In the quarterfinals, held in Stirling, the host Lakettes clipped the Wanham Wildcats 30-11 after leading 7-6, 15-8 and 27-13 at the quarters. “I think we just came up flat,” said Stirling coach Kent Wood. “I really feel that, in their own minds, the provincials are kind of anti-climactic after what happened last weekend. Basically, it was the fast break that opened it up in the third quarter. We got a few layups, got a few offensive rebounds and put those it, and that seemed to do it for us. For a period of about five minutes, we played the kind of ball we’re capable of playing, and then we went to sleep again. But there were some positive things that we did. I still felt the girls gave me a good effort. I thought they hustled well. And I thought, at times, we moved the ball well, and when we moved the ball well, we looked good.” Wendy Oler led the Lakettes with 9. Rhonda Hicken added 5. Koreen Tansem paced the Wildcats with 6. Karen Tansem and Leanne Putio each added 4. The Wildcats (coached by Jim Hertzler) also included Kelley Tansem.
The Foremost Forettes dispatched the Vermilion St. Jerome’s Spartans 28-13 after leading 6-3, 16-7 and 21-9 at the quarters. Marcell Kultgen led the Forettes with 14. Kim Wallman added 7. Bev LaBoucane led the Spartans with 5. Delores LaRocque added 4.
The New Norway Spartans stomped the Grassland Panthers 88-12. The Spartans opened with 10 unanswered points and led 16-6, 39-8 and 70-12 at the quarters. Jill Knudsen paced the Spartans with 21. Carla deLeeuw added 20 and Lorna Sharkey 13. Gloria Sworing and Bonita Schreheir each scored 4 to pace the Panthers.
In the last quarterfinal, the Nobleford Noble Central Bladettes edged the Calgary Christian Cougars 35-29. The Cougars led 8-7 after one quarter. The Bladettes led 19-17 at the half and 29-24 after three quarters. Donna Cutforth paced the Bladettes with 13. Mary Anne MacLean added 8. Evonne DeVries led the Cougars with 11. Roxanne Dalberg added 10. The Cougars (coached by Bill Helmos) also included Alice Vegter, Jannette Verveda, Jackie Hielema, Corrine Vegter.
In the semis, the Stirling Lakers stunned the New Norway Spartans 23-22 as Michele Hass scored 10 and Shelley Oxley 6. Jill Knudsen led the Spartans with 8. Carla deLeeuw added 6.
In the other semi, the Nobleford Noble Central Bladettes edged the Foremost Forettes 32-27. The Forettes led 19-12 at the half. Donna Cutforth paced the Bladettes with 10. Kim Wallman led the Forettes with 10.
In the bronze medal match, the New Norway Spartans dusted the Foremost Forettes 52-34 as Carla deLeeuw scored 14 and Michele Mowat 13. The Spartans led 17-13 at the half. Marcell Kultgen led the Forettes with 10. Julie Trace added 9. The Forettes (coached by Glen Magneson) also included Kim Wellman, Maureen Carter, Kathy Young.
In the final, the Nobleford Noble Central Bladettes defeated the Stirling Lakers 29-19 to avenge a loss in the Southwest zone playoffs and confirm a prediction that had been made by Bladettes coach Mel Fletcher after that loss. “I gave them a goal before the game of winning by 10 points, and they met it,” Fletcher said. “I knew if we were tied at
the half, we had the momentum and the experience to beat them. We just played good control ball. All year we just played a slow-down type of game. We just set up the offence and worked on offensive discipline, and that’s what did it. Benita Groten, on rebounding, gave a solid effort tonight. We controlled the boards and Stirling got just one shot each time down the floor. And Shelley Gaskell at guard controlled the play for us. She kept her head throughout the game.” Diane Cutforth paced the Bladettes with 14, despite having fainted a day earlier and missing the semis. Donna Cutforth added 8 and Shelley Gaskell 5. The Bladettes led 15-11 at the half. Rhonda Hicken paced the Lakettes with 7. Wendy Oler added 4 and Michele Hass 4. “Both teams are winners,” said Fletcher. “This just goes to show how strong the south is.”
The bronze medalist New Norway Spartans: Jill Knudsen; Carla deLeeuw; Michele Mowat; Lorna Sharkey;
The silver medalist Stirling Lakettes: Michele Hass; Shelley Oxley; Rhonda Hicken; Wendy Oler; Debbie Kupecz; Sandra Oler; coach Kent Wood
The gold medalist Nobleford Noble Central Bladettes: Benita Groten; Shelley Gaskell; Diane Cutforth; Donna Cutforth; Roxanne Veldhuis; Mary Anne Maclean; coach Mel Fletcher