Clinching a postseason berth, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team came from behind to out-gun visiting Granite Falls 75-72 Friday, Jan. 21.

With the win, the Wolves (2-6, 6-11) go into their regular-season finale tied with Sultan for fourth place in the North Sound Conference.

The Turks (2-6, 4-14) host Coupeville at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4.

The winner will lock up fourth and jump directly to the eight-team, double elimination portion of the district tournament, playing at the Northwest Conference’s No. 1 seed, Lynden Christian (14-4), Monday, Feb. 10. The loser will host Mount Baker (5-13) in a play-in game Saturday, Feb. 8, to reach the district playoffs. That winner will travel to the North Sound Conference champion (either King’s or South Whidbey) Feb. 10.

Coupeville 75, Granite Falls 72

Granite Falls rallied in the fourth quarter but “our guys took care of the ball, were poised and hit free throws to pull it out,” Coupeville coach Brad Sherman said.

The Wolves sank six of nine free throws in the fourth quarter, and Hawthorne Wolfe scored Coupeville’s final 5 points from the line to secure the win and eliminate Granite Falls (1-8, 3-17) from playoff contention.

Getting 6 points from Ulrik Wells and three-pointers from Wolfe and Xavier Murdy, the Wolves led 16-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers, who shot “lights out,” according to Sherman, built an 8-point lead in the second quarter and led 40-34 at halftime despite Coupeville’s Mason Grove scoring 8 points in the period.

The Wolves regained control by outscoring the Tigers 20-11 in the third quarter behind 7 points from Murdy, 6 from Wolfe and 5 from Grove.

Granite got hot from the outside in the fourth quarter, led by Andy Hoople, who drained three from long range, but Coupeville connected from the foul line and Grove tallied 6 points to help hold off the Tigers.

Only five Tigers scored in the game, but each reached double figures, led by Riley Klein with 18.

Grove scored a game-high 21 points. Wolfe had 18, Murdy 17, Koa Davison 9, Wells 6, Jacobi Pilgrim 2 and Gavin Knoblich 2.

Both teams drilled nine three-pointers.

Coupeville sank 16 of 22 free throws; the Tigers made only 5 of 14.