Meridian combined an aggressive defense with a strong half-court offense to defeat the host Coupeville boys basketball team 75-33 in the 2011 opener Friday, Dec. 2.
The Trojans forced 11 turnovers in each of the first three quarters (and 37 total) to run to 14-5, 40-16 and 61-27 quarter leads.
The winners scored all their points in the opening period from the paint by freeing up cutters off high-post screens. It could have been worse for Coupeville, but Meridian missed 10 shots from the key in the first eight minutes.
The Trojans jumped to an 8-0 lead, then Coupeville’s Kole Kellison hit a free throw and a jumper to get the Wolves on the board.
Meridian started the second quarter on a 13-2 run to break open the game.
Five free throws and hoops by Kellison and Gavin O’Keefe (a three-pointer) accounted for Coupeville’s second-quarter offense.
Five different Wolves scored in the third quarter, and in the fourth Coupeville cut down on the turnovers and slowed the Trojan offense.
Kellison, who will miss the remainder of the season because of shoulder surgery, finished with 12 points. Taylor Ebersole and O’Keefe added six each, Aaron Curtin had four, Drew Chan three and Carson Risner two.
Coupeville coach Anthony Smith, making his CHS debut, said, “My guys didn’t know what to expect; they were a little shell shocked.”
He added, “We played some good minutes in the second half, something to build off of.”
Smith said his young club “wants to learn and works hard” and will be “a lot better the fifth game than the first.”
Coupeville hosts Darrington (1-1) Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m.