1998-99 Thunder Bay – uSports women

(1)	Victoria	65
(8)	Concordia	43	Victoria	58
(4)	New Brunswick	87	New Brunswick	46	Victoria	46
(5)	McMaster	80
							—–ALBERTA
(2)	Regina	48
(7)	Laurentian	51	Laurentian	48	Alberta	54
(3)	Alberta	65	Alberta	55
(6)	Manitoba	57

       In the quarterfinals, held at Lakehead’s Thunderdome in Thunder Bay, the top-seeded Victoria Vikings thrashed the 8th-seeded Concordia 65-43. Both teams started sluggishly, with Victoria trying to outrun the Stingers. Victoria was ahead 36-22 at the half and took total command in the second frame. Player of the game Janet McLachlan scored 16 points and had 12 rebounds to lead the Vikings. Kim Johnson added 12 and Lily Blair 9 points, along with 10 rebounds. Victoria’s size proved too much for Concordia to handle in the paint. Victoria out-rebounded the Stingers 44-23 and blocked three Concordia shots. Marie-Helene Heroux led Concordia with 11 points and 9 rebounds. Heroux, suffering from a knee injury incurred in the Quebec final against Laval, hit a mere 4-14 from the floor. Stingers coach Keith Pruden said Vic “outplayed us. They played like the defending national champions. They were all over us defensively, and especially on the boards.” The value to his young team, Pruden said, was that “we saw how things should be done. They were solid and played great fundamental basketball.” Vikes coach Kathy Shields told the Victoria Times-Colonist that “we had a strong game and we were in control throughout. … The first game is always difficult, not only the first game for your team, but the first game of the tournament. It takes a while for both teams to get into a rhythm. I think we’ve still got a little bit of jet lag. But we’ve got a lot of depth so we were able to work through it.” The Vikes played without guard Joanna Holdsworth, who spent the night in hospital with either food poisoning or the flu. The Stingers hit 18-60 (.258) from the floor. “They massacred us on the boards,” Pruden said. “The spread in the game was because they got second and third shots and they also got some easy shots in transition. And we got nothing on the boards.” Shields noted that McLachlan was “outstanding for us. She came off the bench and was very strong on the boards. Kim had a very good offensive game, probably her best in the last month.”

       The 4th-seeded New Brunswick Varsity Reds defeated the 5th-seeded McMaster Marauders 87-80. The Reds opened the scoring with a basket from Charlene Woolaver and made it 4-0 before McMaster got into the game on a Jackie White trey. UNB opened up a 14-5 lead after five minutes before McMaster rallied to knot the score at 14. The teams traded the lead through the remainder of the half until UNB built a late 39-33 lead. But McMaster responded with six unanswered points and eventually built a 49-45 lead at the half. McMaster maintained a slim lead over the first five minutes of the second half and gradually extended their edge to 77-65 with just over seven minutes to play. But the Reds suddenly came to life and rallied to knot the score at 78 with three minutes to play when Jill Leblanc drilled a trey. They took an 80-78 lead with 1:39 on the clock and Bonny Munn iced the win at the line. The Reds dominated the paint, while McMaster gunned from the perimeter. UNB hit 15-18 from the line in the second half. Leblanc said that “our team has lots of heart and we never gave up, even when things looked bad and that says a lot for our team.” Player of the game Laura Swift led UNB with 21. Lynn Robertson added 18, Charlene Woolaver 15, Shelley Ryan 10, Bonny Munn 10 on 8-10 from the line, Jill LeBlanc 8 and Virginia Dickison 3, while Lindsey Myers was scoreless. Kerri Hill and Sarah Cameron each scored 17 for McMaster. Tara Johnson added 10, Danielle Everett 10, Dania Seldentius 7, Taryn Stratten 5, Daniella Chabot 5, Angela Macleod 4, Jackie White 3 and Alana Shaw 2. “At the end, we just focused and became more aggressive in all areas,” Swift told the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal. “On defence, we just picked it up. We are very proud of ourselves that we were able to come back and win a game like this. We are not proud of how we played, but we are proud that we were able to win it. … It was a weird, weird game. The momentum was constantly shifting back and forth.” But the Reds kicked in and didn’t allow a field goal down the stretch until Daniella Chabot hit for two with 12 seconds left on the clock. “This game was against McMaster, it was an ugly win, but we’ll take it,” said Swift. “We will learn from it, make adjustments, but basically forget about it because we have a whole new team in Victoria to prepare for.” Marauders coach Theresa Burns told the Hamilton Spectator that “we did a lot of good things. But we went away from what was working early.”

       The 7th-seeded Laurentian Voyageurs stunned the 2nd-seeded Regina Cougars 51-48. Regina led 30-26 at the half but Laurentian rallied to a 45-42 lead in the second half as both teams went cold. A combination of good defence and poor shooting led to nine minutes of basketball in which just four buckets were scored. With 31.9 seconds on the clock, Regina cut the margin to one but Laurentian’s Stephanie Harrison was fouled on the ensuing play with 13 seconds remaining and hit both free throws to ice the win. Regina missed a three-pointer at the buzzer. Stephanie Harrison led the Voyageurs with 16 points on a perfect 7-7 from the floor and 2-2 from the line, and 2 blocks. Player of the game Karen Vos added 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Medorann Harris led Regina with 10 points. Bree Burgess added 8 points, 8 boards and 6 assists. Regina coach Christine Stapleton noted that “we had six good players all year and none of them showed up tonight. And that’s too bad because usually we have someone pick it up if any others don’t.”

       In the last quarterfinal, the 3rd-seeded wildcard Alberta Pandas defeated the 6th-seeded wildcard Manitoba Bisons 65-57. Rania Burns was chosen game MVP for Alberta after scoring 16 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Jackie Simon added 12 points for Alberta, grabbed 14 rebounds and stole the ball five times. Cathy Butlin scored 18, including 3-7 from the arc, while Sara Armstrong scored 10. Anne Smith led the Bisons with 22, including a buzzer beater to end the first half which brought Manitoba to within one point at 30-29. Manitoba opened the second half with a 10-0 run but the Pandas responded with a 12-2 run of their own and ran off with the victory. Armstrong said the Pandas never got down on themselves, and in fact, the early run by the Bisons served as a wake-up call. “We knew that Anne Smith was going to get her points and she was hot to start the second half. We realized that we had to play her tough and we did a good job from then keeping the ball out of her hands. We changed to a help and recover defence and doubled down on Smith quicker.” Armstrong and Simon both agreed that the turning point of the game was Kirsty Wiebe’s second half three-pointer which keyed their run, at which the Pandas never looked back. A steal and a layup by Butlin with 3:19 remaining in the game sealed the deal, giving the Pandas a 61-48 lead. Wiebe, a fifth-year senior scored only 5 points but was solid on defence, picking up four steals and “taking good care of the ball,” said Pandas coach Trix Baker.

       In the semis, Victoria handled New Brunswick 58-46, proving the old adage that a good defence (Vic’s number one ranked defensive crew in the nation) beats a good offence (UNB’s top ranked firepower). The game was decided on two runs. Victoria opened with a 10-0 run and closed with a 14-3 run. The balanced Victoria attack was led by Megan Dalziel’s 13 points, including 12 in the first half, and 7 rebounds. Kim Johnson added 12, Lindsay Anderson 10 and Lily Blair nabbed 11 rebounds. The Vikings took an early 20-10 lead while UNB tried to establish an inside game but had difficulties once Charlene Woolaver was sent to the bench with her third foul midway through the first half. Vic was ahead 33-26 at the half. UNB rallied to within one in the second half at 44-43 but had difficulties getting over the hump. With three minutes to play and the Reds within four, Kim Johnson nailed a trey that gave the Vikes some breathing space. Still, the game wasn’t settled until the last minute when player of the game Johnson leaned into a three-point shot with the shot clock running down. Her line-drive three put the Vikes up by 4 and seemed to deflate the Reds. Victoria then iced it at the line and a key steal by Lindsay Brooke in the final seconds. “It wasn’t pretty. It was a bullet,” Johnson later said of her critical trey. “The minute I hit it, I took a deep breath. It took a load off everyone’s shoulders.” Johnson added that Brooke’s defence was essential. “We always rely on Lindsay for those key defensive plays. She’s always on us to play tight defence.” Victoria’s hounding defence proved the difference, particularly Blair’s containment of Reds star Laura Swift to 7 points and 6 turnovers. Woolaver fouled out after scoring only 5. Coach Kathy Shields noted the Reds “were averaging around 70 points a game. This was one of their lowest scoring games of the year. Our game plan was to slow them down. They love to run and gun. They never quit.” But defence, rebounding and depth again proved the difference, Shields added. “That’s how we’ve won all year. … It was a tough win. With our depth, we were able to play a lot of players and we were able to wear them down.” Reds coach Joyce Slipp said Victoria’s defence was “very hard. But we missed some open shots early. Defensively, we played well, but offensively, we couldn’t do anything. But I’m proud of them. They never quit. They played hard against a great team.” Lindsay Myers led the Varsity Reds with 12. Lynne Robertson added 10 and Bonny Munn 7.

       In the other semi, Alberta defeated Laurentian 55-48. Jackie Simon was chosen game MVP in a tight defensive struggle. Simon scored 21, including 10 in the first seven minutes. In a battle between star posts, Simon outshone first-team all-Canada Stephanie Harrison, outscoring her 21-10 and out-rebounding her 9-4. She later noted “it was a great battle today and I’m so pleased that we came out of top.” Laurentian coach John Campbell noted that Simon “did a great job. She played very physically and that was something that Stephanie wasn’t able to adjust to.” Alberta started shakily, going 0-8 from beyond the arc. They also hit a mere .290 in the second half. Pandas coach Trix Baker said “we played far from the perfect game, but I’ll take it when we can play ugly and win.” The Pandas out-rebounded Laurentian 41-21, and ripped down 22 offensive rebounds to get a series of second chance points in the paint. Alberta’s bench also proved more effective, Baker said. “Kim (Wyley) played great pulling down some key defensive rebounds. Robyn (Haig) stepped up and Megan Depew had a strong game at the point guard position. They’ve done it all year and they played solid defense. With Cathy (Butlin – 8 points) in foul trouble, Depew’s poise under pressure was important.” Sara Armstrong added 12 for Alberta.

       In the bronze medal match, the New Brunswick Varsity Reds defeated the Laurentian Voyageurs 69-51 as Shelley Ryan scored 19 and Laura Swift 17, along with 8 boards. Lindsay Myers added 10, Lynn Robertson 9, Bonny Munn 7, along with 7 assists, and Charlene Woolaver 6, along with 13 boards. New Brunswick led 54-46 at the half and dominated down the stretch. Stephanie DeSutter paced Laurentian with 12. Shauna Conway added 10.

       In the final, Alberta defeated Victoria 54-46. The teams had met eight times during the season, with Victoria winning six. Predictably, with that kind of familiarity, it was tight defensive affair. The Vikes came out strong, scoring the game’s first five points before Alberta post Jackie Simon began to assert herself in the paint. Although her shots weren’t falling (2-8 from the floor), she snared rebounds like a woman possessed as Alberta moved to a 21-12 lead. Both teams played solid patient offense and tough defence on both sides, with nobody get much in the way of open looks. Alberta led 27-23 at the half. Alberta out-rebounded Victoria 23-14 in the first half with Simon grabbing 8 and scoring six points. Alberta shot .330 from floor while Victoria shot .280 including 2-12 from beyond the arc. The second half was equally a slugfest. With 8:36 to play and the shot clock running down Sara Armstrong hit a baseline jumper to extend Alberta’s lead back to seven. With five minutes to play, Simon blocked one in the paint to stifle a Victoria rally. Still, the Vikes wouldn’t quit. Kim Johnson hit a three-pointer (2-9 on the night) to narrow it to four but Alberta hit their free throws (four by Simon and a pair by Kristy Wiebe) to ice it. Simon finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds. Sara Armstrong scored 13, Butlin 11 and Rania Burns 7 points and 7 rebounds. Kristy Wiebe added 6, Robyn Haig 2 points and 3 offensive rebounds, while Kim Wyley and Megan Depew gave Alberta key defensive intensity off the bench. Janet McLachlan led Victoria with 12 points and 4 rebounds. Kim Johnson scored 8, Lindsay Brooke 7 points and 6 assists, Megan Dalziel 6 points and 8 rebounds, Lily Blair 2 points and 6 boards. Joanna Holdsworth, who missed Victoria’s first two games in the tourney with food poisoning, played only 11 minutes as a starter and had one steal. Lindsay Anderson scored 6 off the bench, Kim Oslund 2 and Lindsay McDonald 3 points and 3 rebs. Emily King played but didn’t score. Alberta out-rebounded the Vikes 42-31, including 16 offensive boards. Sara Armstrong said after the game “it’s all that much sweeter to beat Uvic. We look forward to defending this next year in front of all our great fans.” Simon, chosen player of the game, added that “this is a great feeling. We came in here the underdogs with nothing to lose and we feel great. We came in this year hoping to win, knowing that we had a good team, but deep down we may have thought that this would be a learning experience that could prepare us for next year. But we came out and played hard on defense every game, and took each game one by one. We’re just ecstatic to be champions.” Butlin noted that “we’re so happy that everything we’ve worked for all year has been rewarded. We knew that we could beat Uvic, and we’re thrilled.” Coach Trix Baker said “we play a tough conference schedule every week and that prepared us for this tournament. … A coach can only give words to her players; they are the ones that have to go out and do it. I’ve recruited not only good athletes but good and smart people too. They’re learned from their setbacks and the program was rewarded today. …We have unbelievable fan support, getting over 1,000 per game to our games, when they used to just show up and watch the men. It’ll be great to play in front of them next year.” Before the game, Baker joked that eight was her lucky number. The Pandas were playing Victoria for the 8th time. Number 8 was Jack Simon’s number. Ironically, it would have been Shield’s eighth title but Baker joked, “she can’t have it! Eight is my number.” After the game, Baker noted that “it was a great team effort. We made some big shots. We had the flow going. The starters got some rest, with our bench doing a good job when they got into the game.” Shields noted that “Jackie Simon came to play today. I think, when you play a good team so many times, the law of averages gets you. And Alberta is a good team.” Shields added that “winning the first title is a lot easier than the second. I think our defence let them get away early and we had to play catchup. We also gave them too many second shots.” Guard Rania Burns said “I think this is the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. What better way to go out than to know you’re a national champion.” Post Jackie Simon added that “it’s just unbelievable. Since the begging of the season, we worked so hard for this, as every other team has but we’re just so happy. To lose six or seven games to (Victoria) and to finally come out on top in the most important game is the best feeling.” Vikes coach Kathy Shields said Simon’s work on the boards was exceptional. “You can only play a good team so many times without the law of averages catching up to you. They’re a very good team and I thought they played very well today. They played much better than we did at both ends of the court and really controlled the boards.” Baker said “I thought Jackie did an unbelievable job on the boards. She’s very cool underneath. She just helps the rest of the team do what they want to do. … You have to believe within your organization that you can do it and I think they really did believe and when you believe, you just go out and play.”

       The all-tourney team featured: MVP Jackie Simon (Alberta); Laura Swift (New Brunswick); Bonnie Munn (New Brunswick); Janet McLachlan (Victoria); Lindsay Brooke (Victoria); and Sara Armstrong (Alberta)

       The bronze medalist New Brunswick Varsity Reds: Laura Swift; Bonny Munn; Charlene Woolaver; Lynne Robertson; Shelley Ryan; Lindsay Myers; Jill Leblanc; Virginia Dickison; Jill Boucher; Renee Poirier; Ali McGill; Val Jack; Heather Grasman; coach Joyce Slipp

       The silver medalist Victoria Vikings: Lindsay Brooke; Kim Johnson; Lindsay Anderson; Janet McLachlan; Kim Oslund; Megan Dalziel; Lily Blair; Emily King; Cristy Solomon; Joanna Holdsworth; Lindsay McDonald; Kimberley Lobb; coach Kathy Shields

       The champion University of Alberta Pandas: Jackie Simon; Sara Armstrong; Rania Burns; Cathy Butlin; Kristy Wiebe; Kim Wyley; Megan Depew; Robyn Haig; Amanda Smith; Pam Hoyles; Erin Sandusky; Laura Ramsay; Marianee Radmanovich; coach Trix Baker