After letting the past two games slip away in the fourth quarter, the Coupeville High School girls basketball team wasn’t about to let it happen again. The Wolves used a 19-0 run in the second half to defeat visiting Orcas Island 39-31 Saturday, Dec. 22.

The teams took turns controlling the quarters and the Wolves’ domination of the fourth was the difference. The Vikings took charge early, going up 14-4. The second quarter belonged to Coupeville as it out scored Orcas Island 10-2, making it 16-14, Vikings at the break.

The third was Orcas’ turn and it upped its lead to 27-20 going into the fourth period.

The fourth was all Coupeville as the Wolves out scored the Vikings 19-4 to reverse the trend of recent fourth-quarter melt downs.

Breeanna Messner led the final-frame assault with 10 of her 12 points. She hit a pair of threes and pulled in several offensive rebounds during the run, according to coach David King. Bessie Walstad helped fuel the spurt with a block that led to a fast-break lay-in and ignited the Coupeville offense.

Walstad finished with 12 points and six rebounds, Hailey Hammer had seven points, Makana Stone four, Rhiannon Ellsworth two and Haley Marx two.

King said, “It took us to the middle of the third quarter to get back to playing basketball.”

He said the Wolves were playing hard early but kept misfiring on good shots in the lane.

“We preach to the kids that defense is the key,” King said. “When we make stops it helps us get out and run.”

The Wolves (2-2, 4-5) return to Cascade Conference play at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2, when first-place Archbishop (4-0, 6-1) Murphy visits.