REGULAR SEASON
| EAST | WEST | ||||||||||
| Ottawa | 21-2 | 31-7 | Andy Sparks | McMaster | 21-3 | 31-5 | Theresa Burns | ||||
| Carleton | 18-5 | 26-8 | Taffe Charles | Lakehead | 20-4 | 28-9 | Jon Kreiner | ||||
| Ryerson | 17-6 | 27-8 | Carly Clarke | Windsor | 17-7 | 20-12 | Emma Duinker | ||||
| Queen’s | 15-8 | 18-12 | Dave Wilson | Brock | 11-13 | 13-16 | Mike Rao | ||||
| York | 10-13 | 14-19 | Erin McAleenan | Laurier | 9-15 | 12-19 | Paul Falco | ||||
| Laurentian | 7-16 | 9-23 | Jason Hurley | Guelph | 9-15 | 12-17 | Mark Walton | ||||
| Toronto | 6-17 | 8-19 | Michele Belanger | Waterloo | 6-18 | 8-22 | Craig Nickel | ||||
| Nipissing | 3-20 | 3-25 | Katie Hamilton | Western | 5-19 | 7-25 | Brian Cheng | ||||
| Algoma | 5-19 | 7-24 | Ryan Vetrie |
At the start of the season, Windsor’s Chantal Vallee announces that she will take a one-year sabbatical, during which she will serve as the coach and general manager of the newly-formed Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Hamilton Honey Badgers. Vallee is replaced on an interim basis by assistant Emma Duinker.
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Algoma Thunderbirds: Keyra Gallo, Farah Alfar, Madison Cameron, Victoria Colp, Dionne Martin, Kayla Gallo, Karly Fracalanza, Thias Matte, Karina Cole, Darryn Lindquist, Aimee Garland, Sawyer Fischer, Rebecca Wylie, coach Ryan Vetrie, assistant Matt Oliveira, assistant Alyssa Dovigi
Nipissing Lakers: Kylea Galipeau-Wilson, Nakissa Koomalsingh, Kristie Nowocin, Angelina Campbell, Meeko Thomas, Natalie Martinez, Jamie Soffer, Maria Walsh, Kaila Granholm, Megan Elliot, Thaliyah Phillips, Alexe Galipeau-Wilson, Devanee Dewey, Vanessa Willis, Nicole Kordez, Michaela Branker, coach Katie Hamilton, assistant Rick Vanderlee, assistant Jazlin Barker, student assistant Rachel Van Woezik, student assistant Terrilyn Herrick, strength & conditioning Caleb Mady, mental performance consultant Barbi Law, student team assistant Kendra Dennis, student trainer Samantha Therrien, student trainer Mikayla Towend
Toronto Varsity Blues: Keyira Parkes, Kirsten MacLeod, Mahal De La Durantaye, Fiorella Granda, Ariana Sider, Hayley Neault, Christine Jurcau, Nada Radonjic, Lauren Boers, Sara Knowles, Sarah Bennett, Charlotte Collyer, Samantha Robertson, Jessica Muha, Naqia Najafi, Mikayla Samuel, Josipa Curic, coach Michele Belanger, assistant Tamara Tatham, assistant Kyra Kristensen-Irvine, assistant Alisha Tatham, assistant Alaine Hutton, assistant Elaine Cook, strength & conditioning Nardine Oakes, therapist Marcel Charland, student therapist Jordan Ealdama, student therapist Cassandra Tardif-Theriault, student therapist Nino Chitadze
Waterloo Warriors: Kaitlyn Overeem, Vanessa Hughes, Meghan Sharp, Sydney Wilson, Mackenzie Obermayer, Erin VanHuuksloot, Beth Howlett, Aphia Ward, Claire LaMarre, Val Rincon, Kristen Gore, Megan Goar, Breanna Hudspeth, Hilary Ferguson, Ella Mahler, Abbey Sayles, coach Craig Nickel, assistant Kate McCrae-Bristol, associate Scott James, assistant Rachel Cleary, therapist Laura Sylvah, student therapist Kelly Stockall
Western Mustangs: Maddy Horst, Jade Codinera, Jill Kettlewell, Julia Curran, Laura Graham, Lauren Cross, Emma Johnson, Melanie Cloutier, Kennedy Heggie, Katie Bastedo, Brett Fischer, Jenna Lawrence, Jessica Angelini, Nelli Larjava, Debora Kamba, Shekinah Kienansatuko, Skye Barbato, coach Brian Cheng, assistant Chris Bogart, assistant Tanya Alexander, assistant Vanessa Devires, director of operations Rob Angione, strength & conditioning Theresa Carriere, manager Leslie Kelley
In the East opening round: …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded York Lions stunned the 4th-seeded host Queen’s Gaels 76-70. The Lions led 16-14 after one quarter on an 8-0 run and a late jumper by Cyanna King. The Gaels led 34-32 at the half, by as many as 6, and by 56-54 after three quarters. Emma Jones nailed a trey to give the Lions a 63-61 lead in the final frame and then Katrina Collins-Samuel added a pair of treys, and Chante Clarke another, to give York a 72-68 lead with 30 seconds to play. The Lions iced it at the line. Katrina Collins-Samuels paced York with 24 on 7-16 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 7-10 from the line, 4 assists and 2 steals. Chante Clarke added 15 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 5 boards. Lauren Golding notched 9 on 3-13 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 8 boards. Haley Bowie scored 6 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 4 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. Emma Jones added 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 4 boards. Cyanna King notched 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards and 2 blocks. Megan MacLeod scored 6 on 3-10 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 blocks. Alysha Pinck added 4 on 2-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 4 boards, 2 blocks and 5 steals, while Madison Bardoel, Megan Stewart and Madeline Weber were scoreless. The Lions hit 25-76 (.329) from the floor, 8-18 (.444) from the arc and 18-24 (.750) from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 11 assists, 11 turnovers 7 blocks and 15 steals. Veronika Lavergne paced Queen’s with 21 on 9-9 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Marianne Alarie added 13 on 4-16 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 3 boards. Emma Ritcey notched 9 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3 boards and 7 assists. Myriam Fontained scored 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 blocks. Maddie Morris added 7 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 8 boards. Sophie de Goede notched 6 on 3-13 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 15 boards and 3 assists. Michelle Istead scored 6 on 3-6 from the floor and 5 boards, while Laura Donovan, Natalie Froese, Abbey Hetherington, Megan Saftich and Emma Weltz were scoreless. The Gaels hit 27-68 (.397) from the floor, 1-9 (.111) from the arc and 15-19 (.789) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 13 assists, 20 turnovers, 6 blocks and 5 steals. The Gaels (coach Dave Wilson, assistant James Bambury, assistant Bob Freeman, assistant Nicole Barnard, manager sports medicine Ryan Bennett, strength & conditioning Colin McAuslan, coordinator athlete retention Milana McNamee) also included Claire Litchfield, Adriana Conti, Bridget Mulholland, redshirt Julia DiMaio and redshirt Natalie DiMaio.
…………………………………………………… The
3rd-seeded host Ryerson Rams clocked the 6th-seeded
Laurentian Voyageurs 80-45 after leading 25-15, 44-28 and 67-36 at the
quarters. The Rams completely dominated the boards in romping to the
easy win. “Our ability to share the ball was huge for us,” said Leyki Sorra. “We
were moving around well and we were extremely connected. That’s something we’ve
been talking about all week and it really showed tonight.” Rams coach Carly
Clarke said “we kept rolling people tonight and it created great energy and a
great flow. Our team was really willing to share the ball and that had a huge
influence on the outcome of the game.” Sofia Paska paced Ryerson with 20 on
4-15 from the floor, 12-13 from the line, 16 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks.
Marin Scotten added 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the
line and 5 boards. Leyki Sorra notched 13 on 4-6 from the floor, 4-5 from the
arc, 1-2 from the line, 2 boards and 2 assists. Hayley Robertson scored 10 on
5-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 6 boards, 3 assists
and 2 steals. Rachel Farwell added 9 on 3-6 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc,
1-2 from the line and 4 boards. Stefanija Mrvaljevic notched 7 on 3-5 from the
floor, 1-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Cara Tiemens added 7 on 2-6 from the
floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Katherine Follis scored 5 on 1-4 from the floor, 3-5 from the line and 5
boards. Bronwyn Williams added 1 on 0-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 8
boards, while Latifah Roach and Inari Syrjanen were scoreless. The Rams hit
27-68 (.397) from the floor, 10-20 from the arc and 21-29 (.724) from the line,
while garnering 61 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 16
assists, 16 turnovers, 3 blocks and 6 steals. Mackenzie Robinson paced Laurentian
with 12 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 5 boards, 2
assists and 3 steals. Emily Fisher added 10 on 4-12 from the floor, 2-7 from
the arc and 3 boards. Emily Tinnes notched 7 on 1-9 from the floor, 1-7 from
the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards, 2 assists and 4 steals. Kayla
Deschatelets scored 6 on 3-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 0-2 from the
line, 3 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Danielle Reid added 4 on 1-2 from the
floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 steals. Bailey Tabin scored 1
on 0-8 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards, while Kendel Dunn,
Sydney Graper, Zoe Hutchins, Maria La Rosa, Lara Pomerleau-Fontaine and Andrea
Zulich were scoreless. Hutchins nabbed 3 boards and Zulich 2. The Voyageurs hit
12-59 (.203) from the floor, 4-28 (.143) from the arc and 12-16 (.750) from the
line, while garnering 33 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 19 fouls,
8 assists, 18 turnovers, 2 blocks and 11 steals. Laurentian (coach Jason
Hurley) also included Josee Tremblay, Marilyne Rioux, Harmony Martel and
Madison Cooper.
In the West opening round: …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded
host Brock Badgers pounded the 5th-seeded 54-35. The Badgers led
14-13 after one quarter. The Hawks led 25-23 at the half. Brock led 39-32 after
three quarters as they got their transition game on track and began to
thoroughly dominate the boards. “Great team win, obviously it’s nice to reach
the next stage,” said Badgers coach Mike Rao. Kristin Gallant led Brock with 15
on 5-12 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 8 boards and 3
assists. Courtney McPherson added 14 on 7-9 from the floor, 0-4 from the line,
9 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Melissa Tatti notched 10 on 3-19 from the
floor, 1-9 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 6 assists. Baelie
Campbell scored 8 on 3-9 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 7 boards and 2
assists. Miranda Smith added 3 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 6
boards. Sofia Croce notched 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 6
boards. Jessica Morris scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 6
boards, while Megan Charbonneau, Allie Columbus, Elise Euale, Eden Ferraro and
Shannon Northey were scoreless. Columbus nabbed 3 boards. The Badgers hit 21-66
(.318) from the floor, 6-24 (.250) from the arc and 6-11 (.545) from the line,
while garnering 54 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 14
assists, 15 turnovers, 1 block and 7 steals. Brianna Iannazzo paced Wilfrid
Laurier with 13 on 4-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4
boards and 2 assists. Jill Condron added 5 on 1-9 from the floor, 0-1 from the
arc, 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Brooklyn Johnson notched 4 on 1-1 from the
floor and 2-4 from the line, Alexis Kenyeres scored 4 on 1-4 from the floor,
1-3 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Tayania Siwek-Smith added 3 on 1-5
from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 6 boards. Rachel
Woodburn notched 3 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards, 3
assists and 3 blocks. Hunter Johns scored 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the
arc and 2 boards. Skye Johns added 2 on 1-5 from the floor and 3 boards, while
Maya Day and Celina Elliott were scoreless. Day nabbed 4 boards and Elliott 2.
The Golden Hawks hit 11-52 (.212) from the floor, 4-14 (.286) from the arc and
9-14 (.643) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 8 on the
offensive glass, 13 fouls, 8 assists, 17 turnovers, 5 blocks and 3 steals.
Laurier (coach Paul Falco, assistant Megan Grant, assistant Cal Keil, assistant
Sherodan Burke, assistant Kaitlyn Schenck, therapist Jen Childs, student
therapist Hayley Dalgleish, strength & conditioning Mallory Woeller) also
included Steph Findlay, Murielle Mpiana and Dana Perovic.
…………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Guelph Gryphons stunned the 3rd-seeded host Windsor Lancers 62-59. The Lancers led 14-10 after one quarter. The Gryphons led 34-29 at the half on a buzzer-beating trey by Sarah Holmes. They extended the margin to 51-40 after three quarters. The Lancers clawed back to within 61-59 with a minute to play but the Gryphons got defensive stops on each of Windsor’s next three possesions. Gryphons coach Mark Walton said “we’re really proud of the way our players rose to the occasion considering that we are still a relatively young team that’s learning how to play playoff basketball. So much of Windsor’s offence comes from their offensive rebounding, and we did a great job keeping them off the glass. Carly Steer is one of the best three-point shooters in the OUA, and to hold her without a basket, that’s a hell of a day. We showed some nerves late which resulted in some rushed shots, but in the end, we were able to execute when we had to.” Burke Bechard paced Guelph with 20 on 8-11 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 2-4 from the line, 10 boards, 5 assists and 3 steals. Ivana Vujadinovic added 12 on 5-11 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 2 boards. Sarah Holmes notched 11 on 5-13 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 0-1 from the line, 9 boards and 2 steals. Skyla Minaker scored 10 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 8 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Hanna Pryce notched 6 on 2-10 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Julia Kokonix scored 2 on 1-3 from the floor and 3 boards. Modupe Okeowo added 1 on 0-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 1-4 from the line, while Ashley White was scoreless. The Gryphons hit 24-64 (.375) from the floor, 5-21 (.238) from the arc and 9-21 (.429) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 12 assists, 14 turnovers, 1 block and 10 steals. Olivia Osamusali paced Windsor with 13 on 6-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Kayah Clarke added 12 on 5-13 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 4 boards and 3 assists. Samantha Gucciardi notched 12 on 6-13 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 4 boards. Eve Uwayesu scored 9 on 2-9 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 8 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals. Tyra Blizzard added 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Kaylee Anagnostopoulos notched 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards. Carly Steer was scoreless on 0-6 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 4 boards and 3 assists. Erin Kenny and Arianna Milani were also scoreless. The Lancers hit 24-62 (.387) from the floor, 3-17 (.176) from the arc and 8-11 (.727) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 18 fouls, 15 assists, 17 turnovers, 2 blocks and 7 steals. The Lancers (interim coach Emma Duinker as Chantal Vallee was on sabbatical, assistant Tom Foster, assistant Madeline Belding, strength & conditioning Joey Garland, movement specialist Kathy Harvie) also included Nyamuoch Teny, Yasmeen Smith, Jordan Gutt, Angel Muir and Madeleine Adams.
In the quarterfinals and East semis, the top-seeded uOttawa Gee-Gees clubbed the 5th-seeded York Lions 89-53. The score was knotted at 18 after one quarter. But Jennifer Crowe came off the bench and ignited the Gee-Gees offence in the second quarter. The Gee-Gees led 43-26 at the half on a late 10-2 run, and 69-33 after three quarters. “Jen Crowe was the difference maker,” said Gee-Gees coach Andy Sparks. “When she came on in the first half she became very aggressive and answered the tough style of basketball that they were trying to play.” The Gee-Gees depth wore down the Lions down the stretch. Jennifer Crowe paced Ottawa with 17 on 7-10 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus added 13 on 4-13 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 12 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Angela Ribarich notched 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Anne Carr scored 9 on 3-9 from the floor, 3-3 from the line, 5 boards and 2 blocks. Amelie Hachey added 9 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 4-5 from the line, 5 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu notched 8 on 4-11 from the floor and 5 boards. Alana Renon added 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-3 from the line and 3 boards. Maia Timmons scored 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Sarah Besselink notched 5 on 2-8 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Mary Besselink added 2 on 1-2 from the floor. Melina De Iulio scored 2 n 1-3 from the floor, 2 boards and 2 assists. Aliisa Heiskanen added 1 on 0-1 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. The Gee-Gees hit 31-79 (.392) from the floor, 2-10 from the arc and 25-33 (.758) from the line, while garnering 49 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 123 fouls, 11 turnovers, 5 blocks and 14 steals. Lauren Golding paced York with 12 on 4-7 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 5 boards and 2 steals. Chante Clarke added 10 on 2-5 from the floor and 6-9 from the line. Hayley Bowie notched 8 on 2-12 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Cyanna King scored 6 on 1-2 from the floor, 4-8 from the line, 3 boards and 2 blocks. Megan MacLeod added 6 on 3-5 from the floor and 5 boards. Katrina Collins-Samuels notched 3 on 1-8 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 4 steals. Madison Bardoel added 2 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2 boards. Emma Jones scored 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 2 assists. Alysha Pinck added 2 on 1-4 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 3 boards. Madeline Weber scored 2 on 0-1 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 blocks, while Megan Stewart was scoreless. The Lions hit 16-54 (.296) from the floor, 2-15 (.133) from the arc and 19-29 (.655) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 9 assists, 29 turnovers, 5 blocks and 7 steals. The Lions (coach Erin McAleenan, assistant Lexie Sananes, assistant Joseph Jones, assistant Emily Hazlett, assistant Hailey Milligan-Jones) also included Avery Bathe-Minard, Kiley Langille, Madeline Weber and Taylor Mcalpine.
The East 2nd-seed Carleton Ravens dusted the 3rd-seeded Ryerson Rams 74-49. The Ravens broke to a 7-0 run capped by a trey from Madison Reid and led 18-8 after one quarter. They ripped off a 9-0 run in the second quarter to extend the margin to 27-13 and headed into the lockers with a comfortable 38-17 margin. Reid and Nicole Gilmore nailed treys to extend the lead to 46-19 and confirm the surprising blowout. The Ravens led 60-34 after three quarters and were never threatened. Ravens coach Taffe Charles was elated with his defence. “Our post did a great job. I think our guards helped our post. And we were engaged in terms of when we were doubling.” Madison Reid said “we were really happy that we shut down the offensive boards. Ryerson out-rebounded Laurentian by a ton, so definitely with Paska in the post that’s something that we really focused on, and we were really happy with that.” Charles said “I thought we put everything together today. All of the people on the team were engaged in the actual result right from the get go. We were energized right from the jump. We knew what was at stake here. We knew it was win or go home, and we didn’t want to go home.” Reid said “we went into the game with a lot of energy, that was one of our main focuses. If we bring energy throughout the whole game that’s going to hype us up.” Madison Reid paced Carleton with 23 on 9-18 from the floor, 5-13 from the arc, 4 boards and 2 assists. Nicole Gilmore added 13 on 4-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 11 boards and 9 assists. Alyssa Cerino notched 12 on 5-12 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Cynthia Dupont scored 11 on 5-11 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 0-2 from the line. Karyne Jolicoeur added 7 on 3-6 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 6 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Sydney Fearon notched 6 on 3-5 from the floor, 3 boards and 3 steals. Emma Kiesekamp added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, while Emma Huff, Mallory katz, Jaclyn Ronson, Navneet Sandhu and Alexandra Trivieri were scoreless. The Ravnes hit 30-71 (.423) from the floor, 10-30 from the arc and 4-6 from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 11 fouls, 17 assists, 14 turnovers, 5 blocks and 11 steals. Sofia Paska paced Ryerson with 10 on 2-7 from the floor, 6-8 from the line and 10 boards. Cara Tiemens added 10 on 4-12 from the floor and 2-6 from the arc. Hayley Robertson notched 8 on 2-13 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 2 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals. Jama Bin-Edward scored 7 on 3-5 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Marin Scotten added 6 on 3-5 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2 boards and 2 steals. Leyki Sorra notched 5 on 2-5 from the floor and 1-4 from the arc. Katherine Follis scored 3 on 1-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 2 boards, while Rachel Farwell, Emma Fraser, Stefanija Mrvaljevic, Latifah Roach and Bronwyn Williams were scoreless. Williams nabbed 2 boards, blocked 2 shots and pilfered 2 balls. Mrvaljevic nabbed 2 boards. The Rams hit 17-51 (.333) from the floor, 4-18 (.222) from the arc and 11-14 (.786) from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 11 fouls, 9 assists, 21 turnovers, 2 blocks and 9 steals. The Rams (coach Carly Clarke, assistant Jessica Roque, assistant Sherwyn Benn, assistant Vadim Levin, assistant Jason Sealy) also included Eleanor Jones, Inari Syrjanen, Aryn Sidhu and Devisha Binns.
The West top-seeded McMaster Marauders clipped the 4th-seeded Brock Badgers 81-70 after leading 22-19, 36-32 and 53-50 at the quarters. The Marauders took command in the final frame when Hilary Hanka, Erin Burns and Sarah Gates hit treys on consecutive possessions to give McMaster a 14-point cushion. Sarah Gates paced McMaster with 28 on 9-16 from the floor, 5-10 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 8 boards and 2 steals. Hilary Hanaka added 12 on 4-13 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Erin Burns notched 11 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 6 boards and 2 assists. Olivia Wilson scored 11 on 4-10 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 3 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Julia Hanaka added 10 on 4-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 0-1 from the line and 4 boards. Christina Buttenham notched 8 on 4-15 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc, 11 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Mia Spadafora scored 2 on 1-2 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists, while Brielle Loebach, Clare Sharkey, Arianne Soriano, Evie Streight and Kokoro Tsuzuki were scoreless. The Marauders hit 29-68 (.426) from the floor, 12-24 from the arc and 11-15 (.733) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 20 assists, 15 turnovers, 4 blocks and 9 steals. Melissa Tatti paced Brock with 20 on 6-19 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 3 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Kristin Gallant added 17 on 6-20 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 3-5 from the line, 8 boards and 5 assists. Jessica Morris notched 13 on 5-8 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 3 boards. Courtney McPherson scored 9 on 4-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the line and 13 boards. Sofia Croce added 6 on 3-4 from the floor and 6 boards. Miranda Smith scored 3 on 1-3 from the arc and 2 assists. Baelie Campbell added 2 on 1-6 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2 boards and 3 steals, while Meagan Charbonneau, Allie Columbus, Eden Ferraro, Shannon Northey and Ana Caldeira Rua were scoreless. The Badgers hit 26-67 (.388) from the floor, 8-24 (.333) from the arc and 10-14 (.714) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 15 fouls, 14 assists, 18 turnovers and 7 steals. Brock (coach Mike Rao, assistant Cedric Kasongo, student manager Jacob Smith, student manager Deidre Donaldson, student manager Troy McIntosh) also included Lauren Dempsey, Elise Euale, Madyd Gojmerac, Jenneke Pilling, Miia Sorra and Lauren Zonneveld.
In the last quarterfinal and the other West semi, the 2nd-seeded Lakehead Thunderwolves dispatched the 6th-seeded Guelph Gryphons 79-71 after leading 20-14, 39-32 and 58-50 at the quarters. Lakehead rode an 11-0 run midway through the second quarter as they quelled a Guelph rally. Guelph notched a 7-0 run as they closed within five before Lakehead shut the door with an 11-8 run. Thunderwolves coach Jon Kreiner said “we knew Guelph would bring it as they always do. They’re tenacious and well coached. … We bent but didn’t break. Our key players made key plays and shots the last 3 minutes to stave off a Guelph barrage from three.” Gryphons coach Mark Walton said “it was frustrating we got into the position where we were down but when we clawed back, it was typical, forcing turnovers with good defence. In the end, we just gave them too many easy baskets. And Leashja [Grant] is a load. She actually missed her share of shots tonight but we just didn’t capitalize and threw the ball away. We have to learn that poise that it takes in that situation.” Leashja Grant paced the Thunderwolves with 24 on 11-18 from the floor, 2-5 from the line, 9 boards and 5 steals. Karissa Kajorinne added 20 on 7-18 from the floor, 3-12 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 3 assists and 2 steals. Tiffany Reynolds notched 14 on 7-11 from the floor, 8 boards, 8 assists and 3 steals. Nikki Ylagan scored 9 on 3-9 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 0-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Tianna Warwick-Dawkins added 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 9 boards and 3 assists. Kielly McDonough notched 3 on 1-1 from the arc. Julia Dunbar scored 2 on 1-1 from the floor and 2 boards. Sofia Lluch added 2 on 1-1 from the floor, 2 boards and 4 assists, while Charlotte Clifford and Lily Gruber-Schulz were scoreless. Lakehead hit 33-65 (.508) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 6-13 (.462) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 11 fouls, 22 assists, 18 turnovers, 2 blocks and 13 steals. Modupe Okeowo paced Guelph with 19 on 7-12 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 6 boards. Burke Bechard added 14 on 6-19 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 11 boards, 6 assists and 5 steals. Skyla Minaker notched 13 on 4-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Ivana Vujadinovic scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Natalie Vigna added 7 on 3-5 from the floo and 1-2 from the arc. Sarah Holmes scored 3 on 1-7 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 43 boards and 2 assists. Julia Kokonis added 3 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Tatjana Boskovic added 2 on 1-1 from the floor and 2 boards. Ashley White scored 2 on 1-1 from the floor, while Hanna Pryce was scoreless. The Gryphons hit 27-67 (.403 from the floor, 8-21 (.381) from the arc and 9-10 from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 15 fouls, 18 turnovers and 10 steals. Guelph (coach Mark Walton, assistant Alexis Heit, assistant Megan Reid, assistant Dana Van Balkom, director of operations Howard Kiel, manager Ally Peek, video coordinator Quincy Sickles-Jarvis, trainer Taylor Dunlop) also included Maripier Kingsley, Ariana Pirovic, Ashley Wheeler, Alexis Pulford-Thorpe, Nyasha Mombeshora and redshirt Marija Bakoc.
In the semis, the host Ottawa Gee-Gees clipped the Lakehead Thunderwolves 68-60 after leading 15-7, 38-16 and 54-43 at the quarters. The Gee-Gees broke to a 13-2 lead and led by as many as 22 in the second quarter as their defence generated turnovers for runouts. OUA Player of the Year Leashja Grant rallied the Thunderwolves in the second half as the Gee-Gees struggled to resolve Lakehead’s zone. But clutch shooting from Anne Carr and Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus down the stretch gave Ottawa the win. “They forced some of our players who aren’t used to being scorers into bigger scoring roles and that caught us a bit off guard. Brooklynn and Anne had to step up, because they were guarding our other three players really tight, and they did exactly that which was big for us,” said Gee-Gees coach Andy Sparks. “Last game it was Jen Crowe who came up big on both ends and tonight it was Anne, and even though those aren’t necessarily our all-stars, those are the kind of performances we’re going to need down the stretch if we want to make it all the way.” Thunderwolves guard Karissa Kajorinne nailed five treys in the second half as Lakehead rallied to test the Gee-Gees. Thunderwolves coach Jon Kreiner said “it was a very tough first half. We struggled to score the ball and looked tense on offense. We missed shots we normally make and when you miss that much your transition D is going to suffer. … I’m so proud of how our team battled back. We deserved a better game. … At half time I just told them that this could be the last time we play together as a team so his go out there and play hard and for one another.” Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus paced Ottawa with 22 on 10-23 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Sarah Besselink added 14 on 5-9 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 10 boards, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu notched 10 on 5-15 from the floor and 6 boards. Anne Carr scored 9 on 3-6 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 3 boards. Angela Ribarich added 7 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the line and 6 boards. Amelie Hachey notched 2 on 1-5 from the floor, 0-3 from the arc and 7 boards. Maia Timmons scored 2 on 0-1 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Jennifer Crowe added 2 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 4 assists, while Alana Renon and Aliisa Heiskanen were scoreless. The Gee-Gees hit 28-69 (.406) from the floor, 2-16 (.125) from the arc and 10-11 (.909) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 17 assists, 11 turnovers, 2 blocks and 8 steals. Leashja Grant paced Lakehead with 24 on 10-26 from the floor, 4-5 from the line, 17 boards and 2 steals. Karissa Kajorinne added 20 on 7-20 from the floor, 6-14 from the arc and 2 assists. Nikki Ylagan notched 8 on 3-10 from the floor, 2-8 from the arc, 3 assists and 3 steals. Lily Gruber-Schulz scored 4 on 2-4 from the floor and 3 boards. Tiffany Reynolds added 2 on 1-9 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 8 boards and 2 assists. Charlotte Clifford scored 2 on 2-2 from the line and 3 boards, while Tiana Warwick-Dawkin, Sofia Lluch, Kielly McDonough, Talia Peters, Claire Wiersema and Julia Dunbar were scoreless. Warwick-Dawkin nabbed 2 boards and dished 3 assists. The Thunderwolves hit 23-71 (.324) from the floor, 8-24 from the arc and 6-7 (.857) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 13 assists, 11 turnovers, 1 block and 7 steals.
In the other semi, the host McMaster Marauders dusted the Carleton Ravens 73-58 after leading 18-10, 41-18 and 58-35 at the quarters. The Marauders defence forced a host of turnovers for runouts as they dominated the Ravens in the first half. The Ravens had taken a 9-3 lead but the Marauders responded with a decisive 15-1 run. A 13-2 run in the second half iced it as McMaster built its lead to 23. A late 12-4 run from the Ravens only made the score vaguely respectable. Sarah Gates paced McMaster with 16 on 5-15 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Linnaea Harper added 16 on 6-11 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 6 boards and 3 assists. Hilary Hanaka notched 11 on 3-18 from the floor, 0-6 from the arc, 5-5 from the line, 4 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Olivia Wilson scored 11 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 7 boards, 3 assists, 5 blocks and 2 steals. Erin Burns notched 8 on 3-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the line, 8 boards and 4 assists. Christina Buttenham added 6 on 2-9 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 10 boards, 2 assists and 3 steals. Julia Hanaka scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 1-5 from the arc, while Brielle Loebach, Clare Sharkey, Arianne Soriano, Mia Spadafora and Evie Streight were scoreless. The Marauders hit 26-74 (.351) from the floor, 6-29 (.207) from the arc and 15-20 from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 19 assists, 8 turnovers 5 blocks and 12 steals. Alyssa Cerino paced Carleton with 13 on 4-8 from the floor 0-2 from the arc, 5-8 from the line and 10 boards. Madison Reid added 11 on 4-18 from the floor, 1-8 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 8 boards. Cynthia Dupont notched 10 on 3-8 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Emma Kiesekamp scored 10 on 3-6 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 5 boards. Nicole Gilmore added 5 on 1-16 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 12 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Emma Huff notched 4 on 1-2 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 boards. Karyne Jolicoeur added 3 on 1-3 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc, 1-4 from the line and 4 boards. Jaclyn Ronson scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor, while Sydney Fearon, Mallory Katz, Navneet Sandhu and Alexandra Trivieri were scoreless. The Ravens hit 19-65 (.277) from the floor, 2-19 (.105) from the arc and 20-26 (.769) from the line, while garnering 54 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 11 assists, 17 turnovers, 4 blocks and 5 steals.
In the final, the McMaster Marauders dispatched the host Ottawa Gee-Gees 79-75. The Gee-Gees led 24-20 after the first quarter but appeared disinclined to defend anybody despite being a fierce defensive unit for the entire campaign. The Marauders led 42-39 at the half and 68-63 after three quarters. Hilary Hanaka, who was named player of the game, said “this is what we’ve been working toward this entire year. It’s a step in the right direction for our team and it’s the first gold. We’re not done yet, but this gold feels pretty good. After five years here at Mac, it’s amazing to end this year on this note. I’m beyond proud of what we’ve achieved already and I can’t wait to see what comes next.” Theresa Burns said “against a very tough Ottawa team we had everything we could handle, but we were resilient and we played hard for 40 minutes. Everybody who stepped on the court had an amazing shift for us. We shared the ball and played the pace we wanted to play, and it feels so good to be able to bring the trophy and the banner and all of the hardware back to Hamilton and to our McMaster fans.” The Marauders invariably drained a trey whenever the Gee-Gees built a measure of separation on the scoreboard. The Gee-Gees took the lead five times in the frenetic third frame, with Sarah Besselink nailing a three-pointer to establish the last of those at 59-56 with 3:53 to play in the quarter. But Hanaka notched a runout as McMaster regained a lead they would never again relinquish. Sarah Besselink nailed a trey to draw Ottawa within 73-72 but missed a bomb that would have given the Gee-Gees the lead. McMaster countered with a drive to the lane by Sarah Gates which drew contact and yielded a free throw. Angela Ribarich missed a pair from the line that would have tied the score in the final minute and Hanaka iced it with a pair from the line. “There were some situations there that we need to clean up,” said Gee-Gees coach Andy Sparks. “They really hurt us with their perimeter shooting for large parts of the game. We managed to switch out better in the second half, but then they got to the rim on us and we had trouble guarding the ball.” Hilary Hanaka paced McMaster with 22 on 8-19 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 3-6 from the line, 3 boards and 5 assists. Sarah Gates added 20 on 5-11 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 7-11 from the line, 4 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Linnea Harper notched 14 on 5-11 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Olivia Wilson scored 8 on 4-7 from the floor, 5 boards and 2 assists. Christina Buttenham added 6 on 2-6 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 2 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Erin Burns notched 3 on 1-6 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 10 boards. Julia Hanaka scored 3on 1-3 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc and 2 assists. Clare Sharkey added 3 on 1-1 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. The Marauders hit 27-64 (.422) from the floor, 10-25 (.400) from the arc and 15-23 (.652) from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 20 assists, 7 turnovers, 3 blocks and 7 steals. Sarah Besselink paced Ottawa with 20 on 7-13 from the floor, 6-11 from the arc, 5 boards and 3 assists. Angela Ribarich added 20 on 8-17 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 14 boards and 3 assists. Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu notched 12 on 6-10 from the floor and 4 boards. Brooklyn McAlear Fanus scored 8 on 3-8 from the floor, 0-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 5 boards and 9 assists. Anne Carr added 6 on 2-2 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Amelie Hachey notched 5 on 2-7 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 5 boards. Jennifer Crowe added 2 on 1-3 from the floor, 2 boards and 3 assists. Maia Timmons scored 2 on 1-5 from the floor and 0-4 from the arc. The Gee-Gees hit 30-65 (.462) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 8-10 from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 17 fouls, 21 assists, 11 turnovers, 1 block and 3 steals.
After the season, Carleton coach Taffe Charles steps aside to assume the helm of the men’s program (an opening that occurred after Dave Smart retired). He was replaced on an interim basis by Brian Cheng, former head coach at Victoria (2001-10) and Western (2011-19). Carleton officials say privately that an agreement had been reach to have Victoria head coach Dani Sinclair assume the helm but that she needed a year to sort out details of a move to Ontario.
Western announces that coach Brian Cheng will not be returning to the helm. He is replaced by Nate McKibbon, head coach of the Mount Royal Cougars. “I am excited for the opportunity to work with a basketball program with a rich history of great players and coaches.” said McKibbon “I have always respected the people involved with Mustangs basketball and I hope to live up to the high standards of those who came before me.” McKibbon was also an assistant with the Canadian cadette national team and head coach of the Kia Nurse Elite U16 team, which plays in the Elite Youth Basketball League.
Waterloo announces that Craig Nickel has “departed” as head coach after three years at the helm. He is replaced on an interim basis by former Warrior Eddie Lopez, coach and president of the Tri-City Soldiers basketball program since 2016, and executive director of the Canadian Elite Basketball Academy. He was also an assistant with the Laurier men’s program between 2009-13. “We are very excited to have Eddie join our department to lead our women’s basketball program,” said associate director Brian Bourque. “Eddie has a lengthy and experienced resume when it comes to coaching women’s basketball in our province and we know he will step into the role and continue to lead a young and promising group of student-athletes.”
Queen’s coach Dave Wilson retires after years at the helm, in which he recorded 385 wins. “This was a very difficult decision and one that my family and I struggled with,” Wilson said. “This is a personal decision and the timing of it now provides an opportunity for myself and my family to do the things we’ve always planned and looked forward to doing in retirement.” He began his coaching career with the Gaels in 1981-82 and led Queen’s to an OUA title in 2000-01. He was a four-time OUA coach of the year. In 2017 he was honoured as the U SPORTS coach of the year after leading the Gaels on home court in the OUA Final Four and to another national championship appearance. Assistant James Bambury assumed the helm on an interim basis for the 2019-20 season. Bambury was previously coach of the RMC Paladins for two seasons before joining Queen’s in 2012. He was also coach of the women’s team at Leeds Metropolitan University from 2008-10, as an assistant coach with England at the 2010 University Games and associate coach of the England U18 national women’s team.
The co-bronze medalist Carleton Ravens: Nicole Gilmore; Madison Reid; Alyssa Cerino; Cynthia Dupont; Sydney Fearon; Deanna Hinds; Emma Huff; Karyne Jolicoeur; Mallory Katz; Emma Kiesekamp; Jaclyn Ronson; Navneet Sandhu; Ivana Subasic; Alexandra Trivieri; redshirt Marlee Ball; coach Taffe Charles; assistant Elizabeth Roach; assistant Dave Malowski; assistant Sarah Kennedy; assistant Eric Parthenais; assistant Anthony Carter; therapist Lindsey Parent; strength & conditioning Nick Westcott
The co-bronze medalist Lakehead Thunderwolves: Julia Dunbar; Claire Wiersema; Karissa Kajorinne; Talia Peters; Nicole Pocion; Niki Vrcic; Mariah MacFarlane; Sofia Lluch; Leashja Grant; Tianna Warwick-Dawkins; Charlotte Clifford; Tiffany Reynolds; Sam Read; Kielly McDonough; Lily Gruber-Schulz; Nikki Ylagan; coach Jon Kreiner; assistant David McCallum; assistant Lou Pero; assistant Ray Foster; assistant Carolyn Fragale; therapist Blake Barry; student therapist Mekayla O’Brady; strength & conditioning Katelyn Zen; student manager Rachel Webber
The silver medalist Ottawa Gee-Gees: Maia Timmons; Brooklyn McAlear-Fanus; Mary Besselink; Alana Renon; Natalie Liguori; Aliisa Heiskanen; Hannah Temple; Adonaelle Mousambote; Amelie Hachey; Jennifer Crowe; Angela Ribarich; Melina De Iulio; Anne Carr; Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu; Sarah Besselink; redshirt Madison Hogg; coach Andy Sparks; assistant Mario Gaetano; assistant Ian Mackinnon; assistant Rose-Anne Joly
The champion McMaster Marauders: Brielle Loebach; Evie Streight; Hilary Hanaka; Arianne Soriano; Erin Burns; Sarah Gates; Mia Spadafora; Christina Buttenham; Koko Tsuzuki; Linnaea Harper; Julia Hanaka; Clare Sharkey; Olivia Wilson; coach Theresa Burns; assistant Anne Marie Thuss; assistant Ed Grosel; assistant Andrew Baillie; assistant Danielle Boiago