A 47-23 loss cost South Whidbey’s girls basketball team more than its season opener and a shot at a perfect record Monday night.
The Falcons lost two players, one a starter and one a key reserve, to ankle injuries when facing off against island rivals, the Coupeville Wolves. Sophomore Kacie Hanson left the game midway through the third quarter after hustling to block Wolves senior Kacie Kiel on a breakaway layup attempt. Hanson came down on her ankle, collapsed and was cradling her ankle before being helped off the court by the trainer and Falcon senior Kristen Schuster.
Eight minutes later, midway through the fourth quarter, Falcon junior Marina Alber injured her ankle. After driving to the hoop for a layup attempt, she landed awkwardly and immediately clutched at her right ankle before being carried off the court.
Hanson, a starter, had not scored a point before being injured. Alber, however, had provided a bit of a spark off the bench as Hanson’s replacement. The junior made several drives to the basket which yielded a few free throw attempts and three points before her injury sent her out early.
Coupeville controlled the game early and often with its size and speed. The Wolves relied on junior Makana Stone’s prowess around the hoop to lead all scorers with 17 points. Senior Julia Myers chipped in eight points.
South Whidbey had no answer for Stone’s rebounding and scoring. Coupeville took the lead on a Myers jump shot from the baseline to go up 4-2 and never looked back.
By halftime, the Wolves led 23-10 and the Falcons never came within 10 points of the lead.
The third quarter was an offensive explosion for Coupeville, which scored 17 points while holding South Whidbey to four. Stone scored nine of those points, including a layup plus a foul shot near the end of the period.
South Whidbey never scored double digits in any quarter, though the final eight minutes were the most productive for the Falcons with nine points. Only one basket was made, a short jump shot by Alber, and the rest of the points came on free throws. The Falcons attempted 23 free throws and made 11. Sophomore Kinsey Eager led South Whidbey with six points on a layup and four-of-six free throws.
