After flying high in the first quarter, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team came crashing down in the second period in a 66-26 loss to visiting Cedarcrest Tuesday, Dec. 10.

The Wolves soared to a 6-0 lead on baskets by Anthony Bergeron, Nick Streubel and Morgan Payne. Then Cedarcrest, predicted in the preseason poll to be one of the Cascade Conference’s top teams, recovered to go on an 18-5 run.

The Wolves weren’t dead yet. With the help of a three by Joel Walstad and a steal and bucket by Wiley Hesselgrave, it was 18-14 at the end of the opening period.

That was pretty much it for the Wolves. The Red Wolves buried the home team 27-3 in the second period, and Coupeville would score only 12 points the rest of the way.

Cedarcrest used two different presses in the second quarter and forced the Wolves into numerous mistakes. In all, Coupeville ended the game with 30 turnovers.

Poor shooting compounded the problem as the Wolves failed to hit a field goal from the beginning of the second quarter until late in the third.

Bergeron led Coupeville with eight points. Aaron Trumbull added four; Payne, Streubel, Walstad and Gabe Wynn had three each; and Hesselgrave collected two.

Coach Anthony Smith said there was “some improvement” from the Wolves’ first game Saturday and his team “definitely made some progress.”

Lack of execution was a problem, he said. “We were successful when we ran our sets correctly. The effort is there, but we need to make the most of our opportunities.”

He praised the play of Bergeron, who had a “solid floor game” on the way to eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks and a steal.

Smith also liked the play of Wynn, a freshman junior varsity player who saw action in one varsity quarter: “He did some good things; he hit a three and grabbed a couple of rebounds.”

Coupeville (0-1, 0-2) hosts Lakewood (0-1, 1-2) at 6:45 Friday, Dec. 13. To beat the Cougars, according to Smith, the Wolves will “have to come out for 32 strong minutes.”