Team finished with 10-13 overall

By Dean Wong

For the second consecutive year, the Ballard Beavers girls varsity basketball team made the KingCo Tournament and earned a victory in the process.

The win came on Feb. 14 against Inglemoor 50-47. Then came losses to Bothell 51-37 and finally to Garfield 55-49 to end the Beaver's playoff run.

Ballard finishes the KingCo season with a 7-8 record and 10-13 overall.

Junior point guard Kayla Williams scored 15 points to lead Ballard over Inglemoor on the Vikings' home court. Senior Leslie Ellingsen, junior forward Henna Saarinen and junior guard Evangeline Spracklin each contributed seven points.

The team needed two wins to advance or two losses to be eliminated. On Feb. 17, the game action moved to the neutral court at Juanita High against Bothell.

Bothell outscored the Beavers in the first, second and third quarters. Ballard outscored the Cougars 13-11 in the fourth but it was not enough to make up the difference.

Spracklin led the way with 11 points. Ellingsen, Molly Magee and Williams all pitched in with six points each.

Faced with elimination in a Feb.20 game with crosstown rival Garfield, Ballard put up a fight to the end, before losing by six. Three Ballard players scored in double figures. Spracklin had 16, Williams 12 and junior forward Yordanos Kasahun 10 points.

Ellingsen will graduate from Ballard High in June. She is one of the top fast-pitch softball players in the KingCo league and will be back on the field this spring.

In the school's basketball program, Ellingsen says her dream college to attend is the University of Texas-Austin and she would like to major in communications.

Dean Wong may be reached at 783.1244 or dino@robinsonnews.com