Struggling to take advantage of its scoring opportunities, the Coupeville High School boys basketball team lost 60-39 to visiting Port Townsend Tuesday, Jan. 4.
Port Townsend appears to be the class of the Olympic League, posting a 3-0 conference record and a 6-3 overall mark. None of the other three Olympic League 1A teams has more than two wins this winter.
Coupeville, which has won only one of 11 games, played even with the Redhawks in all aspects except being able to put the ball in the hoop.
The Wolves had multiple opportunities to cut into the Redhawks’ lead but failed to sink good looks throughout the contest.
It took both teams about a half a quarter to get going, then Port Townsend jumped to a 12-2 lead and the margin remained around 10 until the beginning of the fourth quarter when the Redhawks started pressing and went on an 8-1 run to put the Wolves away.
“The press changed the game,” Coupeville coach Anthony Smith said. “It made it (the score) look worse than it was – we were right there most of the game. It was too bad because we had been handling the press before that.”
Gabe Wynn scored Coupeville’s lone bucket in the first quarter as the Wolves fell behind 12-2. He added 4 points in the second quarter and Hunter Smith scored 5 to help Coupeville keep pace and go into the locker room down 24-13.
Wynn drained a three-pointer and Ethan Spark connected on five free throws in the third period, but Port Townsend still led 38-25 after three quarters.
The Redhawks’ press paid dividends in the fourth period as Barkley Hill and Kaiden Parcher each scored 8 points to help Port Townsend pull away.
“We can’t have moments like that – of 30 seconds or a minute of negativity,” coach Smith said in regard to his club’s struggles against the press.
Wynn popped in a pair of long balls and tallied 8 points in the last quarter to finish the night with 18 points. Smith scored 7, Spark 5, Brian Shank 4, Cameron Toomey-Stout 3 and Hunter Downes 2.
Detrius Kelsall led Port Townsend with 13 points, Hill had 12 and Parcher 11.
Coach Smith lauded the effort of his team.
“I was impressed with Hunter Downes; he worked really hard,” Smith said. “I like how Gabe Wynn shot the basketball.”
“We are going to keep working hard, working to improve,” he added.
Coupeville (1-3, 1-10) hosts Chimacum (2-1, 2-7) for a 5 p.m. game Friday, Jan. 6.
Hunter Downes puts up a jumper Tuesday. (Photo by John Fisken)
Ethan Spark takes aim in the game with Port Townsend Tuesday. (Photo by John Fisken)
