In the wildcard game, the Mission Heritage Park Highlanders defeated the Salmon Arm Jewels x-x. The Jewels (coached by Terry Michell) included Lyndsay Rabbit, Karin Vanderhoek.
In the opening round: …………………………………………………… The 11th-seeded Vancouver Kitsilano Blue Demons defeated the 6th-seeded Victoria Oak Bay Breakers 69-59. The Breakers exploded to an early 20-4 lead and forced the Blue Demons into 18 turnovers in the first half. But Kitsilano made adjustments to their press break to rally within 34-28 at the half. The third quarter was all Kits as the Blue Demons went on a 16-4 run to rally their way back to a 44-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The surge was led by guards Paige Burnham and Zana Williams. They took command in the final frame and romped. Zana Williams was chosen player of the game for Kitsilano. Brittany Cooper earned the laurels for the Breakers. Kitsilano coach Mark Dawson reminded his troops of the 1997 upset in which 15th-seeded Kitsilano upset 2nd seeded Victoria Lambrick Park. “I was hoping to save the [Lambrick] story for later in the tournament, but I had to pull it out just before the game. It was the last thing I told them before they went on the floor. I know, it would be a better story if I told them about that after the first quarter, but that’s not what happened.” What happened, in the big picture, is that the Blue Demons started to break down Oak Bay’s pressing and trapping and began hitting jumpers and layups. Kitsilano shot 37.5 per cent in the first half and 57.7 in the second half. Zana Williams, bound for Utah State, didn’t have her first bucket until the 9:15 mark of the second quarter, yet still finished with 22 points. Williams hit a leaning jumper with the shot clock winding down and 2:05 to go in the game to give Kitsilano a 60-57 lead. She then got a layup to go with the shot clock again nearing time and 42.6 seconds left, upping the Blue Demons’ margin to 64-59. “I just thought we were playing too slow early,” said Williams. “We weren’t fully in it.” Zana Williams paced Kitsilano with 22 points. Paige Burnham added 14 and Nicola Cohen 10, along with 11 boards. Nadja Jankovic notched 9 points and 12 boards. Phoebe Stewart scored 6 and Adrienne Parkin 4, while Claire Williams, Victoria Gonzalez, Anna Lermer, Christine Edwards, Dana Massing, Jamie Pozer, Laura Phillips, Lucy Grill-Fredericks and Kate Kirkpatrick were scoreless. Carly Hopp and Brittany Cooper each scored 17 to paced Oak Bay. Sarah Rhodes added 7, Anne-Marie Nano 7, Maggie Woodward 5, Jenica Moore 4 and Lyndsay Adams 2, while Danya Douglas Hunt, Ellen Hunter-Perkins, Ola Hayek and Natalie Morgan were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded North Vancouver Argyle Pipers stomped the 12th-seeded Cranbrook Mt. Baker Wild 84-64. The Pipers forced the Wild into a phenomenal 40 turnovers. The Wild led 20-19 after one quarter but star shooter Sam Hornquist was forced to the bench with three fouls and the Pipers rallied to a 43-26 lead at the half. At the end of three quarters the Pipers led the Wild 61-50. The Pipers capitalized on the many Wild turnovers and cruised to the easy win. Point guard Carla Wyman was chosen player of the game for the Pipers. Sam Hornquist earned the laurels for the Wild. Carla Wyman led the Pipers with 27. Jen Marsh added 15, Steph Bell 14, Erika Vieweg 13, Natalie Crema 6, Michelle Errico 3 and Gillian Glass 2, while Donna Blaszak, Bonnie Smith, Sue Kwon, Rebecca Brykajlo, Kaitlyn Carlson, Amy Neubauer, Tessa O’Connor, Taylor Phillips, Mika Janzen, Maddy Walters, Taryn Desmarais and Ishana Debba were scoreless. Sam Hornquist paced the Wild with 25. Brenna Mallard added 14, Jill Anderson 12, Lindsey Kasner 11, Briann Erichsen 2, Kelsie Lussier 2 and Kelsey Klein 2 while Andi Taylor, Roby Eedy, Kelsey Dodgsen and Merla Laidlaw were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded South Surrey Elgin Park Orcas crushed the 15th-seeded North Vancouver Carson Graham Eagles 82-29. The Orcas jumped out to an early 22-8 after one quarter and kept the pressure on and ended the half with a 37-14 lead. They outscored the 15th-seeded Eagles 19-5 in the fourth quarter to close out the game. The No. 2-seeded Orcas jumped out to an early 22-8 lead in the first quarter, and cruised through the final three without incident. They led 37-14 at halftime, and outscored the 15th-seeded Eagles 19-5 in the fourth quarter to close out the game. Jess Franz was chosen player of the game for the Orcas while Laurean Seabrook earned the laurels for the Eagles. Kendra Asleson paced the Orcas with 24 points and 13 boards. Jess Franz added 23 points and 10 boards. Sally Hiller notched 10, Elle Kerfoot 8, Jordyn Newman 8, Sarah Allison 5, Sandy Hsu 2 and Chantelle Martin 1, while Jayne Alexander, Stacey Graham and Tori Spangehl were scoreless. Spangehl, a 6-1 forward on the provincial team, blew out her knee the previous summer and spent the season scorekeeping for the Orcas after getting surgery in September. Lauren Seabrook paced Carson Graham with 10. Jody Schorneck added 8, Beth McNeill 4, Ali Lee 2, Madeline Harden 2, Hannah Locke 2 and Kolbi Roper 1, while Alex Mackenzie, Alana Mylrea, Jamie Haroldson, Kristi Sharp, Kelci Roper, Stacey Hake and Jaine Taylor were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Chilliwack Tillicums edged the 12th-seeded North Vancouver Sutherland Sabres 64-61. The Storm took a 21-15 lead into the second quarter after a long three pointer at the buzzer by Alexa McCarthy who also led the way with 10 points in the quarter. Chilliwack suffered a major loss though as McCarthy went down with 5:28 left in the second quarter grabbing hold of her left ankle. She did not return. Chilliwack went into intermission with a 36-30 lead. Going into the final quarter the score was all tied up at 52. With 50.9 seconds Megan Shaw drove the length of the floor to pull the game within three, 64-61. Eliza Kroeze missed a wide open lay up to give Sutherland the ball back with 32.8 seconds left on the clock down only three. Sutherland couldn’t capitalize after their final attempts. Alli Mulock was chosen player of the game for Sutherland, while Nicole Wierks earned the laurels for Chilliwack. “I love what the Sutherland kids did,” said Chilliwack coach Joe Ogmundson. “They were making a heck of a noise. I thought that was a fantastic game. “It was fantastic for our team. That is the noise they’re going to hear here [the rest of the tournament].” Chilliwack led 36-30 at the half, but the local-favourite Sabres — with a vocal cheering section urging them on — came back with a 22-point third quarter. The Sabres made a bid for a three-point play that would have tied the game in the dying seconds. However, Sarah Wierks of the Storm made a big block on Sutherland shooter Alexa Grace to preserve the victory. Although his team fell short of getting the upset, Sutherland coach Don Nayebzadeh was happy with his team’s effort. “I was very pleased with my kids. We’ve been playing very well lately and seem to be peaking. I liked the way we came out and played with confidence.” Chilliwack was hampered by the loss of one of its standout players, Alexa McCarthy. The point guard, a Fraser Valley first-team all-star, re-injured a problem ankle in the first quarter and didn’t play after that, finishing with l0 points. “Alexa’s doctor was here at the game,” said Ogmundson. “She’ll get treatment tonight and he thinks she’ll be able to play tomorrow.” Nicole Wierks scored 15 for Chilliwack, while nabbing 14 boards. Lindsay Dekoff added 15, Eliza Kroeze 11, Alexa McCarthy 10 and Courtney Bartel 6, while nabbing 11 boards. Sarah Wierks scored 5, while grabbing 11 boards. Kaitlin Jonk scored 2, while Caitlyn Barton, Angela Kooyman, Latishia Blackwater-Russell and Dominique Christian were scoreless. Alli Mulock paced Sutherland with 29 points and 14 boards. Alexa Grace added 15 and Nikki Meyers 8, while nabbing 10 boards. Hailey Hebron scored 3 and Kala Renard 2, while grabbing 16 boards. Megan Shaw added 2 and Julia Mitchell 2, while Hailey Mathieson, Anna Lalau, Danielle Lawson, Sabrina Peterson and Salemah S. were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 10th-seeded Port Moody Blues upset the 7th-seeded Salmon Arm Jewels 52-48. Port Moody shot a horrible 16.1 per cent from the field in the first half leading to an overwhelming lead at half of 29-13 in favour of Salmon Arm. Port Moody went on a 24-8 run in the third quarter to tie the game at 37 going into the fourth quarter. Port Moody took the lead for the first time with just over two minutes left in the game when Lauren Fitzpatrick hit a three to make the score 50-48. Lauren Fitzpatrick was chosen player of the game for the Blues, while Lisa Grant earned the laurels for the Jewels. “We played them earlier this year and beat them by 10,” said Port Moody coach Alex Devlin. “They played us tough but we battled. Our defence pulled us out.” Lauren Fitzpatrick led the Blues with 20. Tracy Kocs added 14 points and 10 boards. Carolyn Deady scored 6, while nabbing 11 boards. Meagan Beckler notched 4, Gabby Alvero 3, Kali Ekeli 3 and Genelle Pietramala 2, while Katherine Zie, Marta Biernacki and Tina Gulbertson were scoreless. Lisa Grant scored 16 and nabbed 14 boards to pace Salmon Arm. Pamela Johnson scored 10, Tori Rutledge 7, Anya Weare 6, Nathalie Scharf 6 and Soraya Jung 3, while nabbing 16 boards. Kaitlyn Pengelly, Shenise Born, Sher Fraser, Jessie Cook and Malori Pendree were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Port Coquitlam Riverside Rapids stomped the 16th-seeded Terrace Caledonia Kermodes 98-25. The Rapids led 32-4 after one quarter and 54-9 at the half. They continued despite going deep into their bench, leading 79-19 after three quarters. Carly Butcher was chosen player of the game for the Rapids, while Lori Hales earned the laurels for Caledonia. “We’ve had this a few times this year,” said Riverside coach Paul Langford. “We don’t insult the other team by not playing hard. We try to play hard. And habit forming is important. I thought our kids did a good job.” The Rapids moved to (37-1) on the season. Carly Butcher led the Rapids with 22. Kristina Collins added 18, Hayley Dwyer 12, Karal Josefson 10, Stephanie Carkner 9, Lauren Rieu 9, Ashley Armstrong 5, Nicola Hitchcock 5, Taryn Buchannon 4 and Emily Sall 2. Kelsi Essay paced the Kermodes with 10. Lori Hales added 7, Kara Anderson 4, Breanna Vandevelde 2 and Krista Materi 2, while Grace Straw, Celina Guerreiro, Rianna Bullied, Amanda Webber, Rupie Gill, Jill Stephens, Mariela Calzada and Laura Haughland were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded North Vancouver Handsworth Royals dumped the 14th-seeded Prince George Polars 86-22. The Royals led 49-9 at the half and 69-16 after three quarters. The Royals were composed and received most of their points from grade 10 stars Diana Lee and Kris’ Young. Diana Lee was chosen player of the game for the Royals while Natalie Chappell earned the laurels for the Polars. Diana Lee paced the Royals with 22. Kris Young added 20, Kristen Leigh 11, Bethan Chalke 10 and Jess Barnett 6, while nabbing 10 boards. Kat Stein scored 6, Lana Rockhill 4 and Carli Saunders 2, while Blake Finucane and Emma Watson were scoreless. Natalie Chappell paced the Polars with 11. Kasey Reiter added 6, Ali Bourque 2 and Emily Kaehn 2, while Shae Glass, Megan McMaster, Jasmine Barredo, Meghan Thorkelson, Brittany Unruh, Larissa Bartell, Dezerai Cassidy, Michelle Willocks and Amanda Seemann were scoreless. …………………………………………………… The 9th-seeded Saniichton Stelly’s Stingers edged the 8th-seeded Langley Brookswood Bobcats 52-49. The Bobcats led the entire game until the Stingers took the lead with three minutes to play and pulled out the win. Brookswood led 27-26 at the half. Stelly’s tied the game after Christine Ireland got fouled with just over three minutes to play in the game, Ireland ended up hitting seven out of her last eight free throws in the game. Christine Ireland was chosen player of the game for Stelly’s, while Chelsea Church earned the laurels for Brookswood. Christine Ireland led the Stingers with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Leigh Stansfield added 8 points and 15 rebounds. Elyse Matthews scored 8, Megan McCulloch 6 and Rachel Yager 3, while Mel Cawthra, Beangka Elliott, Richelle Green, Claire Sakiyama, Britnie Cossette and Jessica Stephens were scoreless. Chelsea Wand paced Brookswood with 11 points. Chelsea Church scored 8 and nabbed 10 boards. Courtney Harper scored 8, Sara Malish 7 and Shelby Wood 5, while nabbing 10 boards. Michelle Wand scored 4, Morgan Anderson 4 and Courtney Parker 2, while Kassie Nuir, Kelsey Bergquist, Erin Mufford, Chelsea Currie and Stacy Fournier were scoreless.
In the quarterfinals, the 3rd-seeded North Vancouver Handsworth Royals clipped the 11th-seeded Vancouver Kitsilano Blue Demons 63-56. The Royals forced the Blue Demons into eight early turnovers in the first quarter, and led 20-10 after the frame and 37-16 at the half. They were led by post Bethan Chalke, who finished with 16 points and seven rebounds in the first half. The Royal increased their margin to 47-25 after three quarters and romped. The ambidextrous Chalke made a living breaking down Kitsilano by driving left. She was 6-of-7 from the floor, for 12 points, in the first quarter alone, to help her North Vancouver side jump out to a 20-10 lead. She finished 12-17 from the floor. “I think I’ve overpractised [to the] left, so I may be better that way,” said Chalke. “I don’t really mind. I’d shoot a hockey stick right-handed, swing a bat right-handed, swing a golf club right-handed. But I write left-handed. I’m so weird like that.” Grade 10 guard Diana Lee said the young Royals were benefiting from having finished fifth a year earlier. “Last year helped a lot. It’s like all the nerves are out. We just want to win and get to that provincial final, and we’re almost there.” Bethan Chalke was chosen player of the game for Handsworth, while Nicola Cohen earned the laurels for Kitsilano. Bethan Chalke paced Handsworth with 24 points and 12 boards. Diana Lee added 16, Kris Young 10, Jess Barnett 4, Kristin Leigh 4, Carli Saunders 2, Kat Stein 2 and Lana Rockhill 1, while Blake Finucane and Emma Watson were scoreless. Zana Williams led Kitsilano with 9 points and 10 boards. Nicola Cohen added 8 points and 10 boards. Paige Burnham scored 6, Phoebe Stewart 4, Nadja DJ Jankovic 4, Christine Edwards 4 and Adrienne Parkin 1, while Claire Williams, Victoria Gonzalez, Anna Lermer, Dana Massing, Jamie Pozer, Laura Phillips, Lucy Grill-Fredericks and Kate Kirkpatrick were scoreless.
The top-seeded Port Coquitlam Riverside Rapids stomped the 9th-seeded Saanichton Stelly’s Stingers 85-38. The Rapids jumped to a 12-0 lead and extended the margin to 23-4 after one quarter and 44-16 at the half. Kristina Collins earned player of the game laurels for Riverside, while Leigh Stansfield earned the laurels for Stelly’s. “I thought our girls played well,” said Riverside coach Paul Langford. “I thought they came out with the defensive intensity we wanted and it spurred on the offence. It always gets tougher every game in. Our next game is going to be a battle. It’s a real journey.” Kristina Collins paced Riverside with 21. Hayley Dwyer added 13, Carly Butcher 12, Lauren Rieu 10, Karla Josefson 8, Taryn Buchannon 8, Nicola Hitchcock 6, Stephanie Carkner 4 and Ashley Armstrong 3, while Emily Sall was scoreless. Leigh Stansfield paced Stelly’s with 19 points and 17 boards. Elyse Matthews scored 7, Christine Ireland 5, Britnie Cossette 3, Rachel Yager 2 and Megan McCulloch 2, while Mel Cawthra, Beangka Elliot, Richelle Green, Claire Sakiyama and Jessica Stephens were scoreless.
The 4th-seeded Chilliwack Tillicums edged the 5th-seeded North Vancouver Argyle Pipers 69-65. Carly Wyman of the Pipers hit back to back three-pointers to put Argyle up 22-11 at the end of the first quarter. Nicole Wierks of Chilliwack, scored 15 points and grabbed six boards and Courtney Bartel hit two three’s and got fouled on a three attempt with four seconds left, she made two and cut Argyle’s halftime lead to just four, 35-31. The third quarter was full of lead changes until Alexa McCarthy scored a wide open three and Dominique Christian hit a jumper from the corner to make the score 50-46 going into the fourth quarter. With just under a minute to go Bartel went to the line and hit her first to make the game 67-62. Wyman drove the length of the floor and hit her sixth trey to make the score 67-65 with 10.2 seconds on the clock and two free throws coming up for Chilliwack. Alexa McCarthy made two clutch free throws to close out the scoring. Wyman was chosen player of the game for Argyle while Nicole Wierks earned the laurels for Chilliwack. Wyman pumped in 31 despite playing with a freshly dislocated shoulder (suffered a night earlier against Cranbrook Mt. Baker) that was taped up and her stomach in turmoil because of the exertion. A physiotherapist had told Wyman and Argyle coach Anthony Beyrouti that she should take the night off. The grade 11 guard would have none of it and that, along with her performance, was enough to have even the well-dressed Beyrouti misty. “I’ve got goose bumps right now,” Beyrouti said. “She was crying on the sideline during the fourth quarter because of her stomach. She was like, ‘I think I’m going to throw up.’ I asked her if she wanted a sub, and she said, ‘I don’t need a sub … I have to play.’” Wyman looked completely spent at the end of her contest. She contended then that she didn’t feel that bad when the game was actually going on. Here’s a guess that she might have stretching the truth a tad. “What’s it about? It’s about this,” Beyrouti said of Wyman, pointing to his heart. “If I’m a university coach and I haven’t already talked to her, I think they’re insane. I appreciate the fact that I don’t coach at university, but … it’s just the truth. If you’re recruiting somebody, what more could you want?” Nicole Wierks paced Chilliwack with 25 points and 12 boards. Courtney Bartel added 16, Alexa McCarthy 11, Lindsay Dekoff 10, Elize Kroeze 4, Dominique Christian 2 and Sarah Wierks 2, while Caitlyn Barton, Angela Kooyman, Latishia Blackwater-Russell and Kaitlin Jonk were scoreless. Carla Wyman paced Argyle with 31. Gillian Glass added 8, Jen Marsh 7, Michell Errico 5, Steph Bell 6, Erika Vieweg 4 and Natalie Crema 3, while Donna Blaszak, Bonnie Smith, Sue Kwon, Rebecca Brykajlo, Kaitlyn Carlson, Amy Neubauer, Tessa O’Connor, Taylor Phillips, Mika Janzen, Maddy Walters, Taryn Desmarais and Ishana Debba were scoreless.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded South Surrey Elgin Park Orcas dumped the 10th seeded Port Moody Blues 65-46. The Orcas led 30-19 at the half. Tracy Kocs caught fire for the Blues finishing the third with 19 points. Meagan Beckler scored a layup as the buzzer sounded to cut the Orcas lead to 46-37 going into the fourth quarter. Kendra Asleson paced Elgin Park with 24 points and 16 boards. Sarah Allison added 16 and Jess Frans 6, along with 10 boards. Jordyn Newman scored 6, Sally Hillier 6, Elle Kerfoot 4 and Chantelle Martin 3, while Sandy Hwu, Jayne Alexander, Stacey Graham, Tori Spangehl and Natalie Hadikin were scoreless. Tracy Kocs paced Port Moody with 26. Lauren Fitzpatrick added 7, Genelle Pietramala 5, Carolyn Deady 4 and Meagan Beckler 4, while Gabby Alvero, Kali Ekeli, Katherine Zie, Marta Biernacki and Tina Gulbertson were scoreless.
In the semis, the 2nd-seeded South Surrey Elgin Park Orcas dumped the 3rd-seeded North Vancouver Handsworth Royals 63-49. Kristen Leigh came out hot hitting three treys in the first quarter as the Royals built a 16-10 lead and then extended it to 34-22 at the half. Elgin Park went on a 15-2 run to start the third to pull within one with just under five minutes to go in the quarter. Jordyn Newman scored 10 points in the third to give the Orcas a 46-43 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Orcas completely dominated the fourth. Bethan Chalke was chosen player of the game for Handsworth, while Kendra Asleson earned the laurels for Elgin Park. Kendra Asleson paced Elgin Park with 24 on 12-14 from the floor, 10 boards and 5 steals. Jess Frans added 15 on 6-13 from the floor, 3-5 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Jordyn Newman scored 10 on 4-9 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 4 boards and 4 assists. Elle Kerfoot scored 7 on 3-8 from the floor, 5 assists and 4 steals. Sally Hillier added 2 and Chantelle Martin 1, while Sandy Hsu, Jayne Alexander, Stacey Graham, Tori Spangehl, Sarah Allison and Natalie Hadikin were scoreless. The Orcas shot 26-53 (.491) from the floor, 2-10 from the arc and 9-18 from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 19 assists, 20 turnovers, 2 blocks and 12 steals. Bethan Chalke paced Handsworth with 22 on 9-13 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 6 boards. Kristin Leigh added 13 on 4-14 from the floor, 3-11 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Jess Barnett scored 6 on 3-5 from the floor and 7 boards. Kris Young notched 5 on 2-11 from the floor, 6 boards and 2 steals. Diana Lee scored 3 on 1-10 from the floor, while Carli Saunders, Lana Rockhill, Kat Stein, Blake Finucane and Emma Watson were scoreless. The Royals hit 19-55 (.345) from the floor, 4-18 (.222) from the arc and 7-10 from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 13 assists, 19 turnovers, 2 blocks and 8 steals.
In the other semi, the top-seeded Port Coquitlam Riverside Rapids stomped the 4th-seeded Chilliwack Tillicums 78-59. Riverside suffered a huge scare when point guard Stephanie Carkner went down grabbing her knee after a breakaway and never returned to the game with just over a minute into the first quarter. Kristina Collins took over the point and kept her squad in the game by scoring eight points before the first quarter ended with a 21-17 advantage for Riverside. Collins was chosen player of the game for Riverside, while Nicole Wierks earned the laurels for Chilliwack. Carly Butcher paced the Rapids with 29 points on 13-25 from the floor, 3-10 from the line and 12 boards. Kristina Collins added 22 on 7-16 from the floor, 5-10 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 9 boards, 9 assists and 8 steals. Lauren Rieu scored 18 on 6-13 from the floor, 6-6 from the line, 6 boards and 4 assists. Karla Josefson added 5, Emily Sall 2 and Nicola Hitchcock 2, along with 7 boards. Ashley Armstrong, Stephanie Carkner, Hayley Dwyer and Taryn Buchannon were scoreless. Riverside hit 30-73 (.411) from the floor, 6-18 from the arc and 12-20 (.600) from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 20 assists, 22 turnovers and 12 steals. Nicole Wierks paced Chilliwack with 22 on 10-16 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 1-1 from the line and 13 boards. Alexa McCarthy notched 13 on 6-17 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Eliza Kroeze added 9 on 3-5 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 9 boards. Courtney Bartel scored 7 on 2-14 from the floor, 2-9f rom the arc and 1-2 from the line. Lindsay Dekoff added 4 on 2-8 from the floor and 4 steals. Kaitlin Jonk added 2 and Sarah Wierks 2, while Caitlyn Barton, Angela Kooyman, Latishia Blackwater-Russell and Dominique Christian were scoreless. The Storm hit 25-73 (.342) from the floor, 3-19 (.158) from the arc and 6-14 (.429) from the line, while garnering 51 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 15 fouls, 13 assists, 33 turnovers, 4 blocks and 12 steals.
In the bronze medal match, the 3rd-seeded North Vancouver Handsworth Royals pasted the 4th-seeded Chilliwack Tillicums 75-49. Kris Young scored an easy 12 points in the first quarter to give the Royals a 22-11 lead after one quarter. Grade 11 Chilliwack sensation Nicole Wierks, went down injured with three minutes left in the first after scoring the first six Chilliwack points. Wierks tried to return to the game but on the first possession went off limping with a knee injury and never returned. The score after the first half of play was Handsworth 39-23. In her older sisters’ absence Sarah Wierks came in and scored back to back baskets to keep the Storm in the game midway through the third. McCarthy hit a fade away jumper with a minute to go in the third to cut the Royals lead down to 12. With 34.9 seconds left in the quarter, the Storm got the ball back, Courtney Bartel drove the baseline to cut Handsworth’s advantage to 50-40. Kristen Leigh of Handsworth hit a long three a minute and a half into the fourth to extend the lead to 57-40 and the Royals coasted. Kris Young was chosen player of the game for Handsworth, while Alexa McCarthy earned the laurels for Chilliwack. The Royals earned their first medal in nine provincial appearances. “The injuries caused some changes in our rotation and we didn’t adjust well at all,” said Chilliwack coach Joe Ogmundson. “It kind of rattled us and we didn’t recover until the third quarter.” Handsworth coach Scott Palmer said of grade 10 forward Kris Young “She’s got bad flu, she didn’t feel great again today, but I said to her, ‘You’ve got to come and have a game for us tonight and she had a game. I’m so happy for the kids. It’s so hard to play the 3-4 game. We got up early in the game and just didn’t let Chilliwack get back into it. We let Elgin get back into [Friday] night and we talked about that.” Chilliwack showed some life late in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 50-40 at the break, but Handsworth opened the fourth on a 9-0 run capped by a pair of Young hoops. “I never like to use injuries as an excuse,” Ogmundson said. “But we were beat up. Alexa’s ankle was about 50 per cent, and (Nicole) Wierks missed almost all of the Handsworth game with a wobbly knee she’s going to have to get looked at. (Lindsay) Dekoff missed most of the first half with a split eyebrow that required stitches and we had a couple other smaller things.” The spate of injuries forced Storm reserves to play more minutes in roles they weren’t overly familiar with, and the Royals took full advantage. Handsworth torched CSS from beyond the arc, draining 5-12 from three-point land and out-rebounding the locals 51-45. “They came out a little more ready to play,” Ogmundson said. “We would have liked more and there are some regrets because of the health issues. But I think it was a fair result. We’re the fourth best team in the province, and that’s probably where we should be. Anyone who knew me a few years ago, and saw the way my teams reacted in those days — I think I’ve learned some things. That sportsmanship award is voted on by the referees, and I’m particularly proud to have won that.” Kris Young paced Handsworth with 24 on 11-22 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 10 boards and 3 steals. Kristin Leigh added 20 on 8-19 from the floor and 4-10 from the arc. Diana Lee scored 10 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 6 assists and 5 steals. Bethan Chalke added 10 on 5-13 from the floor and 12 boards. Lana Rockhill scored 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Jess Barnett added 2 on 1-6 from the floor and 9 boards. Carli Saunders scored 2, while Kat Stein, Blake Finucane and Emma Watson were scoreless. The Royals shot 31-18 (.383) from the floor, 5-12 (.417) from the arc and 8-10 from the line, while garnering 51 boards, including 22 on the offensive glass, 12 fouls, 14 assists, 11 turnovers, 1 block and 14 steals. Alexa McCarthy paced Chilliwack with 20 points on 7-14 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 5-10 from the line. Sarah Wierks added 10 on 4-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the line and 9 boards. Nicole Wierks notched 6 on 3-7 from the floor. Kaitlin Jonk added 4, Courtney Bartel 4, Eliza Kroeze 3 and Lindsay DeKoff 2, while Caitlyn Barton, Angela Kooyman, Latishia Blackwater-Russell and Dominique Christian were scoreless. The Storm hit 19-63 (.302) from the floor, 1-12 (.083) from the arc and 10-17 (.588) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 11 fouls, 11 assists, 24 turnovers, 5 blocks and 5 steals.
In the final, the 2nd-seeded South Surrey Elgin Park Orcas edged the top-seeded Port Coquitlam Riverside Rapids 71-67 in overtime. The Rapids led 14-11 after one quarter and Lauren Rieu scored back to back buckets with just under three minutes to go to extend the lead to 30-22 with 2:11 left in the half. Elle Kerfoot hit a trey with under a minute left to rally the Orcas within 30-26 at the half. Elgin Park came out of halftime hungry for a win as they jumped to an early 43-36 lead before Rieu hit back to back threes and Nicola Hitchcock got fouled and went to the line to hit one. Carly Butcher scored a layup off of a nice feed from Collins to tie it at 45 with two minutes to go. Karla Josefson hit a three to put the Rapids up 49-47. The Orcas received four points from Kendra Asleson late in the quarter to tie the game at 49-49 at the end of three. Jordyn Newman scored four straight to give the Orcas a 55-51 lead but the Rapids would not go away and tied the game at 55 with less than five minutes to play in the game. Rieu went to the free throw line, made two and put the Rapids up 57-55. Back to back baskets by Butcher gave Riverside a 61-57 lead with just under two minutes to go in the game. Elle Kerfoot made two really nice passes to Asleson and Franz for two quick lay ups to tie the game at 61 with one minute to go in the game. Kerfoot had a chance to win the game after a steal, but missed and the game went into overtime. Butcher scores within the first 15 seconds of overtime to give the Rapids the slight lead 63-61. Asleson and Franz score easy lay ups inside to give the Orcas a 69-67 lead with 38.7 seconds left. Orca Chantelle Martin hit 1 of 2 with under 10 seconds left to give the Orcas a 70-67 lead. Josefson missed her three and the game ended. Elle Kerfoot was chosen player of the game for Elgin Park, while Lauren Rieu earned the laurels for Riverside. “I love this team,” said Seattle-U bound point guard Elle Kerfoot. “We lost four times to them, but we knew we were getting close. There was no doubt in my mind we could beat them. We won the game that mattered.” Kerfoot had a chance to win it for her team in regulation after stealing the ball from Riverside’s Kristina Collins. But her desperation shot at the buzzer was slightly off target. In the five-minute overtime, the Rapids took an early 67-63 advantage only to have the Orcas battle back to take the lead on consecutive baskets by Kendra Asleson, Chantelle Martin and Jess Franz. The Rapids had an opportunity to tie it in the dying seconds, but Karla Josefson’s three-point attempt from the corner failed to connect. It was the first provincial AAA girls’ title for Elgin Park. “I said all year the teams were close,” said Elgin Park coach Stu Graham. “They’ve got a bunch of players I’d love to have on my team and I’m sure they feel the same way about us.” Both teams were playing with roster limitations Saturday. The Orcas have gone the whole season with a group of just seven players. And the Rapids were hampered in the final by the absence of their starting point guard Stephanie Carkner, who injured a knee in her team’s semifinal victory over Chilliwack. It was the only loss of the season for the Rapids to a Canadian school. Riverside went 40-2 overall with the only other defeat at the hands of Riverdale of Tennessee in a game played in Arizona. “We played them five times and lost once,” said Rapids head coach Paul Langford. “It was an emotional thing that happened, losing Stephanie. But Asleson [who was chosen tourney MVP] was really good for them. I’m proud as heck of my players. I wouldn’t trade this season for anything.” Graham hopes his team’s win might convince more girls in his school of approximately 1,100 students to turn out for basketball. “Nothing but good can come out of this,” he said. It was the Orcas’ first win in five attempts against the top-ranked Port Coquitlam team during the season. “You’ve always got to beat the best in order to win it all – that’s the way you want it, and the girls wanted to win, and they wanted to do it (against) Riverside,” Elgin Park coach Stu Graham said. “I’ve said all along that the two teams are pretty well-matched, and even though we lost four against them, I never thought that there was a huge difference between the two teams. Going into the finals, I told the girls that I liked our chances.” There were as many as 10 lead changes in the final. “They took as good lead on us early, and we weren’t playing that well, but we came out really strong in the second half,” Graham said. Down four at halftime, the Orcas began the second half with a 17-4 run, a commanding lead that lasted until Riverside drained a pair of three-point shots to pull the game back into reach. “We were in good control at that point, and I thought maybe we’d start to pull away, but then Riverside came back and hit a couple threes, and were right back in it,” said Graham. Asleson “was amazing – she was just a monster out there. She had a double-double in every game, and was incredible on the boards for us. I told the girls after the semifinals that I was extremely proud of them. With only seven players, they’ve showed a lot of grit and heart all year – they’ve all worked very hard.” Luckily for the under-staffed Orcas, they avoided serious injuries – not counting Tori Spangehl, who missed the entire season after being injured during the summer. On the injury front, it was revealed after the tournament that Kerfoot had played the final two months of the season with a serious injury to her right hand, suffered when she fell to the court during January’s Top 10 Shootout in Coquitlam. “Whether it was broken or fractured or what, it’s a bad spot to get hurt,” Graham explained. “She made a lot of left-hand passes, and two-hand passes, after that, but it was just kind of our team secret – we kept it to ourselves. Elle’s a warrior though. She’s a very special player; I’ve coached her since she was in Grade 2, and I’m sad I won’t get to anymore. Without her, we wouldn’t have had a chance.” “You win some, you lose some,” said Rapids forward Carley Butcher. “We played them five times this year and lost to them once but I guess we lost when it counted. Everyone is taking [the loss] differently. It will take a while for some of us to get over it… I am trying to focus on what a successful season (40-2) we had.” The Rapids grade 11 guard Kristina Collins had to fill in for Carkner in the final. “We had an emotional thing with Stephanie getting hurt,” said coach Paul Langford. “But I am really proud with how the girls responded. I am a proud Riverside coach today.” Rieu said “I tried my best to play hard and leave everything on the court- We played really hard.” Kendra Asleson paced Elgin Park with 22 on 10-15 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 14 boards and 6 steals. Jess Franz added 20 on 9-15 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 17 boards and 4 assists. Jordyn Newman scored 11 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Chantelle Martin scored 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Elle Kerfoot scored 6 on 2-13 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3 boards, 9 assists and 3 steals. Sarah Allison added 3, while Sandy Hsu, Jayne Alexander, Stacey Graham, Sally Hillier, Tori Spangehl and Natalie Hadikin were scoreless. The Orcas hit 29-67 (.433) from the floor, 7-16 (.438) from the arc and 6-12 from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 18 assists, 26 turnovers, 2 blocks and 13 steals. Lauren Rieu paced Riverside with 27 on 11-16 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Carly Butcher added 23 on 10-33 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 10 boards. Kristina Collins scored 8 on 3-14 from the floor, 1-8 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Taryn Buchannon scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc. Karla Josefson scored 3 and Nicola Hitchcock 1, while nabbing 10 boards and dishing 4 assists. Ashley Armstrong, Stephanie Carkner, Hayley Dwyer and Emily Sall were scoreless. The Rapids hit 27-78 (.346) from the floor, 5-23 (.217) from the arc and 8-14 (.571) from the line, while garnering 49 boards, including 22 on the offensive glass, 15 fouls, 22 turnovers, 2 blocks and 9 steals.
The bronze medalist North Vancouver Handsworth Royals: Diana Lee; Carli Saunders; Kris Young; Lana Rockhill; Jess Barnett; Kat Stein; Bethan Chalke; Kristin Leigh; Blake Finucane; Emma Watson; coach Scott Palmer
The silver medalist Port Coquitlam Riverside Rapids: Ashley Armstrong; Stephanie Carkner; Hayley Dwyer; Lauren Rieu; Taryn Buchannnon; Kristina Collins; Emily Sall; Karla Josefson; Nicola Hitchcock; Carly Butcher; coach Paul Langford
The gold medalist Surrey Elgin Park Orcas: Sandy Hsu; Jayne Alexander; Elle Kerfoot; Stacey Graham; Sally Hillier; Kendra Asleson; Tori Spangehl; Chantelle Martin; Jess Franz; Sarah Allison; Jordyn Newman; Natalie Hadikin; coach Stu Graham