After losing 66-59 at Sultan Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the regular-season finale, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team needs to win a play-in game to advance to the district tournament.

Sultan and Coupeville came into the game with 2-6 North Sound Conference records and tied for fourth. The top four teams receive automatic berths into the eight-team, double-elimination district tournament.

The loss dropped the Wolves (6-12) into fifth, and now they need to defeat the Northwest Conference’s fourth seed, Mount Baker (5-14), to secure the final slot at district. The game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, in Coupeville.

The winner then goes to North Sound Conference champion King’s (10-9) at 7. p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, for the first round of district.

The second round will be at either Meridian (12-7) or Cedar Park Christian (13-7) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12.

The top five finishers at district advance to the bi-district tournament.

Sultan 66, Coupeville 59

The Wolves received 7 points from Mason Grove and 4 from Hawthorne Wolfe, but Sultan led 17-13 after the first quarter. The Turks would hold that slight lead throughout the game.

Grove added 5 points in the second period to help Coupeville stay close as Sultan upped its lead by 1, 32-27, at halftime.

Both teams scored 20 points in the third quarter. Grove sank a pair of three-balls and Jered Brown, Koa Davison and Xavier Murdy had one each in the period.

Grove, who finished with seven three-pointers, hit two in the fourth quarter and Murdy chipped in with 4 points, but the Wolves couldn’t catch Sultan.

Grove guided Coupeville with 23 points. Murdy had 9; Wolfe 8; Brown, Davison and Gavin Knoblich 4; and Sean Toomey-Stout, Ulrik Wells and Jacobi Pilgrim 2.

Austin Wood led Sultan (5-14) with 16 points.