The Coupeville High School boys basketball team bounced back to beat visiting Port Townsend 79-66 Saturday, Jan. 25, after losing 69-46 at Cedar Park Christian Friday.
The loss to Cedar Park (4-3, 10-7) left the Wolves (1-5, 5-10) in a tie with Granite Falls (1-5, 3-14) for fifth place in the North Sound Conference standings and in the hunt for the final playoff berth. Currently, Coupeville holds the tie-breaker over the Tigers via beating Granite Falls earlier this season. The teams meet again in Coupeville at 6:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31.
The Wolves finish the regular season at Sultan (2-5, 4-13) at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4.
First, Coupeville hosts rival South Whidbey (5-1, 13-3) at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Cedar Park Christian 69, Coupeville 46
Over the final three quarters, the teams scored similar totals, but a huge first period by the Eagles sunk the Wolves.
Justus Trout scored 8 points in the first quarter to spark the Eagles to a 26-5 lead and Coupeville never recovered.
Hawthorne Wolfe and Xavier Murdy each finished with 10 points to pace the Wolves. Sean Toomey-Stout had 9, Mason Grove 6, Koa Davison 6, Ulrik Wells 2 and Jacobi Pilgrim 2.
Luke Allen scored 17 and Trout 16 for the Eagles.
Coupeville 79, Port Townsend 66
The Wolves’ offense shifted into high gear and overcame an early onslaught by Port Townsend’s Noa Montoya to win the non-conference game.
Montoya struck for 18 first-quarter points to help the Redhawks go up 20-17.
The Wolves exploded for 29 second-period points, led by Murdy with 9 and Wolfe with 8, and took a 46-40 lead into the break.
Wolfe scored 10 points in the third quarter to widen Coupeville’s lead to 65-46.
Murdy finished with a career-high 22 points, one more than Wolfe. Grove added 14, Davison 6, Gavin Knoblich 5, Jered Brown 3, Toomey-Stout 3, Wells 3 and Pilgrim 2.
Montoya ended with 27, with Toomey-Stout and Murdy sharing duties slowing the high-scoring Redhawk over the final three quarters.
Coupeville coach Brad Sherman called Montoya “a great player.”
“In the second half, they (Toomey-Stout and Murdy) both did a tremendous job keeping the ball out of his hands,” he added.
Coupeville’s Koa Davison rebounds in front of Port Townsend’s Devin Harris. (Photo by John Fisken)
Gavin Knoblich (22) slips through the Port Townsend defense for a shot. (Photo by John Fisken)
Sean Toomey-Stout flies to the hoop for the Wolves. (Photo by John Fisken)
Xavier Murdy, right, keeps a rebound from Port Townsend’s Aidan Petta. (Photo by John Fisken)
