In the opening round, held in Edmonton, the top-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans squashed the 16th-seeded Fort McMurray Westwood Trojans 81-19 as Adut Bulgat scored 25 and Samantha Hanrahan 11. O’Leary led 50-7 at the half. Spartans coach Ron Kutney was relaxed on the sidelines. “We started to do different things. We started to run different things on offence; we ran three different offences, we ran a couple of different defences. … We went full-court man (defence) in the first half and then we went to half-court man in the second quarter. Then at halftime, the coaches were gone and we did a little zone. You can’t sit, not in a tournament like this, at least I believe, you can’t sit your starters and not have them play.” The Trojans had not answer for 6-3 O’Leary centre Bulgak, who dominated the glass and delivered a series of outlet passed for transition layups. Playing without starting point guard Daniela Gomez, the Trojans were out of sync for the first three quarters of the game. They fell behind 25-3 at the end of the first quarter and were down 50-7 at the half. “I knew the first game would be bad, even if we were playing another 15-seed team, because this is our first time in 4A provincials,” Westwood coach Chris Henneberry said. “Mentally, I could see them breaking down right away. We’re optimistic but realistic. This is our first time at 4A, we had a bad seed. A 16 seed is rarely going to take out a No. 1, especially a young team without the experience. We just want to get the experience and, hopefully, next year we’ll come in and (do well). We’re looking to get as much as we can out of this tournament.” The Trojans included Shayari Chatterjee, Rebecca Collins, Taylor Day, Myranda Derkson, Serena Dixon, Daniela Gomez, Briana Grant, Morgan Lawley, Cede Lewis, Laura O’Brien, Kayla Perry and Taylor Rogerson. …………………………………………………… The 9th-seeded Raymond Comets defeated the 8th-seeded Calgary E.P. Scarlett Lancers 64-56 as Jackie Tollestrup scored 23 and Ashley Karren 14. Gianna Craig led the Lancers with 14. Jordan Reid added 11. The Lancers also included Mikayla Benner, Kaitlyn Bracko, Samantha Carpenter, Vicky Jones, Jodi Langley, Melissa Moore, Erica Paxman, Chloe Robertson, Kennedy Sawatzky and Emily Veenstra. …………………………………………………… The Spruce Grove Panthers (coached by Dave Oldham) stomped the Red Deer Hunting Hills Lightning 79-38 as Shea-Lynn Nayes scored 21. Teighan Ponto paced the Lightning with 8. “My girls can learn from playing against teams like this,” Lightning coach Jill de Jonge said. “Every game has a chance to be a learning experience. It’s a privilege to be in this tournament. Spruce Grove moved the ball well; they’re good.” Hunting Hills had its best moments early in the game, before the Panthers stepped into high gear and opened a 22-11 first-quarter margin. The Lightning also included Brittani Balek, Wendy Cortes, Rachelle Fallis, Corbie Fedyk, Santanna Gaudet, Madeline Klootwyk, Dacey Livingstone, Marissa Reed, Whitney Robinson, Amanda Stonehouse, Braelyn Winter and Jada Wright. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Calgary Western Canada Redmen whipped the 13th-seeded Edmonton Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds 69-37 as Aimee Wilson scored 17 and Madeleine Rogers 12. Selali Acolatse paced the Thunderbirds with 8. The Thunderbirds (coached by Kim Wyley) also included Emilia Bazar, Michelle Berkovich, Shelley Bots, Zoe Chaytors, Kim Davies, Hayli Hinchey, Janna Ogle, Anne Persson, Reighanna Reid and Kate Wallace. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Calgary Centennial Coyotes smacked the 15th-seeded Grande Prairie Totems 95-31 as Alexa Gray scored 16, Emma Smith 14, Carleigh MacKenzie 14 and Kassie Chomyn 14. Jesse Lariviere led the Totems with 14. The Totems also included Christy Babonau, Megan Belcourt, Katie Bryson, Regan Clarke, Chenoa Esau, Bethany Fisher, Mikaela Ketchum, Caverly LeClerc, Sydney Litwin, Bailey Paul and Kate Renfree. …………………………………………………… The Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans dispatched the Lethbridge Catholic Central Cougars 69-57 as Emily Adamic scored 27 and Jessilyn Fairbanks 19. Taya Keujer led the Cougars with 21. Katie Lowen added 9. The Cougars also included Gabby Duff, Deanndra Frandsen, Nikki Furukawa, Stephanie Groten, Erin Kelly, Mariah Miller, Katelyn Perlich, Sarah Royer, Sam Stahl and Sydney Voogel. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs spanked the 14th-seeded Okotoks Foothills Composite Falcons 85-36 as Jessie Bachynski scored 17 and Jessica Comfort 15. Amy Wooldridge led the Falcons with 13. Paige Marzinik added 6. Foothills coach Travis Wilson said his troops got a difficult start. “We tend to get down on ourselves if we don’t see that ball drop after the first two minutes. It’s a cloud hanging over us.” The Falcons also included Danielle Berns, Shealeigh Brandford, Courtney Fox, Sophie Hogan, Morgan Hogge, Angie Minue, Chandler Pedesen, Noelle Reboul and Tori Richards. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Edmonton Jasper Place Rebels dusted the 11th-seeded Cardston Cougars 72-44 as Megan Wood and Laura McNeill each scored 10. Whitney Smith led the Cougars with 20. Shaylee Hanson added 17. The Cougars also included Haley Brooks, Tessa Cahoon, Sidney Carlson, Alex Lewis, Maizie Little Shields, Logan Moncks, Kelsey Quinton, Courtney Traweek and Jordan Wood.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans defeated the 9th-seeded Raymond Comets 80-73 as Adut Bulgak scored 29 and Meagan McIntosh 14. Jackie Tollestrup paced the Comets with 24. Dakota Weir added 20. The Comets also included Oshi Bartsoff, Brooke Heggie, Chloe Jardine, Ashley Karren, Attena Keeler, Macey Mendenhall, Leah Sieben, Charlye Weir and Porsha West.
The 4th-seeded Calgary Western Canada Redmen crushed the Spruce Grove Panthers 73-43 as Madeleine Rogers scored 30. Renee Byrne paced the Panthers with 13. The Panthers also included Alyssa Bridgeman, Leah Goddard, Brie Gray, Railene Hooper, Alana Jensen, Jordan Maclean, Shea-Lynn Noyes, Lindsey Papenhuyzen, Courtney St. Amand and Laurah Wild.
The 2nd-seeded Calgary Centennial Coyotes pummelled the Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans 81-65 as Alexa Gray scored 19 and Emma smith 12. Jessilyn Fairbanks paced the Titans with 22. Emily Adamic added 21. The Titans also included Kristen Balay, Kelsey Chamzuk, Camrie Christianson, Chanece Curtis, Kirsten Hansen, Lindsay Jessup, Jillian Karpyshyn, Madison Lakey, Molly Murray, Jessie Olsen and Emilie Thompson.
In the last quarterfinal, the 3rd-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs edged the 6th-seeded Edmonton Jasper Place Rebels 70-65 as Jessie Bachynski scored 17. Jessica King led the Rebels with 25. The Rebels also included Janyce Archutick, Selena Bakker, Catherine Butts, Breanne Frizzell, Justine Gabriel, Hannah Gahler, Morgan Gahler, Kinley Gibson, Jessica King, Laura McNeill, Lindsey Shamchuk, Chelsea smith and Megan Wood.
In the semis, the 4th-seeded Calgary Western Canada Redmen defeated the top-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans 84-68 as Strahinja Kucinar scored 30. Adut Bulgak paced the Spartans with 20. Samantha Hanrahan added 16.
In the other semi, the 3rd-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs defeated the 2nd-seeded Calgary Centennial Coyotes 72-66 as Jessie Bachynski scored 24 and Jessica Comfort 15. Alexa Gray paced the Coyotes with 25. Kassie Chomyn added 8.
In the bronze medal match, the top-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans dumped the 2nd-seeded Calgary Centennial Coyotes 66-53 as Adut Bulgak scored 29 and Ashlynne Gentles 10. Jordan Gray led the Coyotes with 12. Montana Romeril added 10. “Right at this moment, it’s a consolation prize,” said O’Leary coach Ron Kutney. “But if you take a look at the number of 4A teams in the province, there are over 100, so to be No. 3 is pretty darn good. … It’s very hard when you have your goal set for something for three years and you come up one game short. The real morose feeling was after the game on Friday night because it’s really deflating and in a sense you don’t know how they’re going to come back. The fact is, it’s a culmination of three years of working together, so what you want to do is go out and work your hardest and then whatever happens, you cannot shortchange yourself in saying ‘we didn’t do this, we didn’t do that’.” The Coyotes also included Megan Baker, Laurel Bonsor, Kassie Chomyn, Alexa Gray, Vicky Lewis, Carleigh MacKenzie, Kacey Otto, Emma Saretsky, Emma Smith, Megan Trisevic and Kenisha Whitney.
In the final, the 4th-seeded Calgary Western Canada Redmen clipped the 3rd-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs 89-76 as Isadora Purkovic scored 29, Madeleine Rogers 24 and Megan Festival 21. Jessie Bachynski paced the Bulldogs with 26. Jessica Comfort added 18. The three grade 11 Redmen dominated the floor. But coach Sheldon Brady said “quite honestly, my leadership still came from my 12s, in the locker-room, on the bench. We’ve got some skilled Grade 11s, but I really believe that our leadership still stems from our 12s. You can’t win championships without some type of senior leadership.” The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 5-0 lead but the Redmen soon took command. “We knew it would be a battle,” Bulldogs coach Katherine Adams said, noting that her team went 1-2 against Western in the regular season. “Their kids all played tough and they’re exceptional. I thought we fought hard, but we just didn’t have quite enough.” Western pushed its lead to 67-50 by the end of the third quarter and kept it around 10 points through most of the fourth. After Purkovic put in an MVP-type performance all night, hitting off-balance shots, finding cutters with perfect passes and filling lanes herself on the fast break, it was fitting that she dribbled the ball through the final seconds of play. “I was just taking what was coming,” Purkovic said. “Churchill was playing great defence, so it was tough at the beginning, but I continued to play my game. I guess it worked out pretty well in the end.” Brady said Purkovic is “a special player offensively. She has some size and she’s a bright athlete. I’m blessed to be working with her.”
The bronze medalist Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans: Cassandra Anastacio; Simone Baine; Adut Bulgak; Lauren Caryk-Bunker; Ashlynne Gentles; Samantha Hanrahan; Jordan Lembryk; Michelle Martyniak; Meagan McIntosh; Mandy McKinnon; Cheyenne Pyrozko; Triawna St. Germaine; Alysha Zuczek; coach Ron Kutney
The silver medalist Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs: Jessie Bachynski; Lisa Bassett; Kimberly Chow; Jessica Comfort; Meghan Dunbar; Anne Hudson; Swetha Kuladaivelan; Kristen Monfort-Palomino; Emily Morales; Tiffany Payne; Jenna Trofin; Kirstina Turner; Brittney Whittaker; coach Katherine Adams
The gold medalist Calgary Western Canada Redmen: Megan Festival; Simran Gill; Hannah Gonzales; Laura Herrera; Isadora Purkovic; Madeleine Rogers; Zoe Rogers; Sylvie Rokosh; Mieke Seville; Jillian Siemieniuk; Susan Thompson; Aimee Wilson; coach Sheldon Brady