Wolves hit pressure-packed free throws to hold off Friday Harbor / Girls basketball

By Jim Waller • December 6, 2018 1:30 am

Hitting clutch free throws at the end proved to be the difference in Coupeville’s 34-32 win over the visiting Friday Harbor High School girls basketball team Wednesday, Dec. 5.

The win was the Wolves’ first in four tries this season; the Wolverines fell to 1-3.

Lindsey Roberts sank a pair of foul shots with 2:27 left in the game to give Coupeville a 32-27 lead. After Friday Harbor rallied to tie the game at 32, Emma Smith dropped in two free throws, her only points of the game, with 38.6 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Up to that point, Coupeville converted only seven of 14 shots from the stripe. It also misfired on three in the final 30 seconds but was able to keep the Wolverines off the board.

Despite 8 points from Roberts, Friday Harbor finished the first quarter with a 14-10 lead.

Coupeville outscored the Wolverines 10-2 in the second period behind a three-pointer from Roberts and three points from Scout Smith to go up 20-16 at halftime.

Scout Smith hit two hoops in the third quarter to help the Wolves led 27-22 going into the final period.

Friday Harbor’s Ava Hoffman scored all 7 of her points in the fourth quarter to lift the Wolverines into a 32-32 tie before Ema Smith’s game-winning free throws.

For the game, Leah Black led Friday Harbor with 11 points.

Roberts finished with 16 to guide Coupeville. Scout Smith had 7, Chelsea Prescott 4, Ema Smith 2, Avalon Renninger 2, Nicole Laxton 2 and Hannah Davidson 1.

Roberts also had nine rebounds, three blocks, two steals and two assists. Ema Smith collected eight rebounds and two assists, and Scout Smith had four rebounds and three steals.

Coupeville (1-3) goes to Orcas Island (0-1) for a 2:30 p.m. non-league game Saturday, Dec. 8, and then begins North Sound Conference play at South Whidbey (0-3) at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12.