The Coupeville High School boys basketball team is playing its best at the right time.
The host Wolves defeated first-place Chimacum 72-68 in overtime Friday, Feb. 6; and the win, coupled with Port Townsend’s one-point loss to Klahowya, clinched a berth in the district tournament.
Three days earlier, a postseason game looked highly unlikely as Coupeville entered the fourth quarter at Port Townsend down by 14 points. The Wolves roared back for the win, avoiding a loss that would have eliminated them from the playoff race.
Coupeville will enter the district tournament as the third seed from the Olympic League and will play at Puyallup’s Cascade Christian, the Nisqually League’s second-place team, at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, in a loser-out game. The winner will meet Chimacum at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 16, at Sumner High School.
First, the Wolves (3-5, 7-11) wrap up the regular season with Senior Night, hosting Klahowya (5-3, 6-12) at 4:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9.
The win over Chimacum avenged two earlier losses to the Cowboys, one by 31 points.
Chimacum’s James Porter hit a three-point shot with 34 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 62 and send it into overtime.
The Wolves had two chances to win it at the end, but both shoots bounced off.
The teams traded baskets in overtime, then Coupeville went up for good when Matt Shank drained two free throws with two minutes remaining. A minute later he scored off an offensive rebound to give the Wolves a 68-64 lead.
The Cowboys scored off a turnover, then Aaron Curtin grabbed a missed free throw and converted to give Coupeville a 70-66 lead with 18.6 seconds left.
Chimacum scored with 11 seconds to go, then Wiley Hesselgrave iced the game with two free throws with seven sets left.
The Cowboys led 21-15 after the first quarter, Coupeville tied it at 32 at halftime and the Wolves led 45-44 going into the final period.
Four different Wolves scored in double figures, topped by Hesselgrave with 21 (19 after halftime, including the team’s final eight in regulation).
Curtin scored 13 points, Joel Walstad 12, Aaron Trumbull 11, Shank eight and Ryan Griggs seven.
Shank came off the bench to spark the Wolves, earning extended minutes throughout the second half, hitting key buckets and grabbing big rebounds.
