REGULAR SEASON
| Victoria | 18-2 | 31-3 | Kathy Shields | ||||||
| Alberta | 14-6 | 21-13 | Trix Baker | ||||||
| Calgary | 13-7 | 17-14 | Shawnee Harle | ||||||
| U.B.C. | 9-11 | 13-15 | Debbie Huband | ||||||
| Saskatchewan | 4-16 | 4-26 | Tracey Bowie | ||||||
| Lethbridge | 2-18 | 6-24 | Dori Johnson | ||||||
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Lethbridge Pronghorns: Carla Johnson, Alex Young, Corian Dixon, Aliesha Romeril, Patti Balderson, Krista Robson, Angie Chivers, Melissa Metz, Natalie Hudec, Crystal Kain, Susan Hawley, coach Dori Rodzinyak
Saskatchewan Huskies: Lesley Peacock, Tanya Price, Claire Dore, Sandra Anderson, Kim Grant, Carla Puetz, Mer Marghetti, Reanne Levson, Angela Farber, Tanya Schmolke, Jennifer Harder, Jacqueline Lavallee, Kathleen Murphy, coach Tracey Bowie
In the semis, Victoria defeated U.B.C. 70-51; 68-61 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Lisa Koop scores 27 and dishes out 7 assists to lead Victoria past UBC 70-51. …………………………………………………… In game two, Victoria defeats UBC 68-61.
In the other semi, Calgary defeated Alberta 67-83; 70-67; 72-69 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta defeated Calgary 83-67 as Jackie Simon scored 20 and grabs 13 boards. Rania Burns added 20, Cathy Butlin 13 and Kristin Johns 13. Leighann Doan paced the Dinnies with 16 points and 12 boards. Starting Calgary point guard was sidelined early with a knee injury. The Pandas led 42-34 at the half. In the post-game interviews, Pandas coach Trix Baker mused about playing her troops in the conference final. Burns fretted about game two. “They’re not going to come out and play the same way. They’re mad. I know they are because I could see on their faces. And I don’t expect Leighann Doan to have the same kind of game. What Doan did is get a little frustrated. We were physical with her and it got to her. She’s an aggressive competitor and she will not lie down and die.” Calgary coach Shawnee Harle said “we beat ourselves with too many unforced errors and we need to play better defence.” Baker said “we passed the ball around and distributed the ball and if someone was closer to the basket, we got them the ball. It was just a great team effort. They worked really hard and Rania did a really good job on Doan. In the second half, it was picturesque a lot of the times with our ball reversal. We hit all the open shots that we got and you have to do that. Good teams hit open shots and that’s what we’re going to have to do if we want to go any further.” …………………………………………………… In game two, Calgary nipped Alberta 70-67 as Leighann Doan scored 27 and grabbed 12 boards. Jackie Simon hit 23 and ripped 9 boards for Alberta. The Pandas broke to an early 8-4 lead but the Dinosaurs rallied with a sense of desperation, notching a 13-2 run to take command. Pandas coach Trix Baker said her troops didn’t take Calgary for granted. “I just think they came out a little bit harder and we were a little flat-footed.” Doan, who dominated the paint, said the Dinosaurs were fired-up. “We need the same mentality next game, that this is our game and we’re not going to give it up.” Doan hit 11-14 from the field. Panda guard Nadine Fennig said the team just couldn’t put the ball in the hole. “They hit everything and we missed a few easy ones. That’s the bottom line. We came at them tough and I think we gave a really great effort but we just couldn’t put it away.” The Pandas trailed 41-33 at the half and got no closer than three, in the final minute of play. …………………………………………………… In game three, Calgary edged Alberta 72-69 as Cathy Payne scored 23 and grabbed 4 boards. Leighann Doan added 15. Cathy Butlin led Alberta with 15 points. Rania Burns also scored 15, while nabbing 5 rebounds. Calgary guard Jody Currie, who iced the win with two free throws with two seconds on the clock, said the Dinosaurs loved a challenge, having been reduced to eight players because of injury. “We like the hurdles. Our coach just says: ‘let it rain, let it rain’. The more against us, the better we seem to play.” Coach Shawnee Harle noted that “you have to play the hand you’re dealt. If you spend all your time wondering about things you don’t have, then you’re not using the things that you do have.” Currie said “that’s how we’ve been playing all year. Everybody thinks we’re going to lose, anyways, so we’ve had to win in tough situations.” Alberta coach Trix Kannekens-Baker was flummoxed. “The disappointment of the game speaks for itself. I don’t know what to say. For the ones that are done, it’s over.” The Pandas trailed by 12 but rallied to take a 58-56 lead on a Cathy Butlin trey with three minutes to play. But Currie and Cathy Payne countered with treys for Calgary as the Dinosaurs took a five-point lead. “You have to give them credit,” said Kannekens-Baker. “They played tough. They played hard. That’s what has to happen at the end of the game: your shooters got to shoot.” Panda guard Kirstin Johns was disconsolate. “I don’t know what happened. We came out to play every game and so did they. It was just a grudge match. It sucks to lose.”
In the final, Victoria defeated Calgary 71-47; 67-47 (2g-0).
In game one, Victoria defeated Calgary 71-47 as fifth-year guard Lisa Koop registered 26 points, 6 steals and 2 assists in the first half. The Vikes broke to a 40-18 lead. Calgary opened the second half with a 12-2 run. Koop finished with 32 points on .580 from floor, 1-1 from arc, 7-8 from line, 6 steals and 2 assists. Lily Blair added 11 points and 9 boards, and Angela Mangan 4 points, 4 boards and 5 assists. Calgary was paced by Leighann Doan’s 10 points and 10 boards. Cathy Payne added 10 points and 3 assists, but committed 8 turnovers. Calgary committed 26 turnovers and Victoria 15.
In game two, Victoria defeated Calgary 67-47. Led by point guard Lindsay Brooke’s 13 points and stellar defensive play, the staked a 16-point lead at the half and rolled to a win. “This is a great feeling, but I’m also pretty sad because it’s my last performance in the UVic gym . . . it’s really tough, I love it here,” said guard Lisa Koop. “It was very emotional for me.” Koop was limited to 10 points but their depth and balance offset her low production. “I think the difference this year is we have a lot more depth,” offered second-year wing Kim Johnson, who scored 4. “We’re not just relying on Koop to score any more, a lot of players can step up and score at any time.” Coach Kathy Shields concurred. “That was the toughest 20-point win I’ve ever had. It was extremely physical and Calgary made us work for every score – we had to work our guts out. We had some kids come up with big games tonight which helped make up for Koop who was being covered heavily.” Lily Blair had 11 points and Janet McLaughlin had 10 for UVic.
In May 1998, the Canada West UAA accepts the addition of Langley’s Trinity Western University, commencing in the 1999-2000 campaign.
In July, the Saskatchewan Huskies hired 26-year-old Lisa Thomaidis as the Huskies new head coach. In the 16 years before Thomaidis took the job, the Huskies had won 34 conference games and lost 236. Pat Jackson went 4-26 in her last three years with the Huskies before turning the team over to Tracie McAra, who went 6-34 before making way for Irene Wallace, who was 12-108 before giving the mess to Tracey Bowie, who was 12-68. They fired Bowie after a 4-16 campaign. Thomaidis, a 6-2 post playing professionally in Greece and coaching summer development ball in Ontario, agreed to take the job. It was only the fourth time in 16 seasons the Huskies had cracked the four-win barrier. “It’s a little bit scary,” Thomaidis admitted. “But at the same time, it’s a tremendous opportunity. There’s a lot of room for improvement; the only direction to go is up. I’m looking forward to that, for sure.” Saskatchewan athletic director Ross Wilson conceded that “she’s not rich in experience. It’s not like she’s been a head coach for 10 years in the CIAU, but that’s hard to get. Somebody who’s had a lot of years as a head coach in the CIAU is likely established and doesn’t tend to be the one applying for jobs. She interviewed very well, and the references were tremendously positive. Personality-wise, work-ethic-wise, commitment-wise . . . we had some great quotes from a lot of people who had been around her for a lot of years.”
The co-bronze medalist British Columbia Thunderbirds: Jessica Mills; Erin Fennell; Laura Esmail; J.J. Rawlinson; Roj Johal; Lisa Scharf; Priscilla Reddy; Amy Moker; Andrea Dufva; Charmene Adams; Lindsey Burke; Allison Treat; Lori Phillip; coach Deb Huband
The co-bronze medalist Alberta Pandas: Cathy Butlin; Rania Burns; Kirstin Johns; Robyn Haig; Erin Sandusky; Megan Depew; Jackie Simon; Sara Armstrong; Kim Wyley; Nadine Fennig; Christy Oleskiw; Pam Hoyles; coach Trix Kannekens-Baker
The runner-up Calgary Dinosaurs: Leanne Jackson; Jody Currie; Cathy Payne; Corey Cumming; Ella Kinloch; Jennifer Goldade; Marianna Raguz; Allison McGinn; Leighann Doan; Kathie Sanderson; Amy Wesseling; Lauren Bell; coach Shawnee Harle
The champion Victoria Vikings: Lisa Koop; Lily Blair; Angela Mangan; Janet McLachlan; Lindsay Brooke; Kim Johnson; Megan Dalziel; Emily King; Joanna Holdsworth; Lindsay McDonald; Kim Oslund; Paula Thompson; coach Kathy Shields; assistant Brian Cheng