Girls’ hoop team routs Coupeville at Senior Night

On a special night, it was still business as usual for the La Conner High School girls’ basketball team at Landy James Gym last Thursday.

The state 2B hoop team finished off an undefeated conference campaign with an impressive 87-13 romp past Coupeville following Senior Night festivities.

Fans honored Lady Braves seniors Aubrie Sloniker, Juna Swanson, Rachel Cram and Sarah Cook before the hosts ran their NW2B/1B record to 11-0.

“The girls came out and took care of business early,” La Conner head coach Scott Novak told the Weekly News afterward. “Our pressure defense was excellent.”

The numbers bore that out. La Conner recorded 27 steals.

Proficiency at the offensive end was also a factor. The hosts dished off 32 assists as a team, willing to make the extra pass to find open shooters.

While the outcome resembled so many other matchups this season – the team has rolled to a 19-1 overall mark with wins against teams from 1B-4A enrollment classifications. The pre-game ceremonies were singularly memorable.

“It was a special night for our senior girls playing in their last home game,” Novak stressed. “They’ve meant so much to our program. It’s been an honor to coach them these past four seasons.”

Cook paced the victors with 22 points and six assists. Eighth grader Ellalee Wortham tallied 20 points. Cram scored 14 points to go along with seven assists. Ellie Marble chipped in a dozen points, while Swanson meshed 10 points and handed out a game-high 13 assists. Josie Harper (4) and Sloniker (1) also joined the point parade.

The Lady Braves were exceptional from shorter range, shooing 72% inside the three-point stripe. Cram, a Carroll College signee, was the lone player to enjoy success from three-point distance, hitting two of five shots.

Backcourt pressure forced Coupeville miscues that led to layups and scoring in the paint. No Coupeville player reached double-figure scoring. La Conner advances to the district tournament championship round tomorrow, Feb. 17, at Coupeville and will play either Auburn Adventist, Friday Harbor or Coupeville.