“We never really were in danger, but it was close.”
The Coupeville High School boys basketball team saw much of a 21-point lead disappear in a 66-60 win over visiting Concrete Friday, Dec. 18, but coach Anthony Smith was confident his club would prevail even as the lead was slipping away.
In a game of huge scoring runs, the Wolves led by 21 in the third quarter and by 19 heading into the final period.
“We started an all new five at the beginning of the fourth quarter,” Smith said. “Fouls let them (Concrete) get back into the game.”
The Lions drained eight consecutive free throws to start the last quarter and begin to trim away at the Coupeville lead. The margin dipped to five at one time, but the Wolves recovered and held the lead.
Coupeville closed out the first quarter on a 14-6 run to lead 17-10. Smith used all 11 of his players in the opening period, and seven scored.
Concrete then scored the first nine points of the second quarter before the Wolves outscored the Lions by nine over the final minutes of the half to go up 36-29. Hunter Smith, back from an injury, led the Coupeville charge with eight points in the period.
Coupeville piled up 21 points in the third quarter, 10 coming from Wiley Hesselgrave, to lead 57-38 going into final eight minutes.
“We went to a 3-2 defense in the third and it caused them some problems,” Anthony Smith said. “Our guys were very aggressive.”
Four different Wolves scored in double figures in the game, with Hesselgrave leading with 16.
Jordan Ford scored 13 points and Hunter Smith and Gabe Wynn tallied 10 each.
Deandre Mitchell had seven; brother Dante, returning from an injury, added four; and Ryan Griggs, Jared Helmstadler and Risen Johnson all had two.
Coach Smith was pleased that his club committed only 12 turnovers, and he praised the play of Deandre Mitchell (“great hustle, gave us a spark), Ford (“six rebounds, another good game), Wynn (“really played well) and Hunter Smith (“huge lift, very inspired).
“Overall, the bench played well,” he added.
Coupeville (4-3) is off until it hosts La Conner (3-3) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30.
(Gabe Wynn slips by a Concrete defender. Photo by John Fisken.)
