Coupeville rallies for win; Black sets block record

YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

Lexie Black scored 12 points and blocked 10 shots as Coupeville battled past Zillah 45-41 on Friday in the consolation bracket of the Class 1A girls state tournament.

The Wolves stonewalled Zillah (16-11), holding the Leopards to 27 percent shooting, with 6-foot-2 center Lexie Black recording a tournament record 10 blocked shots along with numerous altered attempts.

“She averages six blocked shot and changes about 10 more,” Coupeville coach Greg Oldham said. “If 60 shots in a game is the norm and she has an impact on 20, that’s tremendous for our defense.”

And chaotic for the opposing offense.

“She changed the outcome of the game,” Zillah coach Tony Fritz said. “She dominated; she made kids hurry shots.”

The Leopards, 21-19 leaders at halftime, were also hampered by an apparent broken hand point guard Rondelle Guthrie suffered a couple minutes into the second half. Guthrie left the game with the Zillah holding a one-point edge, 25-24.

The Wolves (16-9) then went on a 13-4 run and the Leopards could get no closer than three points the rest of the way.

“When the wheels came off they kept going,” said Fritz, who picked up a technical foul with 3:12 left in the third.

Felicia Gonzales scored nine points off the bench for the Leopards and Guthrie and Joelle Patterson each had eight.

Black scored a game-high 12 points and Shawna West had 12 for Coupeville.

Black's record broke the previous mark of 8 set by Susie Ryf of Ridgefield in 1983. Black had nine of her blocks in the second half as the Wolves battled back from a two-point halftime deficit.

Shawna West added 10 points and seven rebounds for Coupeville, which will face White Swan at 9 a.m. Saturday for fifth place.