The Stevenson-Coupeville boys basketball game wasn’t for the faint of heart. The Wolves prevailed in the heart-thumper, 64-60, Friday, Jan. 15, making the Bulldogs’ 260-mile trip back to Southwest Washington a little bit longer.

In a capsule, it went like this. Coupeville led 9-3 and then trailed 16-9 and 23-16. Then it led 33-24.

The Wolves pushed the lead to 15, 43-28, in the third quarter, then the Bulldogs (2-9) cut it to three, 60-57, with just under a minute left in the game. Coupeville knocked down a couple of free throws, got a few stops and hung on for the win.

Both teams played aggressive defense, which led to 61 fouls (33 on Stevenson) and 64 free throws.

Coupeville was 23-for-36 at the line; the Bulldogs struggled, hitting only half of 28.

The game was the final non-leaguer for the Wolves.

“Come Tuesday, it becomes a seven-game series for us to win,” Coupeville coach Anthony Smith said in regard to remainder of the schedule.

The Wolves, 1-1 in league and 6-6 overall, begin the playoff push at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, at Chimacum (0-1, 3-10). Coupeville will play the Cowboys three times over the next three weeks and Port Townsend (3-0, 5-8) and Klahowya (0-2, 1-13) twice.

Smith called the win over Stevenson “a good team effort.”

“We just wanted it,” he said. “We did what it takes to win.”

Five points by Hunter Smith and four from Risen Johnson helped the Wolves jump ahead 9-3.

The Bulldogs tallied 13 straight points before a Johnson bucket broke the streak.

Jared Helsmstadter, hustling as a trailer on a fast break, snared an offensive rebound, scored, was fouled and completed the three-point play to get the Wolves to within two, 16-14, at the end of the first quarter.

Stevenson then went ahead 23-16 three minutes into the second period. Coupeville responded with a 17-1 run. Two three-point plays by Smith and another by Wiley Hesselgrave sparked the spurt. The Wolves were aided by the Bulldogs’ poor free-throw shooting. Stevenson connected on only one of eight during the Coupeville run and seven of 18 for the half.

Up 33-24 at halftime, the Wolves, behind points from Jordan Ford, Johnson and Hesselgrave, upped the led to 43-28 with 4:25 left in the third quarter.

For the third time this season, Coupeville saw a sizable lead evaporate. Fortunately in each case, the Wolves held on for the win.

The Bulldogs sliced the lead to 48-41 by the end of the third period.

After Stevenson scored the first three points of the fourth quarter, two hoops by Hesselgrave gave Coupeville some breathing room. Stevenson, however, wouldn’t go away.

A three-ball by Brenden Dillingham got the Bulldogs within three, 56-53, with 3:36 left.

Stevenson was still within three, 60-57, with 57 seconds left.

Coupeville hit four free throws (three by Ford) down the stretch to seal the win.

Hunter Smith, who made 10 of 12 free throws, led Coupeville with 19 points. Hesselgrave had 13, Ford 11, Johnson eight, Gabe Wynn five, Helmstadter four, J.J. Johnson two and Desmond Bell two.

(Gabe Wynn, 44, and Stevenson’s Isaac Hoidal tussle over a loose ball. Photo by John Fisken.)