With two starting players, Shawna West and Kassie Lawson, along with reserve post Ashley Manker fouling out of the game in the fourth quarter, the Coupeville girls basketball team ran out of energy and dropped an overtime heartbreaker to Cedarcrest 77-67 in the final regular season game on Friday.

There were a lot of tears shed by the players on Senior Night, but the Wolves had nothing to be ashamed about — they had played probably their best game of the year.

“They played with pride and they didn’t give up,” coach Geoff Kappes said. “It’s easy to go ahead and hang it up when things don’t go your way, but they didn’t do it tonight.”

The Wolves came out of the gate ready to play, taking a 19-15 lead after the first quarter of action.

Megan Smith scored seven points in the first quarter, including a pair of three-point baskets, and West had six points as the team took charge early in the contest.

“We played as a team tonight,” said Smith, who scored a team-high 20 points.

In the second period Cedarcrest rallied with 19 points, setting the tone for how the remainder of the game would be played.

Sarah Burgoyne kept the Wolves in the game, scoring seven of her 14 points in the period and

working hard under the boards at both ends of the floor.

“We wanted that game so bad,” the tearful senior said at the conclusion of the contest. “That’s the best game we’ve played all season. The last time we lost by like 40 points and to go into overtime was such a positive thing for us heading into the playoffs.”

At halftime, the Red Wolves held a narrow 34-33 lead.

Unlike the scenario in several games this season, Coupeville did not fall apart in the third period.

Smith scored five points and Burgoyne added four, and Coupeville went into the final eight minutes trailing 47-45.

In the fourth quarter, the score was tied five times and the lead changed hands seven times as the squads traded baskets.

West fouled out of the game at the 5:08 mark and Lawson went to the bench with five fouls with 3:26 left. Manker, just a freshman, fouled out with 1:48 showing on the clock and the Wolves were down to just six available players.

“We played a great game and we’re really proud,” West said. “We just wanted to go out there and play with pride and we did.”

West finished the game with 15 points.

With 14 seconds remaining in regulation time Burgoyne tied the game, hitting one of two free throws, to send the contest into

the four-minute overtime period.

In overtime, Cedarcrest’s Sara Houser got hot and scored seven points while Rachael Kevin had five, three coming on shots from the charity stripe, as the Red Wolves took the game over.

Coupeville was scoreless from the floor and managed just four points, which came on a pair of free throws by Alyssa Kelley and two more from Smith.

Free throws were the key to victory and the Red Wolves were 33 of 46 from the foul line, while the Wolves were 11 for 24.

“My seniors led the way,” Kappes said. “It was Senior Night

and they knew it. They had something to prove and now we are just going to reload and get ready for the playoffs.”

Kevin paced Cedarcrest with a game-high 24 points going 16 for 20 from the free throw line, Houser scored 18 points and Erica Taylor hit a trio of three-point baskets to finish with 14 points.

Despite finishing with a 1-13 league record, the Wolves will advance to the playoffs as the No. 2 Class 1A seed from the Cascade League.

Coupeville played Meridian (0-11, 1-17), from the 3A/2A/1A Northwest Conference Tuesday. See the Feb. 17 issue of the Whidbey News-Times for results.