PT puts a damper on Senior Night | Boys basketball

The Coupeville High School boys basketball team celebrated Senior Night Tuesday, Feb. 2, but the festivities ended once the game began. Port Townsend took command from the get-go and thrashed the Wolves 80-36.

By Jim Waller • February 4, 2016 12:11 pm

The Coupeville High School boys basketball team celebrated Senior Night Tuesday, Feb. 2, but the festivities ended once the game began.

Port Townsend took command from the get-go and thrashed the Wolves 80-36.

The Redhawks (6-1, 8-10) held on to first-place in the Olympic League with the win. Coupeville (3-4, 8-9) remains in third with two games left.

The Wolves can catch second-place Chimacum (5-2, 7-11) if they win their final two games and the Cowboys drop theirs.

Coupeville plays at Chimacum at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, and at Klahowya (0-7, 1-17) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

Chimacum finishes with Port Townsend Saturday.

Regardless of the outcome of the final two contests, the Wolves have wrapped up a postseason berth.

In Tuesday’s Port Townsend-Coupeville game, the Redhawks displayed the form that earned them the league lead while the Wolves struggled. In addition, the ball just seemed to bounce PT’s way, adding to Coupeville’s misery.

The Wolves’ early problems were self-inflicted. Port Townsend scored its first seven points off Coupeville turnovers and finished the opening period with an 18-4 lead.

The Wolves attacked the basket and reached the rim seven times in the quarter but couldn’t convert.

Port Townsend led 31-14 at halftime.

Risen Johnson scored 12 points for Coupeville in the third period but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Redhawks tallied 33 to push their lead to 64-32.

Four free throws by Jared Helmstadter was all Coupeville could muster in the fourth quarter.

One of the few highlights for Coupeville was the varsity debuts of seniors Beauman Davis and Andre Avila.

Johnson finished with 16 points game to lead Coupeville. Jordan Ford had five, Wiley Hesselgrave and Helmstadter four each, Hunter Smith three, DeAndre Mitchell two and Desmond Bell two.

Five Redhawks scored at least eight points. Jacob Ralls sank 22 and Detrius Kelsall 20.

“If you don’t show up, you are going to lose,” was the only comment coach Anthony Smith wanted to share after the game.

The Coupeville seniors honored were Hesselgrave, Risen Johnson, J.J. Johnson, Ford, Dante Mitchell, DeAndre Mitchell, Helmstadter, Bell, Davis and Avila.

(Left: Hunter Smith finishes a Coupeville fast break.