Weary Wolves have tough weekend | Boys basketball

It was a long weekend for the Coupeville High School boys basketball team.

Friday, Dec. 16, the Wolves fell 75-10 at King's in Shoreline, arrived home late into the night, ran a youth basketball clinic at 8 a.m. Saturday morning and then lost 49-17 to visiting University Prep of North Seattle in a game that tipped off at noon.

King's (3-0, 5-1) wasted little time proving why it is one of the state's perennial hoop powers by going up 32-6 in the opening period and 50-7 at the half.

Coach Anthony Smith said, "We were never in the game; they are tough."

Smith said the Knights employed a tough half-court trap and forced numerous Coupeville mistakes.

"We need to cut down on the turnovers," Smith said. "We are averaging about 30 a game."

Coupeville limited King's to 25 second-half points, and Smith was pleased with the effort: "We played a tough man-to-man."

Offensively, the Wolves continue to struggle. "We are able to get into our offense better," Smith said, "and are getting pretty good lucks, but nothing is falling."

For the year, the Wolves are shooting under 30 percent from the field, according to Smith.

Coupeville picked up only one point in the second period, three in the third and none in the fourth.

Nick Streubel scored five points for the Wolves, Gavin O'Keefe had three and Taylor Ebersole two.

Mitch Pelroy missed the game because of illness.

Pelroy returned for Saturday's matchup with University Prep and led the Wolves with nine points, but again Coupeville found it difficult to convert.

It hung around the first quarter, down 9-3, but was behind 25-11 at the break and 36-15 after the third quarter.

Ebersole added five points, Cason Risner two and Streubel one.

University Prep's (3-4) 49 points was a season low for a Coupeville opponent, but Smith said his club still needs to improve its defense, noting the total had as much to do with the Puma's lack of offensive punch as the Wolves' defense.

Coupeville (0-3, 0-5) plays Friday Harbor (4-1) in a nonleague game Tuesday, Dec. 20, at home at 4 p.m.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

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