In the wildcard game, the Winnipeg Kildonan East Reivers nipped the Winnipeg Miles Macdonell Buckeyes 51-49 in overtime. Jose Dalmonte hit a baseline jumper with 23 seconds to play to overtime and then hit two free throws and a bucket in the extra time to lead the Reivers to the win. The Buckeyes led 25-22 at the half. Dalmonte, who scored 6, told the Winnipeg Free Press that he had been cold in the first half. “But that was my shot.” Bruce Kreitz led the Reivers with 12. Rui DaCosta added 9. Adrian Goulay led the Buckeyes with 14. Mike Ifill added 13.
In the opening round: …………………………………………………… The Winnipeg Tec Voc Hornets defeated the Winnipeg Kildonan East Reivers 82-57 as Dwayne Trickett drilled 22 and Steve Berg 13. Steve Fletcher and Bruce Kreitz each scored 9 for the Reivers. The Reivers also included Rick DaCosta, Rui DaCosta, Cam Moskall, Raymond Richmond. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings crushed the 15th-seeded Winnipeg Grant Park Pirates 84-68 as Dave Nackoney scored 26. Armin Mojica led the Pirates with 29. …………………………………………………… The Winnipeg Daniel McIntyre Maroons clubbed the Winnipeg Pierre Radisson Raiders 97-24. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Winnipeg Mennonite Brethren Hawks clipped the 10th-seeded Winnipeg Fort Richmond Centurions 75-68. The Centurions included Ian Foster, Chris Balharry, John Hussin, David Huston. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Dakota Lancers dusted the 9th-seeded Brandon Crocus Plains Plainsmen 77-66. “They got off to a good start and they really pounded us on the boards,” Plainsmen coach Dwight Kearns told the Brandon Sun. “They’ve improved a lot since we played them last. They look as good as any team we’ve seen.” Dave Malowski paced the Plainsmen with 22. Scott Draper added 17. The Plainsmen (coached by Dwight Kearns, assisted by Don Thomson) also included Jeff Smith, Jamie Newman, Garry Fleury, Todd Nystedt, Mike Stark, Curt Slawinsky, Garth Thomson, Wally Slomiany and Kevin Brugger. …………………………………………………… The Winnipeg Westwood Warriors clipped the Selkirk Lord Selkirk Regional Royals 74-64. “We were in a position to win the game,” having narrowed the lead to three with two minutes to play, said Royals coach Peter Gerbrandt told the Selkirk Journal. “But we ran out of gas.” Steve McMillan led the Royals with 16. Darren Drummond added 14. The Royals (coached by Peter Gerbrandt) also included Bill Johanson, Rick Chartrand, Dean Burnett, Barry Moroz, Rob Drummond, Jason Sutherland, Dale Iwanoczko and Bob Moroz. …………………………………………………… The Winnipeg Vincent Massey Trojans clipped the Winnipeg Oak Park Raiders 59-54 despite trailing 27-25 at the half. Mark Kalinowski paced the Trojans with 25. Keith Nielson added 13. Tim Madder led the Raiders with 15. The Raiders also included Doug Adams, Grant Statina. …………………………………………………… The Winnipeg St. John’s Pipers stomped the Winnipeg Murdoch McKay Clansmen 94-64. The Clansmen included Peter Babb, Geoff White, David Roberts.
In the quarterfinals, the 5th-seeded Winnipeg Tec Voc Hornets defeated the 4th-seeded Winnipeg Vincent Massey Trojans 75-65 as Ron Burley scored 25. Dwayne Trickett added 16 and Kip Davidson 13. The Trojans were led by 23 from Mark Kalinowsky and 13 from Mike Pauls. Ted Voc coach Joe Di’Curzio was happy for Burley, who was playing his last game. “We really rose to the challenge. It’s his last home game and he didn’t want to go out a loser,” he told the Winnipeg Free Press. The Trojans (coached by Jerry Hildebrand and Frank Wilson) also included Gary McIntosh, Glen McCombe, Grant Wainikka, David Sommerfeld, Scott Cairns, Nick Janzen.
The 2nd-seeded Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings edged the Winnipeg Mennonite Brethren Hawks 52-50 in overtime. The Vikings entered the semis with a (28-1) record. Hawks coach Ken Opalko told the Brandon Sun that “we were within one basket of finishing them off. You could see it in their eyes.” On home-court and leading by 10 points midway through the third quarter, the Hawks folded down the stretch, allowing the Vikings to knot the score at 48 and force overtime. “My teams play a lot like I did,” said Opalko. We simply have to attack the basket whatever the situation.” Viking Dave Nackoney said “when they were up by 10, I figured they’d hang onto the ball.” Nackoney paced the Vikings with 20. Rob Derksen, Lloyd Letkeman and Phil Penner each added 8. Richard Klassen led the Hawks with 20. Nackoney and Ard Biesheuvel combined for 22 rebounds and left Mennonite Brethren with a limited number of second shots. Letkeman’s three long baseline jumpers and a layup in the third quarter came after the Vikings went scoreless for five minutes. Penner said “if we pass the ball five or six times every possession, we usually can those 15-footers. But if we pass once like we were (against Mennonite Brethren), we usually miss. We were out of our normal rhythm.” The overtime ended on an unusual play. Inbounding the ball near centre court with one second left, Massey’s Biesheuvel lobbed the ball trying to hit Letkeman. The Hawks’ Jason Friesen yanked Letkeman back by the shirt tails, grabbed the pass and heaved a desperation shot into the basket as the buzzer sounded. No foul was called, but referee Larry Hayes ruled that the shot was not in time. A moment later the call was changed to a baseline foot violation on Friesen. Opalko agreed with the final verdict, whatever the call. “I thought there was a foul,” he said. “It was also an awfully long final second.” The Hawks also included Dave Bergmann.
The 6th-seeded Winnipeg Westwood Warriors dispatched the 3rd-seeded Winnipeg St. John’s Tigers 81-69. The Tigers (coached by Rick Horaska) included Mike Radchenka, Len Furber, Larry Wandowich, Wayne Antonishin, Tony Selk, Jamie Jolly, Rick Lavallee, Chester Jordan.
In the last quarterfinal, the top-seeded Winnipeg Daniel McIntyre Maroons clubbed the Winnipeg Dakota Lancers 71-54. The Lancers (coached by Gene Walker) included Mark Morton, Terry Wilson, Gord Walker, Joel Walker, Chris Ward, Jim Modjeski.
In the semis, the 5th-seeded Winnipeg Tec Voc Hornets defeated the top-seeded Winnipeg Daniel McIntyre Maroons 61-59 as Jamie Youd hit a pair of free throws with two seconds on the clock. A videotape replay on the call indicated that Youd had not been fouled by Daniel McIntyre’s Dean Saunders. The Maroons had beaten the Hornets three times during the season. “After you’re lost three times to a team, you’re either going to quite or put out your best effort,” said Hornets coach Joe Di’Curzio. “I’m sure my guys aren’t going to quit,” he said, adding that Jamie Youd and Ron Burley would have to rebound. Tec Voc entered the semis with a (24-10) record the worst of the all the semi-finals. The Maroons were up 30-26 at the half, but Tec Voc took control in the second. DiCurzio said he was sure the Hornets chances were lost when forward Ron Burley fouled out with six minutes to play and guard Conrad Beck fouled out with four to play. “Those are two of our best players. We were left with basically rookies out there and they came in and did a super job.” Youd finished with 19 points and got to the line after forcing a turnover with 11 seconds to go and being fouled by Dean Saunders. The Hornets were 14 of 18 from the line, while the Maroons were 13-of29. Tec Voc won the battle of the boards 38-30. Dwayne Trickett added 14 for Tec Voc. Dean Saunders led the Maroons with 16. Carlito Vasquez added 14.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings defeated the 6th-seeded Winnipeg Westwood Warriors 72-63. The Vikings took an early 17-point lead but Westwood rallied to within 40-37 at the half. Forward Dave Nackoney led the Vikings with 24. Lloyd Letkeman added 20 and Rob Derksen 18. Winnipeg Westwood was paced by Chad McKay 23, Todd Danny 14 and Paul Bryant 11. “I had been quietly concerned about our losing composure during the last few games we’ve played,” Massey coach Dan Rajnovich told the Brandon Sun. “We started rushing things again (allowing Westwood to rally). So it was a good thing the half came when it did.” The Vikings hit 54% from the field as Nackoney dominated the paint and Lloyd Letkeman was hot from the perimeter. “Lloyd really tore it up against their man-to-man (defence),” said Nackoney. “We expected that from Westwood to start but once they got behind, I didn’t think they’d stick with it.” Derksen said “with a man-to-man, they didn’t have anyone to stop Dave. It was that simple.” The Vikings iced it at the line, including 8-9 by Nackoney down the stretch.
In the final, the 5th-seeded Winnipeg Tec Voc Hornets defeated the 2nd-seeded Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings 57-52 to become the third squad to repeat as provincial champs. “This is the sweetest ever for me,” Hornets guard Ron Burley told the Winnipeg Free Press. “We just kept getting the ball into Jamie (Youd). We were also hoping to get Dave Nackoney into trouble and that worked well for us.” Coach Joe Di’Curzio said the biggest difference was stopping Nackoney and the Vikings inside game. “Youd played great. Burley was great inside and that was the difference. Plus, we played some great defence. Ron Burley scored 23, Jamie Youd 21. Nackoney led the Vikings with 19 on 8-12 from the floor. Phil Penner added 13 and Rob Derksen 13. “Nackoney is just too good to play one-on-one like Westwood did the other night. The idea for us was to use a zone (defence) and try to get him foul trouble,” DiCurzio told the Brandon Sun. With two and sometimes three defenders converging on Nackoney, the Hornets built 23-16, 33-20 and 42-33 leads at the quarters. “I’ve been expecting teams to go zone on us all year,” Massey coach Dan Rajnovich told the Brandon Sun. “I can’t believe Dave got 19 points the way they (Tec Voc) were collapsing on him.” A Nackoney three-point play rallied the Vikings to within 38-33. But none of the Vikings appeared willing to shoot the ball down the stretch, said Rajnovich. “They wanted to give it to Dave every time. We didn’t get to the final playing like that.” When Nackoney fouled out with 1:32 to play, it was game over. “We’ve come back from 10 points down before,” Letkeman said. “But with Dave out, our slim chance to win was gone.” The Vikings outshot the Hornets 47%-41%.
The all-tournament team featured: MVP Jamie Youd (Tec Voc); Ron Burley (Tec Voc); Dean Saunders (Daniel McIntyre); Chad McKay (Westwood); Rob Derksen (Brandon Vincent Massey); and David Nackoney (Brandon Vincent Massey)
The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Daniel McIntyre Maroons: Dean Saunders; Carlito Vasquez; Peter Srdolius; John Kaplanis; John Carlisle; coach Ken Kelsch; coach Duane Brothers
The co-bronze medalist Winnipeg Westwood Warriors: Chad McKay; Todd Danny; Paul Bryant; Trent Bowman; Paul Bryant; coach Dave Guss
The silver medalist Brandon Vincent Massey Vikings: Rob Duerksen; David Nackoney; Lloyd Letkeman; Phil Penner; Ard Biesheuvel; Bill Haycock; Glen Campbell; Lyall Krahn; Rolf Pippert; David Jaddock; coach Dan Rajnovich; assistant Don Jackson
The gold medalist Winnipeg Tec Voc Hornets: Jamie Youd; Ron Burley; Conrad Beck; Dwayne Trickett; June Millan; Julius Eugene; Kip Davidson; coach Joe Di’Curzio