(3) Lethbridge CC  68            
(6) Briercrest Bible  57 Lethbridge CC 67        
(2) Cape Breton  49 Maisonneuve 78 Maisonneuve 68    
(7) Maisonneuve 100            
              —–MAISONNEUVE  
(4) Langara  71            
(5) Mohawk  31 Langara 57 John Abbott 66    
(1) John Abbott  80 John Abbott 84        
(8) B.C.I.T.  46            

        Commencing in 1981, the Manitoba Conference champs had to play in against the wild card because the CCAA had passed a resolution the previous summer requiring Manitoba to defeat a wild card to qualify for national tourney. General belief was that Manitoba CCAA wasn’t competitive enough to automatically qualify.

In the play-in game, the Maisonneuve Vikings pounded the Red River Rebels 104-30 as Alexandra Franco scored 18 and Sylvie Fortier 16. Donna Faryon led Red River with 12. Rebels coach Sandy McBride told The Projector that the Vikings “had to be one of the best women’s teams I’ve ever seen. They would give some universities a tough time.”

Seedings were based on the previous year’s results.

        In the quarterfinals, the 7th-seeded wildcard Maisonneuve Vikings, which finished 1st in the FASCQ but lost in the postseason playoffs to John Abbott, pasted the 2nd-seeded Cape Breton Capers 100-47. The Capers, coached by Paul Scholten, seeded 2nd, had knocked off the regular season champ Nova Scotia Agricultural College Rams in the Nova Scotia semis and then the Nova Scotia Teacher’s College Hawks, in the finals to earn the automatic bid after finishing third in the conference regular season. The Capers were led by Janice Hillman averaging 16 ppg and Janice Coleman, averaging 10.3 ppg but were bad out-classed by Vikings. Janice Hillman finished with 16 points. Maisonneuve was led by Nancy Avery’s 22 points. Marie Noel added 18.

        The 3rd-seeded Lethbridge CC Kodiettes defeated the 6th-seeded Briercrest Bible Clippers 68-57 as Diane Irvine scored 18, Cathy Gorman 16, Malinda Hamilton 13 and Peggy Norgaard 13. Briercrest was led by Lorraine McCormick’s 18 points. The Kodiettes had knocked off the Mount Royal Cougars in the Alberta final. They were led by Cathy Gorman, averaging 20 ppg and Diane Irvine averaging 15 ppg and coached by Darrell Wall. The Briercrest Bible Institute Clippers, coached by David Boyes, had won both the regular and postseason Saskatchewan titles. “Three quarters of the way through the game changed,” Kodiettes coach Darrell Wall told the Lethbridge Herald. “Marie French controlled the defensive boards and we came away with the win.” Lethbridge led 28-26 at the half but took command in the second, leading by as many as 15. “We neutralized them when we got that 10-point lead,” said Wall. “The big turning point for us in the second half had to be the rebounding, and we really started playing good defence.” Wall did an exceptional job of the bench, particularly on the boards, he added. “I got the feeling in the second half that she really had to be a decisive factor in this game.” And Irvine, he added, was outstanding. “Diane is that kind of player. She’s a smart ball player, a heady ball player and when she’s on, she’s tough. She was obviously the most valuable player out there.” Irvine was chosen the game’s MVP.

The top-seeded and three-time defending champ John Abbott Islanders dumped the host and 8th-seeded B.C.I.T. Cougars 80-46. Islanders coach Chris Hunter told The Province that “we’re not that big. But we like to get inside.” The Cougars had finished 4th in the Totem Conference. They were coached by Tyrone Walls and led by Sue Trautman, averaging 11.1 ppg. The Islanders were coached by Chris Hunter and had qualified as FASCQ postseason champs. Led by Jane Bullock, averaging 23.2 ppg, the Islanders easily handled the Cougars as Bullock hit her season average with 23. B.C.I.T. was paced by Lynn Klassen and Sheila Thompson, each with 14. BCIT coach Tyronne Walls told the Prince George Citizen that “they had tremendously gifted athletes and they were well-coached in fundamentals. … Our team was in over our heads.”

        In the last quarterfinal, the 4th-seeded Langara (then the Vancouver CC) Falcons thrashed the 5th-seeded Mohawk Mountaineers 71-31. The Falcons were coached by Ian Kelsey and had qualified as Totem Conference champs after knocking-off regular season champ College of New Caledonia in the postseason playoffs. Led by Cheryl Kelsey, averaging 19.2 ppg and 11 rpg, as well as forward Carol Loukas, averaging 14.4 ppg. Kelsey, the provincial high school athlete of the year in 1980 who’d left the country on an athletic scholarship to U.C.L.A. but had returned a year later, scored 26, and Loukas 16 to lead the Falcons to the easy win. Anne DeRoski (Devoski?) led the Mountaineers with 12. Coached by Earl Begg, Mohawk won both the regular season and postseason Ontario titles. The Falcons opened with a 12-0 run and romped. Falcons coach Ian Kelsey told the Province “it wasn’t much of a contest.” Begg said “we decided to play our worst game of the year today. It was our first national finals [tournament] and we had the jitters.”

        In the bronze quarterfinals, the British Columbia Institute of Technology Cougars dumped the Mohawk Mountaineers 50-38 as Sheila Thompson scored 14 and Dawn Heath 14. Jan Pal led the Mountaineers with 11.

        In the other bronze quarterfinal, the Briercrest Bible Clippers nipped the Cape Breton Capers 57-56 as Lorraine MacCormack scored 17. Lynn Gallant led the Capers with 20.

        In the semis, the John Abbott Islanders defeated the Langara Falcons 84-57 as Jocalynn Laviolette scored 21 and Beth Jordan 20. The Falcons were led by Cheryl Kelsey’s 18 points.

        In the other semi, the Maisonneuve Vikings defeated the Lethbridge CC Kodiettes 78-67 as Helene Cowan scored 29, Marie Noel 14 and player of the game Alexandra Franco 10. The Kodiettes were paced by Diane Irvine’s 19 points. Cathy Gorman added 16 and Peggy Norgaard 13. Maisonneuve led 49-27 at the half and by as many as 32 in the second half. Lethbridge coach Darrell Wall said “they’re just a good team. They play excellent hall and when you make a mental mistake, they capitalize on it.” A shift to a zone made the game vaguely respectable. “We felt we could run on them and we probably didn’t do enough of that. We missed a lot of inside shots.”

        In the bronze semis, the Lethbridge Kodiettes defeated the B.C.I.T. Cougars 71-48 as Cathy Gorman scored 28, Dianne Irvine 17 and Peggy Norgaard 13. Coach Darrell Wall said the boardwork of Joyce Pavka proved the difference. He added that Peggy Norgaard was outstanding. “She’s been coming on well of late. In every game, she’s been a major factor.”

        In the other bronze semi, the Langara Falcons dumped the Briercrest Bible Clippers 79-67.

        In the bronze medal match, the Langara Falcons defeated the Lethbridge Kodiettes 71-60. Player of the game Cheryl Kelsey led the Falcons with 20. Cathy Gorman led the Kodiettes with 24. Malinda Hamilton added 12 and Dianne Irvine 12. Vancouver led by double digits and went into a stall the final few minutes. “I thought that was kind of dumb,” LCC coach Darrell Wall said. “They were ahead and it worked a little for them. But I never expected anything like that I didn’t think there was any reason for them to do that. We played a pretty good game, as best as could be expected coming off a game this morning. We gave it our best shot. We rely too much on our outside shooting. (Hamilton) was the one who kept us in the thick of things today.”

        In the final, a rematch of the Quebec conference postseason finale, the Maisonneuve Vikings ended the John Abbott Islanders three-year stranglehold on the title by defeating their Quebec rivals 68-66 in overtime as Helene Cowan scored the winning bucket with 38 seconds to go. Maisonneuve’s Alexandra Franco had tied the game at 57 with a driving layup with two seconds on the clock. Late in the overtime, John Abbott missed two free throws which would have tied the game. Vikings coach Louise Duff told The Province that “my heart is still pounding.” Duff noted that guard Nancy Avery “can do it all. Pass, shoot and drive. She is a complete athlete. This win meant a lot to everyone on our team.”

        The all-tourney team featured: MVP Nancy Avery (Maisonneuve); Kathy Gorman (Lethbridge CC); Jane Bullock (John Abbott); Cheryl Kelsey (Langara); Beth Jordan (John Abbott); and Helene Cowan (Maisonneuve)

        The bronze medalist Langara (then Vancouver CC) Falcons: Cheryl Kelsey; Carol Loukas; coach Ian Kelsey

        The silver medalist John Abbott Islanders: Beth Jordan; Jocalynn Laviolette; Jane Bullock; coach Chris Hunter

        The champion Maisonneuve Vikings: Nancy Avery; Helene Cowan; Sylvie Fortier; Louise Henri; Eliane Lachapelle; Gisele Lamarche; Therese Desautels; Linda St. Cyr; Johanne Lamontagne; Marie Noel; Alexandra Franco; coach Louise Duff