Bigger Oak Harbor High School knocked off Coupeville 44-25 in girls basketball Wednesday, Dec. 4, on the Wildcats’ court.

Both teams tuned up for the Whidbey showdown by winning on the road Tuesday. Oak Harbor defeated Mariner 68-51 and Coupeville slipped by Darrington 42-35.

The Wildcats (2-0) host Sedro-Woolley (0-0) at 7:15 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, while the Wolves (1-1) entertain Orcas Island (0-0) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Oak Harbor 44, Coupeville 25

Oak Harbor, a 3A school with five times the number of students as 1A Coupeville, is not only larger in enrollment by also on the court. The Wildcats feature seven players 5-9 or taller; the Wolves have two.

Oak Harbor’s length helped it control the boards and harass the Wolves’ offense.

The Wildcats jumped to an 8-0 lead and led 12-4 at the quarter behind a pair of hoops each from Payton Parks and Anna Jones and a bucket and two assists from Mikhaela Cortez.

Four free throws by Chelsea Prescott and a field goal by Scout Smith helped the Wolves trim the deficit to 12-10, then Oak Harbor turned up the defensive pressure Coupeville turned cold. The Wolves went nearly a quarter and a half before they scored again.

Oak Harbor led 17-10 at the half and then scored the first 10 points of the second half.

Smith finally broke the 15-point Oak Harbor run with a free throw with 1:59 left in the third quarter. The Wildcats went into the final frame with a 31-15 lead.

Cortez dashed any hopes of a Coupeville comeback by scoring 9 of her game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Parks finished with 11 points, Jones 8, Olivia Waite 4, Jasmine Ford 2 and Tiana Jackson 2..

Smith, the only Coupeville player to record a field goal in the first half, led the Wolves with 10 points. Prescott had 4, Hannah Davidson 3 and Avalon Renninger, Maddie Georges, Carolyn Lhamon and Audrianna Shaw 2 each.

The Wolves hurt themselves by sinking only 11 of 27 free throws; the Wildcats sank eight of 10.

Oak Harbor 68, Mariner 51

Five Wildcats scored 9 or more points to lead Oak Harbor to its season-opening win.

Ford scored 9 points and Parks 6 in the first quarter to give the Wildcats a 20-16 lead.

Cortez pumped in 6 points in the second and Oak Harbor was up 37-25 at the break.

Parks tallied 6 points and Ford and Cortez 4 each to help the Wildcats take a 42-32 lead into the fourth quarter.

Ford added 6 points in the final period and the Wildcats hit five of eight free throws to hold off Mariner.

Ford finished with 19 points, Parks 12, Cortez 12, Jackson 9, Jones 9 and Olivia Waite 4.

Coupeville 42, Darrington 35

The Loggers tied the game at 17 at halftime after trailing 9-6 in the first quarter.

Izzy Wells scored 5 points in the third quarter to help Coupeville take a slim 27-25 lead into the last period.

Smith hit three buckets and Renninger, Davidson and Prescott one each over the final eight minutes to help the Wolves turn back Darrington.

Smith had 8 points; Prescott, Wells and Georges all finished with 7; Renninger and Lhamon had 3 each; Davidson and Shaw 2 apiece; and Tia Wurzrainer 1.

Mikhaela Cortez puts up a jumper for Oak Harbor. (Photo by John Fisken)

Coupeville’s Hannah Davidson passes around the defense of Oak Harbor’s Tiana Jackson, right, and Jasmine Ford, back. (Photo by John Fisken)

Oak Harbor’s Jasmine Ford shoots over Coupeville’s Hannah Davidson. (Photo by John Fisken)

Coupeville’s Maddie Georges (15) tries to dribble around the defense of Olivia Waite. (Photo by John Fisken)

Oak Harbor’s Tiana Jackson launches a shot in the win over Coupeville. (Photo by John Fisken)

Oak Harbor’s Payton Parks scores for the Wildcats. (Photo by John Fisken)

Couopeville’s Avalon Renninger fires up a jump shot. (Photo by John Fisken)

Coupeville’s Scout Smith (2) powers through the defense of Jasmine Ford. (Photo by John Fisken)