In the opening round, held in Daysland: …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Bonnyville Notre Dame Wildcats defeated 12th-seed New Sarepta 53-47 as Danielle Reynolds scored 15, Tessa Parma 10 and Ola Woljcik 10. Gina Sutter led New Sarepta with 27. Keriann Hafso added 12. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Edmonton Christian Lions whipped the 9th-seeded Peace River Nomads 65-43 as Marijke VanGinhoven scored 16 and Abby Elzen 15. Jamie Szucksko led Peace River with 13. Shanelle Thompson added 11. The Nomads also included Maggie Bradner. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators clipped the 11th-seeded Bawlf Wildcats 61-45 as Maggie Thompson scored 21 and Alyssa Babe 15. Amber Reich led Bawlf with 14. Joelle Bumstad added 8. …………………………………………………… The 10th-seeded Three Hills Prairie Christian Academy Sabres upset the 7th-seeded Standoff Kainai (formerly St. Mary’s) Warriors 58-43 as Toni Plett scored 16 and Amber Brown 15. Starr Eagle Child paced Kainai with 12. Tiffany Weasel Head added 11. The Warriors also included Chaylee Bruised Head.
In the quarterfinals, the 4th-seeded Calgary Christian Cougars defeated 5th-seed Bonnyville Notre Dame Wildcats 55-37 as Jordan Verhoeff scored 32 and Audrey Siebert-Timmer 12. Nicole Korpan paced Notre Dame with 11. Danielle Reynolds added 10.
The top-seeded Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks defeated the 8th-seeded Edmonton Christian Lions 56-43 as Mallory Jones scored 14 and Ashley Blagen 10. Christina VanBerkel led Edmonton Christian with 15. Marijke VanGinhove added 7.
The 6th-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators stunned the 3rd-seeded Daysland Darls 70-49 as Maggie Thompson scored 25 and Whitney Corns 14. Rachel Hunt led Daysland with 18. Lauren Story added 14. “We had a good shooting game
today,” coach Derek Beck told the Lethbridge Herald. “It was a real team win today.”
The 2nd-seeded Rimbey Spartans edged the 10th-seeded Three Hills Prairie Christian Academy Sabres 52-50 as Lauren Loyek scored 18 and Kelsey Nawrot 14. Alison Lundall paced Prairie Christian with 19. Toni Plett added 11.
In the semis, the 4th-seeded Calgary Christian Cougars clipped the top-seeded Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks 60-46 as Jordan Verhoeff scored 35 and Audrey Siebert-Timmer 10. Ashley Blagen led J.C. Charyk with 15. Mallory Jones added 13.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Rimbey Spartans defeated the 6th-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators 51-50. The Spartans trailed the Gators by 13 in the second half and by 50-44 with two minutes to play but they rallied with defensive pressure and nailed three free throws in the final minute. “In the end our defence was the difference,” Spartans coach Tim Lekas told the Red Deer Advocate. “We spent a lot of time prior to every game talking about defence, and shutting down the other team’s top players and that was huge.” “We were a millimetre away from going to the final,” Gators coach Derek Beck told the Medicine Hat News. “We were up for most of the game, and they got hot. It could have gone either way. … Most of our players were in Grade 11 this year. We were the hungriest team there (at 3A’s), I thought, and we improved each game.”
In the bronze medal match, the top-seeded Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks whipped the 6th-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw 67-46 as Mallory Jones scored 18 and Ashley Blagen 16. Maggie Thompson led Senator Gershaw with 11. Whitney Corns added 7. The Gators (coached by Derek Beck, assisted by Stan Tiffin) also included Alyssa Babe, Jodi Hopkins, Kjirsten McPhillips, Nicole Poole, Samantha Rapson, Katie Scott, Renee Torscher, Julien Van Tol and Ashley Verhaest.
In the gold medal final, the 2nd-seeded Rimbey Spartans defeated the 4th-seeded Calgary Christian Cougars 54-50 as Erika Bergum scored 18 and Ariel Lekas 12. Jordan Verhoef led Calgary Christian with 20. Audrey Siebert-Timmer added 7. Spartans coach Tim Lekas said the win was vindication for a decision to pull the team out of the Parkland Basketball League at the start of the season in favour of tournaments and exhibition games. “That was the reason we made the decision,” Lekas told the Red Deer Advocate. “We wanted to play top competition so we were ready for the provincials.” Lekas said containing Verhoef to 20 was an achievement. “Twenty seems like a lot, but we double and triple teamed her, forcing her to battle for everything she got and down the stretch that paid off. They still did everything in their power to get her the ball and she did everything to try to get a shot and we didn’t allow it. We even left other players open because they didn’t seem to want the ball.”
The bronze medalist Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks: Ashley Blagen; Ashley Czar; Mallory Jones; Jillana Knauft; Megan Laing; Spencer Lockhart; Robyn Morlock; Megan Quaschnick; Alana Wade; Megan Werner; coach Rick Haines; assistant Amber Marshall; assistant Carrie Lecuyer; manager Myrna Haines
The silver medalist Calgary Christian Cougars: Jordan Verhoeff; Jenn Clayton; Maria Collins; Robyn Wagenaar; Meghan Wade; Lauren Crouse; Rachel Groen; Jocelyn Odorizzi; Kassi Plumer; Audrey Siebert-Timmer; Rebekah Steneker; Britt Vangroningen; coach Mike Campbell; assistant Jason Kupery; trainer Carolyn VanZwol
The gold medalist Rimbey Spartans: Lauren Loyek; Erika Bergum; Dianna Dolman; Jennah Dubielew; Erika Flaman; Emily Falk; Ariel Lekas; Kendal McElroy; Elisa Meikle; Kelsey Nawrot; Amber Regnier; Lindsay Seidel-Wassenaar; coach Tim Lekas; assistant Garnet DuGray; manager Kathy Bergum-Davies