Final regular season standings: Red Deer (13-1); Mount Royal (11-3); Lethbridge (10-4); Camrose Lutheran (9-5); Medicine Hat (0-14)
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Grant MacEwan: Margaret Musselman,
Grande Prairie: Maureen Wild, Sue Wright, Shirley Obnniawka, Yollande Gagnon, Lori McLean, Susan Boisvert, Judy Bennion, Linda Quinn, Theresa Northmore, Marg Durnin, coach Keith Millan
Medicine Hat: Benita Schaufele, Kelly Shannon, Kathy Roberts, Terry Biddel, Angela Knor, Antheia Naylor, Beth Louson,
NAIT Ookpikettes: did not participate because too few women were interested in becoming members of the team.
SAIT: Cheryl Epp, Jeannie Schmidt, Cindy Epp, Marilyn Siedal, Sue Larkin, Sylvia Lamane, Christen Coates, Dorothy Ross, Shirley Wright, Joanne Henderson, Sherry Hall
In the semis, the Mount Royal Cougars clipped the Lethbridge Kodiettes 65-51 as Holly Boettger scored 12, Sandy Sexsmith 12, Julie Beven 10, Annette Gamache 10, Carolyn Jamieson 8 and Brenda Peutz 7. “We were just not quite with it for the whole game. Offensively we never put things together,” Kodiettes coach Jim Wemple told the Lethbridge Herald. Kodiette Kathy Smith, who nabbed 12 boards, said “it was like a bad dream. We just weren’t clicking. We played good defence but on offence we weren’t executing at all.” Shelley Dickout added that “we gave it our best, what more can you do.” Doreen Vankasteren paced the Kodiettes with 13 points and 9 boards. Bev McKeage added 12 points and 12 boards, Shirley Yuill 12, along with 6 boards and Shelley Dickout 8. “We pulled down 42 rebounds in the game to control the boards,” Wemple stated. “But what can you say, things just never panned out for us. We gave it a heck of a shot and lost.” The Cougars led 26-22 at the half.
In the other semi, the Red Deer Queens edged the Camrose Lutheran Vikettes 59-55 as Laurie Martin scored 20, Jan Brassard 16, Bev Robinson 9, Ellen Walter 9, Viv Wulff 2 and Mary Ann Cote 2. Faith Rostad led the Vikettes with 26. Helene Coolen added 11, Holly Franz 6 and Judy Gerlach 5. Jan Brassard scored 12 of her points in the second half, including six in a row. Camrose went into a zone late in the second half but Walter, Brassard and Martin hit shots over the zone as the Queens took command. Red Deer led by three with a minute to play and Bev Robison hit a pair of free throws to extend the margin to five. Linda Hirch answered with two free throws for the Vikettes. Helene Cowan hit 1-2 from the line to trim the margin to two. But Brassard was fouled as the clock expired and hit two free throws to ice it. Queen’s coach Mark Ryan told the Red Deer Advocate that “we played well but Camrose always gives us trouble. Rostad was unconscious. … She kept them in.” The Vikettes led 28-27 at the half.
In the bronze medal match, the Lethbridge Kodiettes edged the Camrose Lutheran Vikings 67-62 as Shirley Yuill scored 16, along with 8 boards, Doreen Van Kasteren 12, along with 6 boards, Jan Paton 11, Bev McKeage 7, along with 10 boards, Myra Pittman 6 and Val Charteris 5 The Kodiettes shot 37% from the floor and 59% from the line. “I got a super effort from the girls all year long,” said Kodiettes coach Jim Wemple. “There were four good teams in this tournament and if we wouldn’t have had an off-night Friday, we could have won this thing. I think we made the college proud of us. No, I know we did. Next year the LCC has a lot to look forward to. With this being the last game of the year, I’d like to say it’s been a blast for me. We’ve proven that girls’ basketball is worthwhile. It’s the best experience I’ve ever had in athletics and I’m proud of all the girls.” Faith Rostad led the Vikettes with 20. Judy Gerlach added 18 and Helene Coolen 16.
In the final, the Red Deer Queens nipped the Mount Royal Cougars 38-37 as Laurie Martin scored 12, while nabbing 15 boards. Viv Wulff added 6, Jan Brassard 5, Judie Millard 5 and Jan Brown 2. Sandy Sexsmith paced the Cougars with 9. Annette Gamache added 6, Julie Beven 6, Holly Boettger 5 and Brenda Pruetz 5. Cougar guard Holly Boettger through up a desperation bomb at the buzzer that bounced off the backboard. Queens coach Mark Ryan told the Red Deer Advocate that “they are a super aggressive team. But we are more so and we proved it tonight. There’s no doubt they are good but we played as a team and that, along with our added experience, eventually told the tale. … (Defence is) what it’s all aobut. I know we have the scorers, although it didn’t look like it tonight. But they were putting tremendous pressure on us, so defence is the key. Everybody did the job, from the starters to the bench. When I went to my bench, I got solid performances and that may have given us the edge, being able to rest the starters when we had to. I played everyone except Brenda Watson and I feel bad about that, but Ellen (Walter) was doing such a fantastic job, it never seemed the right time to take her off.” Wulff hit a field goal with two minutes to play to give the Queens a five-point lead. Preutz and Gamache answered with buckets to draw the Cougars within one and then Wulff hit two free throws that proved the winning margin. Beven hit a field goal at the buzzer to narrow the margin to one. The Cougars led 19-16 at the half. Brassard said “I wasn’t really worried about the score at the half. I knew we could come back. I knew we could play solid defence.”
The all-tournament team featured MVP Jan Brassard (Red Deer); Ellen Walter (Red Deer); Laurie Martin (Red Deer); Sandy Sexsmith (Mount Royal); Holly Boettger (Mount Royal); and Faith Rostad (Camrose Lutheran).
The bronze medalist Lethbridge Kodiettes: Shirley Yuill; Doreen Van Kasteren; Jan Paton; Bev McKeage; Donna Layton; Shelly Dickout; Cathy Smith; Davlyn Last; Myrna Pittman; Shannon McGillis; Val Charteris; coach Jim Wemple
The silver medalist Mount Royal Cougars: Holly Boettger, Julie Bevan, Sandy Sexmith; Annette Gamache; Lori Magnuson; Brenda Preutz;
The gold medalist Red Deer Queens: Jan Brassard; Laurie Martin; Ellen Walter; Bev Robinson; Ellen Walter; Viv Wulff; Mary Ann Cote; June Thompson; Brenda Watson; Jan Brown; Judie Millard; coach Mark Ryan