Braves hoop teams conquer Coupeville

The La Conner High basketball teams took different routes in Coupeville on Thursday to reach the same destination: Victory Lane.

The Braves squared their season slate at 3-3 with a dramatic 59-57 NW2B triumph when senior point guard Elijah Porter scored in traffic with just one second to play.

The La Conner girls, meanwhile, cruised down Easy Street for their sixth win without a loss, motoring to a convincing 74-15 decision.

For the Braves, taking the more difficult road had its rewards in the end.

“It was nice for us to execute in a close game,” Braves head coach Todd Hinderman told the media afterward.

The final play might not have gone exactly as Hinderman and assistant coach Galen McKnight drew it up, but La Conner fans could hardly complain about the outcome.

With seven seconds remaining, Porter inbounded the ball from the baseline beneath the Braves basket. His pass went to the left corner for a three-point attempt, which fell short. Porter, who had drifted under the hoop, was in position to grab a tipped rebound. He snared the carom and banked in the game-winning layup.

The La Conner bench erupted in a scene one would see at the end of a big playoff contest. But with the COVID-19 pandemic dictating modified schedules with no post-season, the last-second win at Coupeville merited celebration.

Josh Jolly (18) and Charles Baker (14) each scored in double figures for La Conner, which faced Mount Vernon Christian (4-2) in Tuesday night action. MVC was coming off a 62-50 non-league setback to Lummi.

The Braves entertain Coupeville in a Senior Night rematch tonight (Wednesday) at Landy James Gym. Friday Harbor visits La Conner on Saturday in a 1:30 p.m. tipoff.

With the loss to La Conner, Coupeville fell to 2-3 on the campaign prior to a Friday pairing with Darrington.

The Lady Braves, who also hosted MVC on Tuesday, likewise are paired with Coupeville today (Wednesday) at Landy James Gym starting at 4 p.m.

They greet Friday Harbor at noon on Saturday.

At Coupeville, La Conner was paced by guards Josie Harper and Rachel Cram. Harper, a sophomore, led all scorers with 25 points.

A junior, Cram finished with 20 points for the victors. Senior forward Avery Sloniker contributed nine points and six rebounds.

“It was a great team effort,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak said afterward.

Novak was especially pleased with his team’s execution at the offensive end, repeatedly making the extra pass to find open shooters.

As has been its custom this spring, La Conner put the game away early, bolting to a 33-2 first period lead. The margin swelled to 45-8 at halftime.

The Lady Braves, who placed second at the 2020 State 2B Hardwood Classic in Spokane, had enjoyed similar insurmountable leads in prior league matches with Concrete and Darrington. Rather than meeting those two NW2B foes a second time, La Conner has scheduled non-conference home tests with 2A Burlington-Edison (June 8), Lynden (June 10) and Anacortes (June 12) and will visit 1A Meridian on June 14.

Lynden boasts dominating wins over conference rivals Sedro-Woolley (70-21) and Bellingham (60-24).

La Conner closes out its 2021 slate June 15 at home opposite Mount Vernon Christian.