ben Hayes nine, Hammer seven and Dalton Engle three.
Coach King said Hammer “is a little rusty,” and King’s doubled down on him each time he touched the ball, limiting his offensive impact. The big, 6-5 post still controlled the boards with 13 rebounds.
After traveling to King’s Friday night, Coupeville turned around and hit the road again for University Prep.
Asked if his road weary team ran out of gas, King said, “I think we started on half empty” as the Pumas raced to a 20-5 first-quarter lead.
It didn’t get better as University Prep led 30-12 at the half and 44-20 after three.
Coach King called the Pumas “a really good team, a good club.”
UP burned the Wolves with early transition baskets and Coupeville couldn’t find the hoop as it fell behind in the first quarter.
King said, “The shots wouldn’t go down for us.”
The tall Pumas, like King’s, doubled down on Hammer and fellow post Hayes to stymie the Coupeville offense, King said. He added, “We didn’t do a good job of getting the ball back out. That’s something we need to adjust.”
Hayes topped the Coupeville scorers with nine points. Tyler King scored six (his first non-double figure game of the season), Hammer six, Smith five, Engle four and Mitch Pelroy two.
