In the quarterfinals, the 4th-seeded Bridgewater Park View Education Centre Panthers defeated the 5th-seeded host Sackville Kingfishers 64-61 as Jodi Harvey scored 19 and Julie Zinck 17. Tammy Stephen led Sackville with 27. Sara Henneberry added 13. The Kingfishers led 31-30 at the half. The Kingfishers also included Sara Bisson.
The top-seeded Truro Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars dumped the 8th-seeded Dartmouth Prince Andrew Panthers 75-43 as Karen Piers scored 14 and Dale Barkhouse 13. Cobequid led 47-18 at the half. Maclean MacIsaac led the Panthers with 18. The Panthers also included Angela Hamilton, Allison Casey, Dianna Dawling.
The 2nd-seeded Coxheath Riverview Rural Royals dumped the 7th-seeded Dartmouth Spartans 66-48 as Kristen Morrison scored 24 and Lindsay Clarke 13. Kate Wallace led the Spartans with 13. Bridge Brennan added 12. The Spartans also included Carolynn MacLeod, Laura McDonald.
In the last quarterfinal, the 6th-seeded New Waterford Breton Education Centre Bears upset the 3rd-seeded Antigonish Dr. John Hugh Gillis Royals 72-55 as Melissa Foley scored 15 and Kathy MacIsaac 12. Tara Penny led Gillis with 19. Monette Pasher added 15. Breton led 29-25 at the half. The Royals also included Laurie Greene, Melissa Foley, Kathy MacIsaac, Patty Chisholm.
In the semis, the Truro Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars clipped the Bridgewater Park View Education Centre Panthers 58-52. Cobequid led 29-26 at the half and then staved off a late rally. Kari Scott led the Cougars with 18. Karen Piers added 14 and Etta Livingston 14. Coralle Hiltz led the Panthers with 15. Lindsay Lamorre added 10.
In the other semi, the defending champ Coxheath Riverview Rural Royals whipped the New Waterford Breton Education Centre Bears 86-56 in an all-Cape Breton matchup as Kathleen Culligan scored 23, Jody Peters 15 and Tara Travis 14. Monette Pasher led the Bears with 15.
In the bronze medal match, 4th-seeded Bridgewater Park View Education Centre Panthers defeated the 6th-seeded New Waterford Breton Education Centre Bears 64-51 as Jodi Harvey scored 20. Monette Pasher led Breton with 15. The Bears (coached by Karl MacNeil and Robert White) also included Jenny Timmon, Tammy Durdle, Lindsay Macleod, Aliesha Peckham, Cora MacDonald, Darlene O’Brien, Chantel Reid, Laurie MacGibbon, Sasha MacKinnon, Nadina Kezel, Melissa MacCormick, Lynn MacIntyre and Tara Penney.
In the final, the top-seeded Truro Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars defeated the 2nd-seeded Coxheath Riverview Rural Royals 68-57. Cougar Etta Livingston told the Halifax Daily News that the team was determined to avenge a loss in the 1995 final. “We really wanted to beat Riverview. That gave us more, really, to go get it. They took it away from us last year.” The Cougars ripped off a 10-3 run to break open a 12-12 tie and then built a 37-25 lead at the half. Livingston hit the first bucket of the second half and it appeared the game was over. But the Royal, led by the shooting of Lindsay Clarke, who scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half, countered with a 13-6 run to rally within 43-38. They eventually cut Cobequid’s lead to 54-52 with four minutes to play. Livingston hit a bucket and then Karen Piers drove the lane and whipped the ball to Kari Scott for a baseline jumper and nailed four free throws down the stretch to ice it. She later said the misses were running through her mind. “But I had a couple of teammates say cute things like ‘fingers’ and that’s what I have to do. I just concentrated on technique.” Piers finished with 24 points. Kari Scott added 14. During Riverview’s comeback, Cougars coach Mike MacKay said “all I was thinking was we just had to get back into our offence. We were standing around on offence and letting them do what they wanted on defence. But that happens in games. You have ups and downs. You just have to make your peaks higher than your valleys are low.” Cobequid finished (40-0) on the season. Riverview coach Ron Shaw said Piers took over the game. “We just lost to a better team today with the best player in the province.” Shaw added that his troops warranted his praise. “Two weeks ago, I don’t think too many people gave us much of a chance to be here. We knew we had to work harder. We had to prove ourselves and I think we proved we’re just as good as any other team. Cobequid is a tough team. They’ve been tough all year. But we knew we had an excellent chance.” The Cougars finished 40-0 on the campaign.
The bronze medalist Bridgewater Park View Education Centre Panthers: Lindsay LaMoore; Jodi Harvey; Coralee Hiltz; Lindsay Lamorre; Julie Zinck;
The silver medalist Coxheath Riverview Rural Royals: Kristen Morrison; Jody Peters; Kathleen Culligan; Tara Travis; Lindsay Clarke;
The gold medalist Truro Cobequid Educational Centre Cougars: Karen Piers; Etta Livingston; Kari Scott; Dale Barkhouse; Janet Aucoin; Janet Benedict; Nicole Phipps; Kathy MacNeil; Deborah Burns; Amanda Dowe; Suzanne LeBlanc; Jill MacPhee; Jaclyn Smith; Angela Wright; Jill MacPhee; Nicole MacPhee; Kathy Mackay; coach Mike MacKay; assistant Goreham