Wolves closing in on another title / Girls basketball

“A great start and a good finish” is how Coupeville High School girls basketball coach David King described his team’s 39-31 win at Port Townsend Friday, Jan. 20.

The victory over the second-place Redhawks (3-3, 8-6) put Coupeville (5-0, 10-3) one win away from clinching its third consecutive Olympic League championship.

The Wolves, winners of 23 consecutive conference games, have four league games remaining, all at home.

First up is Klahowya (0-4, 3-10), who visits Coupeville at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24.

This will be the Wolves’ first home game since Dec. 10 after eight on the road.

In the win over Port Townsend, Coupeville’s early effort was nearly perfect as the Wolves zipped to a 12-0 lead after one quarter. Kailey Kellner led the attack with a pair of hoops from three-point land; Lauren Grove also had a three-pointer.

After Coupeville scored the first basket of the second quarter, Port Townsend mounted a comeback, eventually tying the game at 24 in the fourth quarter. The Wolves, however, responded with a splendid finish.

Both teams scored 6 points in the second quarter, and Coupeville led 18-6 at the break.

The Wolves “staggered the whole (third) quarter,” King said as the Redhawks cut the lead to 24-19.

King took the blame for the Wolves’ third-quarter offense woes.

Based on what the Redhawks were showing on defense, he asked his team to run an offense it hasn’t used or practiced since last year.

“I shouldn’t have put them in that situation.”

Port Townsend scored the first 5 points of the fourth period to even the game at 24. Undaunted, Coupeville regained the lead with the help of a Kellner three-ball and put the Redhawks away.

Port Townsend was forced to foul, and Mia Littlejohn connected on the front end of a one-and-one. She missed the second, but Mikayla Elfrank out-battled PT for the rebound and scored.

“This is the type of effort we see every game from every player that steps on the court,” King said.

On the next possession, Littlejohn hit again from the stripe to ice the game.

“Offensively we had some very sweet passes into players in the post,” King said. “We had 10 assists and seven of 11 players scored. Many players hit some big shots.”

Littlejohn recorded three assists; Grove, Lindsey Roberts and Kellner had two apiece.

“We only had 12 turnovers, that’s 22 total in our last two games,” King said. “Trending in the right direction, just what I like to see.”

Kellner tallied 13 points, Littlejohn 6, Elfrank 6, Grove 5, Kalia Littlejohn 3, Roberts 2 and Tiffany Briscoe 2.

Roberts added seven rebounds; Kellner and Elfrank grabbed six each.

Grove, with help from Kalia Littlejohn, held Port Townsend’s leading scorer, Kaitlyn Meek, to 7 points.

Roberts “played tough defense on a taller post player,” added King.

Kellner had three steals, Grove two.