In the opening round: …………………………………………………… The Clavet Cougars stomped the Hudson Bay Riders 66-32 after leading 23-6, 37-20 and 52-26 at the quarters. Rochelle Kwochka paced Clavet with 16. Katie Hanbidge added 15. Kristen Wilson led the Riders with 14. Charla Mahlum added 6. …………………………………………………… The Outlook Blues defeated the Indian Head Broncos 71-64 despite trailing 22-10, 36-24 and 53-46 at the quarters. Rayanne Brown led Outlook with 32. Erin McNeil added 21, all the in the second half. Stacey Longeau paced Indian Head with 21. Megan Shiplack added 14. …………………………………………………… The Moose Jaw Vanier Spirits dumped the Prince Albert Collegiate Golden Bears 57-35 after leading 17-10, 33-23 and 45-35 at the quarters. Caitlin Folk led Vanier with 12. Kelsie Crone added 11 and Kylie Sinclair 10. Ashley Meredith paced the Golden Bears with 20. …………………………………………………… The Melfort Comets crushed the Melville Cobras 65-35 after leading 19-4, 36-10 and 44-20 at the quarters. …………………………………………………… The Outlook L.C.B.I. Bisons whipped the Wynyard Bears 70-44. LCBI took an 18-6 lead after the physical first quarter but Wynyard rallied to within 31-21 at the half as sisters Talena and Kaitlyn Scott scored 17 between them Outlook LCBI took command in the second half. Amber Larson led LCBI with 17. Nicole Akre added 11, Rilla Johnson 10 and Leah Adelman 9. Kaitlyn Scott paced Wynyard with 12. Talena Scott added 9 and Amy Prychak 7. …………………………………………………… The Dalmeny Cougars dusted the Watrous Wildcats 52-31. Dalmeny broke to an early 9-2 lead but Watrous rallied to within 11-8 after one quarter. Dalmeny countered with a 13-2 run and led at the half 29-16 and after three quarters 45-23. Allyce Crawford paced Dalmeny with 18. Jacie Ottman added 8, Stephanie Waldner 7, Brittani Picard 7 and Becky Koskie 6. Haley Manson led Watrous with 10. Jessica Frey added 6, Julie MacNeil 4, Trisha Schaan 4 and Lindsay Lundback 4. …………………………………………………… The Caronport Cougars crippled the Wilkie Broncos 79-31 after leading 36-14 at the half. Erin Chute paced Caronport with 16. Heather Olney added 13, Paige Fawcett 12 and Melissa Evans 10. Stephanie Nelson led the Broncos with 7. Bryna Jaindl added 6. …………………………………………………… The Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds eliminated the Birch Hills Marauders 56-33 after leading 32-15 at the half. Jill Saunders paced Notre dame with 18. Ali Mansbridge added 9, Elaine Lockwood 8 and Jen Evans 8. Alena Hagen led Birch Hills with 13. Chelsea Arnestad added 10.
In the quarterfinals, the Clavet Cougars crushed the Outlook Blues 81-49 after leading 44-22 at the half. Sarah Thiesson led Clavet with 25. Erin Smith added 20. Rayanne Brown led Outlook with 17. Erin McNeil added 8. “The key for our team is just focusing on playing our game and not trying to adjust to other team’s styles. Our game is heavy transition, rebounding the basketball and just mental toughness in everything we’re doing,” Cougars coach Heath Drennan told the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix.
The Melfort Comets edged the Moose Jaw Vanier Spirits 65-60. The score was knotted at 18 after one quarter. Melfort led 34-27 at the half and 52-46 after three quarters. L. Copeland paced Melfort with 31. A. Bednarz added 16 and J. Bortis 12. K. Crone led Moose Jaw with 26. Caitlyn Folke added 14 and Lacey Smith 14.
The Outlook L.C.B.I. Bisons stomped the Dalmeny Cougars 72-53. LCBI opened with a 21-3 run but soon found itself in foul trouble, allowing Dalmeny to rally within 29-19. LCBI’s depth proved the difference in the second half. Nicole Akre led LCBI with 24. Amber Larson added 22, Holly Chappell 9 and Sara Chappell 7. Jacie Ottmann paced Dalmeny with 17. Stephanie Waldner added 8, Danielle Buhler 6 and Brittani Picard 6.
In the last quarterfinal, the Caronport Cougars stomped the Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds 67-44. The score was knotted at 27 at the half but Caronport took command in the third quarter, after which they led 54-33. Devon Wilson led Caronport with 16. Heather Olney added 14 and Brooke Olmstead 11. Jen Evans led Notre Dame with 14. Jill Saunders added 12.
In the semis, the Clavet Cougars edged the Melfort Comets 64-61 as Sarah Thiesson scored 19, Erin Smith 19 and Melissa Armstrong 11. Lindsay Copeland led Melfort with 30. Brenna Hirsch added 9. Copeland dominated inside but the Cougars were more balanced and had far more depth. The Comets knotted the score at 55 with three minutes to play and then cut the score to 62-61 on a trey by Copeland. But the Cougars hung on. “It was amazing,” Clavet guard Erin Smith told the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. “We’ve been together since we were young. They gave us good competition and they’re really good. At the end, it was really close but we got it back and took it home.” Cougars coach Heith Drennan added that “the difference down the stretch was we just came up with the answers when we had to. Lindsay Copeland hit some amazing shots and was unreal. We talked before the game that she was going to hit shots on us. It was how we responded to that.” Melfort coach Penny Anderson told the Regina Leader-Post that Copeland “is a real pleasure to coach. She’s a really good kid. She’s probably one of the best athletes and basketball players we’ve seen come out of Melfort.”
In the other semi, the Outlook L.C.B.I. Lady Bisons dumped the Caronport Cougars 73-60 as Sara Chappell scored 19 and Nicole Akre 17. Brooke Olmstead paced Caronport with 20. Heather Olney added 18. The key to victory, LCBI girls coach Bryan Akre told the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, was “just the patience that we showed. We had some big players step up and hit some quality shots. We had some panic situations but we had some Grade 10 kids slow down, take a thought and handle the situation pretty well.” Akre told the Regina Leader-Post that “we played a very athletic team with two of the quickest guards we had seen all year. They forced us to step up and play a faster and in control game. By the fourth quarter they were very tired. We took control.”
In the bronze medal match, the Caronport Cougars defeated the Melfort Comets 68-60 as Devon Wilson scored 16 and Heather Olney 14. Lindsay Copeland led the Comets with 26. Janel Bortis added 14.
In the final, the Clavet Cougars nipped the Outlook L.C.B.I. Lady Bisons 70-65 as Sarah Thiesson scored 16 and Erin Smith 14. Amber Larson led the Bisons with 24. Nicole Akre added 13. “There’s going to be a big Hoopla party back at home for all our fans,” Clavet guard Sarah Thiesson told the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix after the Cougars completed a boys-girls double on the campaign. “Lots of green.” It’s Clavet’s first title since 1996 and third overall. “LCBI is a very resilient team,” said Clavet coach Heith Drennan. “We just stepped up and made plays when we had to and keep a little breathing room, which resulted in anxiety for me but, besides that, it’s good.” Thiesson said “this is absolutely great. “We put lots of pressure on the ball. Everyone worked really hard and we deserved it. We got to where we wanted to be.” The Lady Bisons tied it at 25-25 in the second quarter, but played catch-up from there on. “Turnovers kind of hurt us,” said LCBI coach Bryan Akre. “We were doubting ourselves at times and against a quality team like Clavet, that hurts. Credit to my girls. They kept working. A good experience for all the ones returning next year.” Larson said “I’m not really disappointed. We tried our best. We played as hard as we could. They just outplayed us. They played tenacious D and stuck on us hard.” Akre told the Regina Leader-Post that he wasn’t disappointed with a silver medal. “It was amazing. We improved each week out. We made the most of the opportunities we had and we made the little things important.” Guard Brianne Knutson remarked, “We practiced every day, some days a lot harder than others. It was always an awful lot of work.” Akre said “the girls never gave up. They kept working to the end. We got beat by a very good team.” It was guard Rilla Johnson’s fourth silver medal in four years. Her first two medals were with Kenaston and the next two with LCBI. Johnson said “it was really hard being so close every year but I’m thankful to have been on two really great teams that have gone that far.” Akre said “Rilla is the best defensive player you could ask for. That’s why she’s on the court so much.”
The bronze medalist Caronport Cougars: Erin Chute; Heather Olney; Paige Fawcett; Melissa Evans; Devon Wilson; Brooke Olmstead;
The silver medalist Outlook Lutheran Collegiate Bible Institute Bisons: Amber Larson; Nicole Akre; Rilla Johnson; Leah Adelman; Holly Chappell; Sara Chappell; Brianne Knutson; coach Bryan Akre; assistant Afton Stephenson
The gold medalist Clavet Cougars: Sarah Thiesson; Erin Smith; Rochelle Kwochka; Katie Hanbidge; Melissa Armstrong; Dani Cyr; Maria Epp; Kim Koch; Jessica Kwochka; Erin Smith; coach Heith Drennan; assistant Sam Lloyd