Faith Jenkins scored a game high 24 points, teammate Maeve McCormick added another 15, and the La Conner Braves girls’ basketball team pulled away after a slow start to post a convincing 60-44 NW2B/1B win over Coupeville before a large crowd at Landy James Gym Friday night.
Fueled by the uptempo sounds of the Skagit County Monster Band, the Braves made the nets sing during an explosive stretch spanning the second and third quarters.
Jenkins broke open a close game with a 10-point outburst from the midway point of the second period to halftime, when La Conner (8-4 overall, 2-0 in league) extended a two-point edge to a more comfortable 22-14 margin.
McCormick went on a 10-point tear of her own in the third frame, hitting a pair of treys, as the hosts stretched their lead to 42-31 entering the final stanza.
La Conner, benefitting from transition buckets off Coupeville turnovers, closed with an 18-13 run.
Nora McCormick and Isabelle Villard scored eight points each for the victors, while Finley Hancock chipped in five points for the Braves.
Teagan Calkins and Haylee Armstrong, each of whom drained three perimeter treys, led Coupeville with 13 points apiece.
The La Conner win was yet more impressive considering that the Braves were minus injured starters Shaniquah Casey and Kiana Jenkins.
La Conner led just 9-7 late the first quarter after Calkins hit a long two-handed set shot off glass. The Braves, though, opened the second quarter with a 9-0 spurt. Faith Jenkins triggered the outburst with a transition layup off a feed from Hancock. Maeve McCormick followed with another layup, assisted by her sister, Nora McCormick.
After a Hancock free throw, Faith Jenkins meshed a mid-range jumper off a pass from Reese Bird and converted a layup that put the Braves ahead 18-7.
Armstrong stopped the bleeding, though only temporarily, with a three-pointer two minutes before intermission. Faith Jenkins answered with a baseline jumper and layup before halftime to give La Conner its 22-14 edge at the break.
Coupeville salvaged a split on the night, which featured the dynamic monster band performance and annual junior cheer camp event, by downing the La Conner boys 64-30.
Cam Glover led Coupeville with 18 points. Carson Grove and Chase Anderson finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively, for the visitors.
Keaton Bailey was La Conner’s top scorer with 11 points. Hadden Zimmerman (6), Landon Stevens (5), Kaleb Otis (5), and Marlin Bralens (3) also landed in the Braves scoring column. Stevens, Otis, and Bralens each hit a three-pointer. Bailey’s points came on drives in the paint and three of four free throw attempts. Zimmerman, meanwhile, was a perfect four-of-four from the charity stripe.
An added treat for fans occurred once the games concluded and the monster band, comprised of top student musicians from throughout the county, including La Conner Schools, provided a festive encore.
The La Conner teams, after entertaining Friday Harbor on Jan. 12 and visiting Concrete on Jan. 13, are at Mount Vernon Christian this Friday.
The Jan. 16 action at Mount Vernon Christian tips off at 3 p.m. with the girls’ junior varsity game. The boys’ junior varsity contest follows at 4:30. The girls’ varsity clash is set for 6 p.m., with the boys’ varsity matchup scheduled at 7:30 p.m.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
