REGULAR SEASON
| PLAINS | CENTRAL | ||||||||
| Regina | 17-3 | 23-12 | Christine Stapleton | Alberta | 15-5 | 25-13 | Trix Baker | ||
| Winnipeg | 12-8 | 27-15 | Tanya McKay | Calgary | 9-11 | 18-14 | Shawnee Harle | ||
| Manitoba | 5-15 | 11-22 | Pam Danis | Lethbridge | 9-11 | 14-14 | Shannon Frier-Finnie | ||
| Brandon | 0-20 | 2-20 | Tami Pennell | Saskatchewan | 7-13 | 9-20 | Lisa Thomaidis | ||
| WEST | |||||||||
| Simon Fraser | 20-0 | 35-0 | Bruce Langford | ||||||
| U.B.C. | 14-6 | 20-9 | Debbie Huband | ||||||
| Trinity Western | 7-13 | 7-19 | Kerby Court | ||||||
| Victoria | 5-15 | 9-20 | Brian Cheng | ||||||
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Brandon Bobcats: Margot Jestadt, Patricia Wood, Heather Couzens, Marsha-Lynne Murdoch, Jody Jury, Melissa Moore, Alecia Evans, Leissa Engel, Lezley Sutherland, Michelle Smith, Laura Jackson, Kim Bosnick, coach Tami Pennell
Manitoba Bisons: Anna Drewniak, Lynda Guy, Diana Gray, Melissa Stoesz, Sopear Chhin, Megan Dixon, Christina Blouw, Gabriella Macra, Katie Loewen, Cassandra Siemens, Anna-Marie Weber, Jonna Bendo, coach Pam Flick-Danis
Saskatchewan Huskies: Jacqueline Lavallee, Carla Puetz, Jill Stein, Lisa Bodnarus, Jodi Bevan, Lisa Glemser, Jasmine Weseen, Jillian Weseen, Catherine Lieffers, Lauren Evans, Sharlene Cooper, Andrea Gislason, Shaina Swidrovich, coach Lisa Thomaidis, assistant Allison Fairbrother
Victoria Vikettes: Lindsay Anderson, Lindsay McDonald, Krystal O’Byrne, Jania Mynott, Lisa Erickson, Jennifer Diana, Kelly Devlin, Kimberley Lobb, Andrea Van Koll, Allison Roberts, Lindsay Hewson, Melissa Edwards, Aimee Faulk, coach Brian Cheng
In the quarterfinals, Simon Fraser defeated Trinity Western 115-67; 85-54 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In the opener, the Clan whipped Trinity Western 115-67 as all Canadian Teresa Kleindienst set a new school record with 45 points, breaking Michelle Hendry’s 1990 record of 42 points. Kleindienst also registered six assists, six steals and four boards. Playing without star forward Jessica Kaczowska, who was injured late in year and gone for season, the Clan also got 14 points from fifth year forward Jennifer Van De Walle on 11-17 from the field, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Gaby Salazar added 19 on 8-9 from the field and 3-4 from the arc. Kristen Wood scored 15 and had 7 assists as the Clan registered their season-high offensive output. “We had to switch to a perimeter and driving game due to Kaczowka’s injury, which we were successful in doing. We seemed to take hold of the game after our 8-0 run in the first half”, said Clan coach Bruce Langford. “Teresa was simply amazing tonight, in fact all of our 5th year players had excellent games tonight, rising to the challenges before them.” …………………………………………………… In game two, the Clan racked up their 28th win of the season as second year center Morgan McLaughlin scored 12 and grabbed four boards. Fifth-year senior Kirstin Wood scored 21 on 8-11 from the floor and 4-5 from the arc. Teresa Kleindienst scored 19 on 6 boards and 4 steals. “I felt that a lot of the breaks went their way tonight, although we did capitalize when given the chance” said Clan coach Bruce Langford. “I thought tonight was another strong effort from the entire team. Morgan and Kirsten both put up season high numbers and played smart basketball”. The Spartans (coached by Kerby Court, assisted by Thoman Jack) included Heidi DeHaan, Taylor Stuart, Anna Chinnery, Kim Mellieur, Katie Hall, Heidi Frandrup, Trina Nelson, Christie Bigelow, Alaina Thiessen, Beth Graham, Helen Worley, Lora Constantinescu, Jamie Mullaney, Kim Starmer, Kim Mellieur, Danielle Gardner and Glenyss Weeks.
Winnipeg defeated UBC 59-57; 68-57 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In the opener, 6th-ranked Winnipeg notched a 59-57 road win. The Wesmen took a 10-0 lead and maintained the edge to the half, leading 35-25. But UBC exploded out of the lockers with a 12-0 run to take a 37-35 lead five minutes into the second half. Winnipeg regained its exposure and held on down the stretch. Heidi Schwartz paced Winnipeg with 18 points. Carrie Rogers led UBC with 12. Brandie Speers added 8 and grabbed 10 boards. …………………………………………………… In game two, Winnipeg prevailed 68-57. The Thunderbirds (coached by Deb Huband) included Carrie Rogers, Sheila Townsend, Brandie Speers, Carrie Watson, Charmene Adams, Carlee St. Denis, Annemarie Krygsveld, Lauren Liem, Melissa Stooshinoff, Amanda Beers, Sherrie Savage, Chrissy Job, Tina Lum and Andrea Bustillo.
Alberta defeated Calgary 70-64; 51-56; 60-44 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In the opener, Alberta defeated Calgary 70-64 despite losing national team forward Christine Shewchuk to a knee injury in the first half. Diane Smith stepped up with a 27-point effort. Alberta squandered a 10-point lead in the first half as Calgary rallied to within 36-35 at the half. Smith shot the lights out, hitting 8-9 from the field and 3-3 from the arc and 8-10 from the arc. Cristi Allan added 10 points. Jennifer Goldade led Calgary with 19. Laura Jablonski added 15. The Pandas entered the game on a nine-game winning streak. They took a 12-point lead in the first 10 minutes on 4-4 shooting by Smith. “I didn’t do it all by myself,” she said. “There are four teammates out there with me. I guess all we have to do now is shut down (Jen) Goldade and (Laura) Jablonski.” Pandas coach Trix Baker said the Bears need to step up their defensive intensity. “We did have some defensive breakdowns but overall we did a good job of containing them. If we make some adjustments, we’ll be fine.” Alberta led 36-35 at the half as Calgary exploited its transition game to rally back within one. Smith caught fire again early in the second half as Alberta rebuilt its lead to 56-43. Calgary rallied back but led by strong rebounding from Erin Stonehocker, the Bears maintained at least an 8-point cushion and held on for the win. Smith held Calgary gunner Anna Bekkering to a single point. Goldade led Calgary with 19. Jablonski added 15. Stonehocker nabbed 9 boards for Alberta. Shewchuk had 6 before spraining her ankle. …………………………………………………… In game two, Calgary evened the series with a 56-51 win. Pandas coach Trix Baker called it a “smack on the face” given that Alberta lost their first home game of the season. “This is the same situation that we’ve been in for six or seven games now. We wait until we’re down by 10 to turn it on. Tonight we played really mechanical. We have to have patience on offence but that doesn’t mean you stop dead. … We stopped doing the things we do well. There was too much complacency, too much standing around. We’d move the ball around until there was less than 10 seconds on the clock and then we had to score.” Both teams starting slowly as Calgary built a 4-point lead on the play of Anna Bekkering. The Pandas rallied to tie it at 27 before Calgary inched back ahead 33-29 at the half. They expanded their lead to 15 in the second half before the Pandas finally broke a five-minute scoring drought. The Pandas also committed three shot clock violations and shot only .330 from the floor. Calgary shot .500. Although Alberta rallied to trim the margin go 52-49 with a minute to play, the Dinos held on for the win. “We applied the patience principle a little too far tonight,” said Panda captain Amanda Smith. “We didn’t come out aggressive and we didn’t get our shots.” Bekkering led Calgary with 14 points. Cristi Allan paced Alberta with 16. Amanda Smith added 12. …………………………………………………… In game three, Alberta ousted Calgary by 60-44 with a strong defensive game, limiting Calgary to .250 from the field. Despite playing without star Christine Shewchuk, the Pandas took 8-2 lead early and 30-18 lead at half. Post Erin Stonehocker, in her fifth and final year of eligibility, led Alberta with 14 points on 6-11 from the field and grabbing seven boards. Guard Lyndsay Walsh added 10 off the bench. Forward Amanda Smith had seven boards and played tough defence. Anna Bekkering led Calgary with 11. Laura Jablonski added 10. The Dinosaurs (coached by Shawnee Harle) also included Jennifer Goldade, Natalie Hudec, Tanya Hautala, Jessica Foltinek, Cory Bekkering, Katherine Adams, Alison Bekkering, Tanya Cottrel, Jennifer Elford, Deb Hidson, Leah Nikiforuk, Natalie Sanderson and Duby Siu.
In the last quarterfinal, Regina defeated Lethbridge 71-74; 88-81; 56-39 (2g-1). The Pronghorns (coached by Shannon Frier) included Andrea Walker, Anita Demeneses, Beth Clawson, Heidi Somerville, Angela Thompson, Amanda Edlund, Kathryn Watson, Chantelle Kennedy, Melissa Mihone, Sheryl Webster, Barb Ariss, Aimee Sandham, Jaime Tschritter and Stacey Gammon.
In the semis, Simon Fraser defeated Winnipeg 70-52; 77-40 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Simon Fraser whipped Winnipeg 70-52 with a dominant second half. Gaby Salazar led the Clan with 19 points, including 10-12 from the line. Teresa Kleindienst added 16 and had 4 steals. Jessica Kaczowka scored 13. “We managed to step it up with some very impressive defence,” said Clan coach Bruce Langford. “Teresa had a great defensive night tonight, coming up with two very important steals in the second half that helped turn the game around. As well Jen had some big shots early on that helped us on the scoreboard.” …………………………………………………… The Clan whipped Winnipeg 77-40 in game two as all their players scored at least a bucket. Kirsten Wood led Simon Fraser with 17. Teresa Kleindienst added 12 points and had 5 steals. The win guaranteed the Clan a berth in the nationals. “That is the ultimate goal,” said Langford. “Everyone played well tonight, we had some great pressure in the first half. … It was an all-around effort.” The Clan improved to (30-0) on the season as they limited Winnipeg to 4-25 in the first half and built a 46-15 lead heading into the lockers.
In the other semi, Regina defeated Alberta 73-60; 75-54 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Regina defeated Alberta 73-60. The Cougars second-half defence proved the difference. “This was a confidence-booster; you want to have the momentum after the first game,” Cougars post Phoebe De Ciman said. “It’s lighthearted in (the Cougars’ room) right now. Last week, everybody was going home with their heads hanging. It’s nice to see that change. We’re getting to the point in the season where we have to start winning first games. At the national championship (tournament), you lose your first game and you’re done. It’s about time we started sucking up Game 1s. We can’t afford to be waiting until Game 2 to wake up.” Pandas coach Trix Baker said it’s too early to “panic. It’s a three-game series. We have to regroup and do a much better job on defensive rebounding. They killed us on the boards.” The Cougars out-rebounded Alberta 24-16 in the first half, with 15 of Regina’s boards coming at the offensive end. But the Cougars shot just 16-40 in the frame, while the Pandas were 16-29, which led a 36-36 tie at the half. “At the half, we said it was 0-0 – which it sort of was,” said Regina forward Leah Anderson, who nabbed 7 offensive boards. “We decided what we needed to do to win was play defence. Defence gives us offence.” The Cougars limited Alberta to 9-26 in the second half, while hitting 11-32. But they had 9 more offensive boards and benefited from a 13-2 run. “We traded baskets with them in the first half, so we knew we could score,” said De Ciman, who finished with 20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals. “We had to start playing defence. In the second half, we started ripping down some rebounds and made them throw up some junk shots.” Alberta coach Trix Baker said “we didn’t take it up with the same kind of focus and the same kind of control. We missed a lot of easy shots in the second half.” Cymone Bouchard added 15 points for the Cougars, who got 11 from Anderson and 10 from Jana Schweitzer. Cristi Allan was 11-for-12 from the field and poured in 25 points for Alberta, which lacked inside scoring with the absence of Christine Shewchuk (ankle). Amanda Smith added 13. …………………………………………………… In game two, Regina completed the series sweep with a 75-54 whipping of the Pandas. Lara Schmidt was elated. “The first thing I did when the game ended was grab (fellow rookie) Laura Hunko and say, ‘This means nationals!’ Schmidt said. “I was very excited about it. It gave me shivers.” Alberta shot just .360 from the field and were hindered by the absence of star forward Christine Shewchuk. Guard Christi Allan scored just four, while hounded by Cougar guard Jana Schweitzer. Bree Burgess led Regina with 19 points and 6 assists. Schmidt added 18 points and 7 boards. Diane Smith led the Pandas with 10 points. “It’s really important that the girls are buying into each other and into the program,” said Regina coach Christine Stapleton. “They’re really doing a good job of bringing things together at the right time.”
In the bronze medal series, Winnipeg defeated Alberta 87-64; 62-72; 77-69 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… Winnipeg won the opener 87-64 after taking a 47-31 lead at the half. Janet Wells led Winnipeg with 30 points. Erin Stonehocker paced Alberta with 22. “We played slow on defence and frenzied on offence,” said Alberta coach Trix Baker. The Wesmen set the tone early, as Janet Wells sparked Winnipeg to a 32-15 lead after 10 minutes and the Pandas struggled to handle a zone and Winnipeg’s superior size in the paint. Winnipeg led 47-31 at the half and was never threatened. Joanne Wells added 17 for Winnipeg. Stonehocker, who also nabbed 7 boards noted that “we weren’t ready to come out and play and that showed.” …………………………………………………… In game two, Alberta prevailed 72-62 with a gritty defensive performance, said coach Trix Baker. “We knew that if that happened, we’d be fine. It was a reminder of how good it was to win and we needed that.” The Pandas took their first lead at 20-18 after 10 minutes when Christine Shewchuk returned from the injured-reserve list to hit a pair of free throws. Erin Stonehocker notched a layup to knot the score at 33 at the half. “We went with a new zone defence and it really screwed them up,” said Panda guard Christie Allan. “This was our best defensive effort since the Calgary series and that’ll continue in game three. Shewchuk went wild early in the second half as Alberta built a 50-37 lead and then held on for the win. Shewchuk paced Alberta with 16 points in only 18 minutes of play. JoAnne Wells led Winnipeg with 22. …………………………………………………… In game three, Winnipeg eked out a 77-69 win. The Wesmen led 38-27 at the half as their compact zone and poor Alberta perimeter shooting proved effective. But Panda guard Diane Smith triggered a 16-6 run as Alberta narrowed Winnipeg’s lead to a single bucket. But with the score sitting at 64-61 with two minutes to play, the Lady Wesmen pulled it out from the line on a series of questionable officiating calls. “It was frustrating,” said Panda coach Trix Baker. “To see our team work so hard and not get any breaks. I thought that with five minutes left (trailing 59-57) that we were going to take it. But give full credit to Winnipeg. They are a big athletic team and they stepped up big at the end.” Smith, who hit 7-8 from the line, said the second half run was “do-or-die time. I try to warm up at the basket in every game. But today, I knew it was our last chance. I couldn’t hold back.” With the win, Winnipeg qualified for the CIS nationals as Canada West’s third representative. JoAnne Wells led Winnipeg with 18. Diane Smith led Alberta with 20, including a trio from beyond the arc. Christine Shewchuk added 17, including 9-9 from the arc. Erin Stonehacker nabbed 15 boards. The Pandas (coached by Trix Kannekens-Baker) also included Amanda Smith, Cristi Allan, Lynsay Hurd, April Kanderka, Justine Stenger, Lindsay Walsh, Pam Hoyles, Karen Lodge, Katie West, Erika Ganger, Kami Wiebe and Charene Welsh.
In the finals, Simon Fraser defeated Regina 74-56; 62-60 (2g-0).
In the opener, Simon Fraser pounded defending national champ Regina 74-56 to extend their winning streak to 31. The Clan dominated the boards in the first half as Jessica Kaczowka pulled down 9. They opened the second half with a 15-2 run to take command and played stern defence, holding Regina’s leading scorer Bree Burgess to 11 points. Teresa Kleindienst led Simon Fraser with 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Jennifer Van De Walle added 13 points, Kirsten Wood 11 and Jessica Kaczowka 11, along with 14 boards. Clan coach Bruce Langford said his troops shot selection and ball distribution were questionable. “I thought that we shot the ball a lot better in the second half and made some great assists. We were still too careless with the ball though, and will need to step up our game tomorrow.” Phoebe De Ciman paced the Cougars with 20 points and eight rebounds. De Ciman also committed eight of the Cougars’ 22 turnovers. “If you take away the eight turnovers, she had a stellar performance,” Cougars coach Christine Stapleton said. “That’s a problem we will have to correct. We played very tight and we need to be more relaxed. We’re competing against the No. 1 team in the country and they are very good. We just didn’t bring our A game.” The Clan shut down Regina’s potent outside game, limiting them to 2-8 from the arc. Cymone Bouchard added 10 for Regina and Jana Schweitzer 5.
In game two, Simon Fraser nipped Regina 62-60 to sweep the series. Point guard Theresa Kliendienst said the Clan were determined to beat Cougars after Regina coach Christine Stapleton had turned down an offer to head the Simon Fraser program at the start of the season. “I think it’s sweet to play Regina in our home gym for our last game,” said Kleindienst, whose high school coach from Hatzic and Heritage Park, Bruce Langford, ended up getting the SFU job. “I think it’s because they’re the national champions and there was a little bit of bitterness there because she didn’t take the coaching job. We’re 32-0 now and we’ve got Bruce now and we’re doing well with him. But, at the time, [Stapleton turning down the job] was little bit of a kick in the stomach. Now, what more can we ask for?” Gaby Salazar iced the victory for the Clan by swatting away a three-point attempt by Regina’s Jana Schweitzer with three seconds on the clock. Jessica Kaczowka finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds, including 11 on the offensive glass, while forward Jennifer Van De Walle had 18 and Kleindienst added 10 and seven assists. Cymone Bouchard led Regina with 23.
After the season, Trinity Western ended an 11-month search and hired Danielle Gardner as coach to replace interim coach Kerby Court. Gardner was assistant AD at the time and an assistant coach with the women’s team. The previous year, she’d coached at Langley Secondary. A graduate of Dalhousie, where she started at the point for three years, Gardner was former Fraser Valley player and twice was named a BCCAA all-star.
Regina named Jeff Speedy as head coach. Athletic director Dick White says “I am excited about the level of experience and leadership Jeff will continue to provide our women’s basketball program.” Speedy spent the previous seasons as coach of the University College of the Cariboo (UCC) in Kamloops. He coached UVictoria to a regular season title in 1994 while Kathy Shields was on sabbatical. He’d been an assistant at both Vic and Acadia. He took over at Cape Breton in 1994-95, where he twice won British Columbia Colleges Athletic Association (BCCAA) titles. A graduate of coaching studies from the University of Victoria, Speedy also spent time in a managerial role with Basketball Canada.
The bronze medalist Winnipeg Wesmen: Dana Friesen; Sally Kaznica; Angela Willerton; JoAnne Wells; Val Carson; Janet Wells; Lee Wedlake; Roslynn Fast; Charmaine Izzard; Heather Thompson; Melanie Talatas; Brooke Bender; Heidi Schwartz; Pam Nowell; coach Tanya McKay; assistant Doug MacGregor; assistant Jaime Hickson; consultant Dale Bradshaw; manager Jim Schrofel
The runner-up Regina Cougars: Bree Burgess; Lara Schmidt; Cymone Bouchard; Phoebe De Ciman; Laura Hunko; Tara Crosson; Rumali Werapitiya; Jana Schweitzer; Leah Anderson; Crystal Heisler; Kaela McKaig; Sarah Singer; Alexis MacDonald; Harmony McMillan; Leanne Phillips; coach Christine Stapleton; assistant Dave Taylor; assistant Jodie Metcalfe; assistant Pat Ash
The champion Simon Fraser Clan: Jessica Kaczowka; Teresa Kleindienst; Dani Langford; Jennifer Van De Walle; Kirsten Wood; Gabriela Salazar; Maren Corrigal; Devon Campbell; Jennifer McElgunn; Morgan McLaughlin; coach Bruce Langford; assistant Lani Kramer; team doctor Dr. Merth; therapist Laurie Freebaim; SID Jeremy Dunn