Final regular season standings:
North (7): Grant MacEwan (20-4); Concordia (18-6); Grande Prairie (16-8); King’s University College (13-11); Lakeland (6-18); Augustana (6-18); NAIT (5-19)
South (6): SAIT (17-3); Mount Royal (16-4); Lethbridge (11-9); Medicine Hat (11-9); Red Deer (5-15); Briercrest (0-20)
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Augustana: Natasha Nagy, Alison Lundall, Megan Hogendoom, Jessica Binder, Jamie Sparrow, Karla Binder, Genna Flinkman, Meghan Martyna, Carlee Lussier, Madelaine Merkel, Andrea Martinson, Jessie Hameister-Reis, Samantha Janzen, Sara Chappell, Avalon Greaves
Briercrest: Raeanne Doerksen, Dani Frost, Jillian Greenshields, Heather Oke, April Dalman, Amara McCormack, Jeri Smith, Monica Crocker, Angela Seib, Rebecca Mabbett, Miriam DeCock, Katherine Scott, Jenna Gatey, Allison Cortens
Lakeland: Meghan Smith, Michelle Huber, Caitlin Dick, Tanna Grueter, Danielle Lensen, Lauren Gavrailoff, Erica Lowe, Lindsay Hunter, Ciana Gregorio, Hallie Eggie, Kellie Boychuk, Brittany Partington, Samantha Macaventa, Amy Ingram, Leah Keiser
NAIT: Crystal Jensen, Grace McBride, Kriska Reyes, Dale-Marie Cumberbatch, Shannon MacIssac, Jodi Heavenor, Kelli Heavenor, Anna Mentsow, Kelsey Reeves, Kate Keys, Christina Duff, Caleigh Duff, Amber Larson, Amber Kassian
Red Deer: Megan Wiggans, Jill Wheat, Shelby Hauck, Cherish Esau, Austin Jones, Trudie Lefurgery, Molly McMahon, Shayla Millan, Kaleen Harris, Alysse Bowd, Erika Stewart, Brooke Hender, Caitlyn Meachin
In the quarterfinals, Medicine Hat defeated Grant MacEwan 66-61; 59-58 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Medicine Hat edged Grant MacEwan 66-61 as Kelsey Rowntree scored 13, Landace McClughan 10, Alyssa Dunn 6, Mallory Jones 6, Michelle Keene 6, Jodi Leinweber 6, Audra Beardsworth 6, Cori Jones 6, Jane Jacoby 4, and Rebecca Hartshorn 3 while Katie Carter was scoreless. Jenny Brauer paced MacEwan with 13. Keira Lintz added 9, Kelsey Reed 8, Carley Burr 8, Danielle Smale 7, Chelsey Billings 6, Kirsten Molesky 6 and Jill Verhesen 4, while Courtney Knox was scoreless. “It feels good, but the job is unfinished,” Rattlers coach Jason McLester told the Medicine Hat News. “We want to take positive notes from today. We want to correct things we did wrong. In my mind, the biggest stat of the game is they only got eight offensive rebounds. We did a very good job of boxing out a very good rebounding team.” …………………………………………………… In game two, Medicine Hat completed the series sweep by edging MacEwan 59-58 as rookie reserve guard Elyse Greenberg hit a bucket in the paint with 20 seconds to play. “It is really nice to be able to contribute in that way, especially at the very end,” Greenberg told the Medicine Hat News. “It really honestly was an entire team effort. That last shot was not the end all and be all of the game. I think every little thing that everyone put into it throughout the entire game I think is what mattered.” Jason McLester noted that Greenberg’s shot “was big. It was fitting for her, because she played well all game. We knew, if we put her on the floor at the end of the game, that she was going to do the things that she had been doing all game for us. We are just really proud of her.” Greenberg said team defence proved the difference, particularly Michelle Keane’s pressure on Griffin point guard Carley Burr, and a forced turnover on the final possession. Mallory Jones paced the Rattlers with 12. Jane Jacoby added 10, Cori Jones 9, Elyse Greenberg 8, Michelle Keene 6, Landace McClughan 6, Kelsey Rowntree 4, Audra Beardsworth 2 and Alyssa Dunn 2, while Rebecca Hartshorn, Katie Carter, Rebecca Newhouse, Jodi Leinweber and Casie Gibson were scoreless. Kirsten Molesky paced MacEwan with 20. Keira Lintz added 15, Jill Verhesen 9, Carley Burr 7, Jenny Brauer 6 and Danielle Smale 1, while Chelsey Billings, Danielle Molesky, Courtney Knox and Kelsey Reed were scoreless. The Griffins also included Maegan Janz and Natasha Varma.
The Mount Royal Cougars defeated the Grande Prairie Regional College Wolves 75-81; 55-48; 65-60 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In game one, Grande Prairie defeated Mount Royal 81-75 as Melissa Buhler scored 17, Krista Ciura 11, Melanie Patterson 10, Jaelle Duinker 8, Leah MacNeil 8, Lenka Rohova 7, Jenn Seemann 6, Erin Slemp 6, Erica Rude 4, Laura Dunsdon 2 and Tia Gerwatoski 2. Katie Ward led Mount Royal with 14. Brittany Pekar added 14, Elyse Hnatiuk 13, Jessica Mercier 13, Paige Bowman 8, Danielle Fleming 5, Jennifer Dudley 4 and Mallory Oudendag 4, while Kelsey Cote and Lindsay Rabbitt were scoreless. …………………………………………………… In game two, Mount Royal defeated Grande Prairie 55-48 as Paige Bowman scored 12, Brittany Pekar 9, Lindsay Rabbitt 8, Jessica Mercier 7, Katie Ward 6, Danielle Fleming 6, Elyse Hnatiuk 5, Jennifer Dudley 4 and Mallory Oudendag 2, while Kelsey Cote, Joanna Hiller and Katrina Papa were scoreless. Krista Ciura led Grande Prairie with 13. Jenn Seeman added 10 and 16 boards. Jaelle Duinker notched 6, Erin Slemp 5, Melanie Patterson 5, Melissa Buhler 5, Erica Rude 2 and Leah MacNeil 2, while Lenka Rohova and Laura Dunsdon were scoreless. …………………………………………………… In game three, Mount Royal took the series by edging Grande Prairie 65-60 as Jessica Mercier scored 17, Paige Bowman 12, Katie Ward 11, Brittany Pekar 8, Elyse Hnatiuk 8, Jennifer Dudley 5, Danielle Fleming 3 and Lindsay Rabbitt 1, while Kelsey Cote, Joanna Hiller, Mallory Oudendag and Katrina Papa were scoreless. Melissa Buhler paced Grande Prairie with 14. Jenn Seemann added 13, Melanie Patterson 12, Erica Rude 7, Leah MacNeil 6, Lenka Rohova 4, Erin Slemp 2, Jaelle Duinker 2 and Laura Dunsdon 1, while Krista Ciura and Tia Gerwatoski were scoreless. The Wolves also included Lisa Deneault and Kate Dechant.
The SAIT Trojans defeated the King’s University College Eagles 66-59; 71-62 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, SAIT prevailed 66-59 as Whitney Jekabson scored 17, Rachel Johnson 13, Sacha Kirkland 11, Ieanne Becking 10, Natalie Svarich 4, Leah Marrington 4, Mackenzie Vander Woude 3, Mary Belisle 2 and Jerri-Lyn Chisholm 2, while Claire Nesbitt and Bryarly Parker were scoreless. Maia de Klerk led King’s with 15. Stacey Sperling added 14, Hilary Smith 12, Meachel Carnahan 6, Amy McColl 6, Karin Buisman 2, Irene Tang 2 and Sarah Ramsey 2. …………………………………………………… In game two, SAIT completed the sweeping by dumping King’s 71-62 as Whitney Jekabson scored 21, Ieanne Becking 12, Sacha Kirkland 10, Claire Nesbitt 10, Rachel Johnson 7, Bryarly Parker 4, Mary Belisle 3, Natalie Svarich 2 and Mackenzie Vander Woude 2, while J Chisholm and L Marrington were scoreless. Hilary Smith led King’s with 17. Stacey Sperling added 12, Meachel Carnahan 11, Karin Buisman 7, Maia de Klerk 6, Irene Tang 5, Amy McColl 2 and Sarah Ramsey 2. The Eagles also included Rosanne Wiebe, Karina Leslie, Stephanie Hooft, Ellen Doty and Jenna Wilson.
In the last quarterfinal series, Concordia d’d Lethbridge 71-69; 71-63 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Concordia nipped Lethbridge 71-69 as Josie Peacock scored 16, Kasia Kibler 13, Jordan Anstice 12, Kristen Hill 11, Cailin Lissel 9, Denise Boye-Owusu 7, Ashley Bladon 2 and Kristen McCurdy 1, while Erika Bergum, Chelsey Day and Kristen Redhead were scoreless. Anne Mercer paced Lethbridge with 26. Tori Lybbert added 15, Kayla Lambert 14, Bonnie Smith 11, Jackie Cerciello 2 and Shelby Hubbard 1, while Jocelyn Davis, Jenna Kultgen and Ashley Peterson were scoreless. …………………………………………………… In game two, Concordia completed the sweep by defeating Lethbridge 71-63 as Josie Peacock scored 20, Cailin Lissel 16, Kasia Kibler 12, Jordan Anstice 9, Kristen Hill 7, Ashley Bladon 3, Erika Bergum 2 and Denise Boye-Owusu 2, while Chelsey Day, Kristen McCurdy and Kristen Redhead were scoreless. Tori Lybbert paced Lethbridge with 18. Kayla Lambert added 17, Anne Mercer 12, Bonnie Smith 6, Jocelyn Davis 4, Jackie Cerciello 2, Shelby Hubbard 2 and Jenna Kultgen 2. The Kodiaks also include Taya Stobbe, Ashley Peterson, Nikkina Weasel Head, Natalie Johnson and Tamara Day Chief.
In the Final Four semis, Medicine Hat stunned favored Mount Royal 68-54. The Rattlers out-scored the Cougars 44-23 in the second half. “We’re still in disbelief that we’re even (at the Final Four) to begin with, but we’re so ecstatic … I don’t even know how to describe it,” said Rattlers first-year forward Landace McClughan, who was named player of the game against the Cougars after scoring 18 points to go along with a handful of key rebounds. “We should be pinching ourselves so we know this isn’t a dream.” Second-year guard Michelle Keen added that “it’s an unreal feeling. We figured (Mount Royal) was going to be our biggest challenge, so we had to come out as hard we could. We weren’t even ranked in top of the country for most of the year, so to be in the conference final now is so exciting.” Things looked a little bleak for the Rattlers in the opening half, as they put forth an exceptional defensive performance in the first quarter to hold down a 13-13 tie, but struggled on offence and let up on D in the second frame to trail 31-24 at halftime. Cougars post Katie Ward was a menace for Medicine Hat with 14 first-half points, but the underdogs were able to hold their 6-foot-6 opponent to just three points in the final two quarters. “We tried to shut down some of their people who were key in the first half, like their post Katie Ward,” said McClughan, a 5-foot-11 Regina native. “She had most of their points, so we focused on taking her out of the game while maintaining our hard work ethic.” The Rattlers’ stinginess on defence translated into many forced turnovers and important baskets, as they tried to cut the slim deficit in the third quarter. Jodi Leinweber’s three-point play finally tied the score at 35-35 with 4:26 to go in the frame, and a Cori Jones jumper with 1:10 left gave Medicine Hat a 41-40 lead – its first since the early stages. The Rattlers took a one-point lead into the fourth, and despite the Cougars taking a momentary 47-46 advantage, the final seven minutes were dominated by Medicine Hat. Landace McClughan paced Medicine Hat with 18. Mallory Jones added 9, Michelle Keene 8, Kelsey Rowntree 8, Cori Jones 7, Jodi Leinweber 6, Audra Beardsworth 5, Katie Carter 3, Alyssa Dunn 2, Rebecca Hartshorn 2 and Jane Jacoby 0. Katie Ward paced Mount Royal with 17. Elyse Hnatiuk added 11, Jessica Mercier 6, Paige Bowman 4, Kelsey Cote 3, Lindsay Rabbitt 3, Joanna Hiller 3, Jen Dudley 3, Brittany Pekar 2 and Katrina Papa 1, while Danielle Fleming and Mallory Oudendag were scoreless.
In the other semi, Concordia dumped SAIT 76-61 as Cailin Lissel paced Concordia with 27. Denise Boye-Owosu added 16, Josie Peacock 10, Jordan Anstice 7, Kasia Kibler 7, Erika Bergum 4, Kristen Hill 3 and Ashley Bladon 2, while Chelsey Day, Kristen McCurdy, Kristen Redhead and Kendal Wiebe were scoreless. Whitney Jekabson paced SAIT with 13. Ieanne Becking added 12, Claire Nesbitt 10, Natalie Svarich 7, Rachel Johnson 5, Sacha Kirkland 4, Mackenzie Vander Woude 4, Mary Belisle 2, Jerri-Lyn Chisholm 2, Rebecca Hansen 2 and Leah Marrington 1, while Bryarly Parker was scoreless.
In the bronze medal match, Mount Royal clipped SAIT 77-67 as Elyse Hnatiuk scored 15, Jen Dudley 14, Jessica Mercier 11, Katie Ward 10, Lyndsay Rabbitt 6, Brittany Pekar 5, Danielle Fleming 5, Joanna Hiller 5, Paige Bowman 5 and Kelsey Cote 1, while Mallory Oudendag and Katrina Papa were scoreless. Claire Nesbitt paced SAIT with 14. Leanne Becking added 11, Sacha Kirkland 8, Mary Belisle 4, Whitney Jekabson 4, Leah Marrington 3, Mackenzie Vander Woude 3, Jerri-Lyn Chisholm 2, Rachel Johnson 2, and Bryarly Parker 2. The Trojans (coached by Donovan Martin, assisted by Colette Anderes, therapist Maggie Dunlop) also included Mary Belisle, Natalie Svarich and Rebecca Hansen.
In the final, the Concordia Thunder dispatched the Medicine Hat Rattlers 72-59 as Kristen Hill scored 17 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 6-6 from the line. Josie Peacock added 16 on 5-8 from the floor, 6-10 from the line and 7 boards. Cailin Lissel notched 10 on 4-7 from the floor and 2-3 from the arc. Kasia Kibler scored 8 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Erika Bergum added 8 on 5-6 from the line. Ashley Bladon scored 4, Kristen Redhead 4, Jordan Antice 3 and Denise Boye-Owosu 2, while Chelsey Day and Kristen McCurdy were scoreless. The Thunder shot 20-55 (.364) from the floor, 8-21 (.381) from the arc and 24-32 (.750) from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 23 fouls and 25 turnovers. Landace McClughan led Medicine Hat with 12 on 4-7 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 8 boards. Kelsey Rowntree added 12 on 4-8 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Alyssa Dunn notched 9 on 4-7 from the floor and 6 assists. Jane Jacoby 6, Mallory Jones 6, Michelle Keene 5, Jodi Leinweber 5, Audra Beardsworth 2 and Katie Carter 2, while Elyse Greenberg, Rebecca Hartshorn and Cori Jones were scoreless. The Rattlers hit 20-55 (.364) from the floor, 0-1 from the arc and 19-22 (.864) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 28 turnovers and 28 fouls. “Of course, we’re ecstatic,” said Thunder coach Todd Warnick. “The losses (to MacEwan) served as a major catalyst for us. We had some adjusting to do.” “It’s a roller-coaster ride of emotion right now,” said Rattlers Head Coach Jason McLester told the Medicine Hat News. “I’m just extremely proud of our girls. We’ve had a tremendous run for the past month and played the toughest teams in Alberta and beat them. It would have been great to come home with the gold tonight, but there’s nothing wrong with silver. My hat’s off to Concordia. They deserved to win it tonight.” The Rattlers dominated the opening minutes of the game. Posts Mallory Jones and Alyssa Dunn silenced the capacity hometown crowd by combining for 11 points to Concordia’s lone three-pointer. The home side didn’t roll over after falling behind early. They hit back-to-back three-pointers to take a slim 18-17 lead into the second quarter. The Thunder really started to pick up their game from that point, while the Rattlers’ inside game that dominated the early stages stalled. Concordia won the quarter 16-7 to go up 34-24 at halftime. The closest the Rattlers were able to get in the second half came early in the third quarter, as two quick baskets and a free throw made it 38-33 Concordia. Kelsey Rowntree sank an acrobatic layup and Jodi Leinweber stole the Thunder’s ensuing throw in, sank her layup while getting fouled and knocked down the subsequent free throw. McLester took a technical foul with 1:19 left in the third after he argued a traveling violation on Mallory Jones, who appeared to get fouled on the play. The Thunder regained their cushion and took a 52-43 advantage into the final frame. Rowntree hit a jumper with 2:49 left to cut the gap to 65-57, but the Thunder hit their free throws in the dying minutes to capture the title. “We came out firing just like we wanted to,” said McLester. “But Concordia being a very good team, they responded. They made some adjustments, and we struggled from there.” Jones, a fourth-year post, said “I’m so proud of the girls for making it this far. We were definitely the underdogs, and unfortunately, Concordia played an awesome game tonight and we didn’t. Our pride was on the line this weekend, and I think we did ourselves and our school proud.” Rowntree tried to soak in the memories her team made. “The loss is really disappointing, but I’m so proud of everyone on our team for working so hard to get this far,” added Rowntree, a third-year Rattler. “It’s the memory of a lifetime and something that I’ll never forget.”
The bronze medalist Mount Royal Cougars: Kelsey Cote; Danielle Fleming; Katie Ward; Brittany Pekar; Jen Dudley; Morgan Munro; Alex Gordichuk; Jessica Mercier; Lyndsay Rabbitt; Katrina Papa; Paige Bowman; Joanna Hiller; Elyse Hnatiuk; Mallory Oudenag; coach Joe Enevoldson; assistant Robyn Middlestead; assistant Murray Scotton; assistant Wendy Closkey; therapist Nicole Renneberg
The silver medalist Medicine Hat Rattlers: Mallory Jones; Rebecca Hartshorn; Elyse Greenberg; Katie Carter; Rebecca Newhouse; Audra Beardsworth; Kelsey Rowntree; Cori Jones; Michelle Keene; Alyssa Dunn; Jodi Leinweber; Casie Gibson; Jane Jacoby; Landace McClughan; coach Jason McLester; assistant Brian Sanders; assistant Claire Tomczyk; athletic director Kelly Almer
The gold medalist Concordia Thunder: Jordan Anstice; Ashley Bladon; Erika Bergum; Denise Boye-Owusu; Chelsey Day; Kristen Hill; Kasia Kibler; Cailin Lissel; Kristen McCurdy; Josie Peacock; Kristen Redhead; Kendal Wiebe; coach Todd Warnick; assistant Ashley Nealon; athletic director Bernie Masterson