Sultan and King’s continued the Coupeville girls basketball team’s rugged season by defeating the Wolves last weekend.
Coupeville lost 50-32 at Sultan Friday, Jan. 27, then gave talented King’s a fight before falling at home 65-44 Saturday, Jan. 29.
The Wolves burst to an 8-0 lead against Sultan, but the Turks woke up and outscored Coupeville 42-15 through the third period to win going away. Sultan (3-8, 5-10) led 15-12, 31-17 and 42-23 at the quarter breaks.
Coach Jackie Bykonen said the “intensity level was there” but things didn’t break Coupeville’s way. She was particularly pleased with the high-energy performance of Cassidi Rosenkrance.
Rosenkrance and Jai’Lysa Hoskins led the Wolves with seven points each. Katie Smith scored six, Taya Boonstra six, Bessie Walstad four and Hailey Hammer two.
Against King’s, Coupeville kept pace with the powerful Knights (10-1, 15-2) for the first half.
King’s led 12-8 after the first quarter, then Coupeville outscored the Knights 17-16 in the second to trail only 28-25 at the break.
Assistant coach David King, who took over the coaching duties for Bykonen who was out with a neck injury, said
the Wolves minimized their turnovers in the first half and tore up the Knights’ press to stay in the game.
In the second quarter, King said, the Wolves aggressively attacked the basket and the offensive boards which resulted in 17 free throws; Coupeville converted 13.
Smith, according to King, spearheaded the attack and went to the line eight times.
Boonstra scored a season-high 12 points, Hoskins “rebounded well and played good defense” and Rosenkrance “played really well,” King said, as Coupeville played one of its best games of the season.
King’s outscored Coupeville 25-7 in the third quarter, but it was more the Knights being “on fire” from the field than Coupeville mistakes, King said.
Smith was second to Boonstra in scoring with eight points; Rosenkrance, Hoskins and Walstad had six each; and Hammer, Shelby Kulz and Grace LaPoint head two apiece.
Coupeville (0-12, 1-14) closes out the regular season this week. It hosts Lakewood (2-9, 2-15) Tuesday Jan. 31, at 7 p.m., goes to Archbishop Murphy (10-1, 12-4) Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. and then entertains South Whidbey (5-4, 6-8)Saturday, Feb. 4, at noon.