KingCo 4A Girls | Ballard roughs up 'Riders

Ballard's girls basketball team wanted to make a statement Friday night. The undefeated Beavers wanted to be recognized as the best team in KingCo 4A with a big win over fifth-ranked Roosevelt.

The statement they made sounds even better in Danish.

Jeanette Hansen, a 6-foot-5 foreign-exchange student from Denmark, scored 10 points and put on an intimidating defensive performance as Ballard handed the Roughriders their first loss, 50-26.

"It was really big," Hansen said. "A lot of people didn't think we could beat Roosevelt, but we beat them pretty well."

Hansen scored all of the Beavers' field goals in a breakout third quarter, and threw down a punishing block against Roosevelt (5-1 overall, 3-1 league) as time expired in the quarter.

"They were easy points," Hansen said, praising her teammates.

Everything looked easy for Ballard (6-0, 4-0). That's a departure for third-year coach Karen Blair, who had a 255-39 record and won two state championships at Meadowdale of Lynnwood but has yet to finish with a winning record at Ballard. The Beavers finished 10-13 last season.

"It's been a long journey for them to buy into my philosophy," Blair said. "It's taught me a lot of life lessons."

Team scoring leader Evangeline Spracklin had 14 points, while the Beavers limited the Roughriders to single digits in each quarter.

"We got out-coached. We got out-everythinged," first-year Roosevelt coach Gregg Kalina said. "They [the Beavers] did a good job. They beat us in every single facet of the game."

Junior guard Hannah Judd led Roosevelt with 13 points.

Other games

Inglemoor 47, at Franklin 36

The Vikings (4-1, 3-0) closed the game with an 11-4 run against the Quakers (2-2, 1-2). Senior forward Sally Blackner's 17 points for Inglemoor led all scorers.

Juanita 63, at Bothell 51

Brianna Rinehart-Young, a 6-1 senior, got 15 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to help the Rebels (4-2, 2-2) secure a win. Whitney Anderson scored 20 for Bothell (1-6, 0-4), which was without its top two post players.

At Redmond 50,

Woodinville 40

Marissa Pratt, a 6-3 sophomore, blocked nine shots and Mary Petrie led three Mustangs in double figures with 15 points as Redmond (3-2, 2-2) stopped Woodinville (3-3, 1-3).

At Lake Washington 68, Garfield 55

Erika Wilson scored 22 points for Lake Washington (3-2, 2-2), which was in total control after trailing 16-5 going into the second quarter against the Bulldogs (1-4, 0-3). Wilson, a 5-7 guard, drained 11 of 12 free throws. Athletic director Terry Johnson coached the Kangs for the first time, following the departure of coach Bernard Thomas.