After a grueling two-day tournament, Orcas fifth and sixth grade girls came in seventh place in the 2010 Tulip Basketball Tournament at the end of March.

Their first game was a hard fought 17-14 loss. The second game was won easily, 28-10. The girls dug down deep to keep their energy up in their fourth game, only allowing eight points after a line-up change mid-way through the first half, losing 24-21. This was especially satisfying since the other team had only played two games that day.

The final game on Sunday was a 20-9 victory.

“Orcas kids have to play twice as hard to win with our ferry disadvantage,” said parent Justin Paulsen.

Kara Veldman was the leading scorer with 42 points overall in her first tournament. Halle Thompson and Maddy Hance were next with 22 and 19 points. Emma Minnis lead the team with 10 steals. Lilly Miller had six. Anneka Ivans had 14 rebounds. Kim Madeiros had nine rebounds and six steals in her first tournament. Katy Minnis and Eve Hance had six and eight points respectively.

Coaches Tim Hance and Amber Paulsen were pleased with the tournament performance. “We’ve come a long way since the beginning of the SWISH season last fall,” Hance said. “The girls have really improved. They’re playing so much smarter. Every single player made a significant contribution to the tournament.”