Final regular season standings (9): Camosun (13-3); Northern British Columbia (11-5); Okanagan (11-5); Langara (9-7); Capilano (9-7); Malaspina (9-7); Douglas (8-8); Kwantlen (2-14); Columbia Bible (0-16)
Columbia Bible Bearcats: Alea Beaumont, Julie Remple, Julianne Threlfall, Erin Naples,
Douglas Royals: Patti Olsen, Katrina Kocs, Antonia Ghattas, Cynthia Lawson, Bianca Jarvis,
Kwantlen Eagles: Koral Fraser, Chantelle Doerksen, Caitlyn Munn, Grace Pawluk
In the quarterfinals, the 3rd-seeded UBC Okanagan Lakers defeated the 6th-seeded Langara Falcons 47-31. The Lakers got 14 points from third-year forward Meghan McGill and 12 out of the hands of second-year guard Jenna Kantz. The Falcons, who had trouble getting their offence going, were led by Virginia Watson. The second-year guard from Richmond was on target for 14 points. No other Langara player reached double digits. Forward Carling Muir, the league scoring champion, drained just seven points for Langara. The Falcons hit just .293 from the field. Jenna Kantz was chosen player of the game for Okanagan, while Virginia Watson earned the laurels for Langara.
In the other quarterfinal, the 4th-seeded Malaspina Mariners edged the 5th-seeded Capilano Blues 78-73. Malaspina jumped out to a 17-3 lead in the first quarter but Capilano fought back and actually led 20-19 later in the first. It was a sign the Blues would not go quietly. They trailed 35-31 at halftime and, despite being down by 10 for much of the second half, brought the score to 77-73 with a minute left. Brooke St. Germain of the Blues had two foul shots with 15 seconds remaining but missed both. That allowed the Mariners to run out the clock for the win. Stephanie Chow, a fourth-year guard, knocked down 17 points for the Mariners. St. Germain, a second-year guard, finished with a team-high 14 for the Blues. Maria Kirkbride earned player of the game honours for Malaspina while Brooke St. Germain earned the laurels for Capilano. The Blues (coached by Paul Chiarenza, assisted by Jaclyn Flaten and Kate Begley) also included Monika Starczynowski, Carlee Babcock, Natalie Restivo, Mallory Gerwing, Jotes Manhas, Lauren Van Dolah, Rebekka Miltimore, Tasha Lorenzen and Leah Bosello.
In the semis, the 2nd-seeded UNBC Northern Timberwolves edged the 3rd-seeded UBC-Okanagan Lakers of Kelowna 62-56. Fourth-year forward Laurel Wallace almost single-handedly brought the Timberwolves back from a 48-44 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter. Laurel Wallace earned player of the game honours for UNBC while Mandy Trenholm earned the laurels for Okanagan. Laurel Wallace led UNBC with 25 on 10-15 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 8 boards, and 3 steals. Jaclyn Nazareno added 11 on 3-11 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 4-8 from the line, 3 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals. Carlye Hicks added 8 on 2-6 from the floor, 4-8 from the line and 5 boards. Soili Smith added 5 on 2-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the line and 3 steals. Lindsay Anderson scored 4, Chelsea McMullen 4, Kady Dandeneau 2 and Theresa Smith 2, along with 5 boards. Theresa Doan, Brittany Bidlake, Nicole Chappell and Jennifer Clyne were scoreless. The Timberwolves shot 22-59 (.373) from the floor, 5-13 (.385) from the arc and 13-24 (.542) from the line, while garnering 49 boards, 11 assists, 18 steals, 28 turnovers and 13 fouls. Meghan McGill paced Okanagan with 14 on 7-10 from the floor, 23 boards and 3 steals. Mandy Trenholm added 12 on 5-13 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 1-4 from the line and 8 boards. Jennifer Bridgeman notched 12 on 6-13 from the floor, 3 boards and 4 steals. Jenna Kantz added 7 on 2-9 from the floor and 3 steals. Bailey Radley notched 4, Kim Whelpton 4, along with 7 boards and 3 steals, and Megan Kolman 2, while Taryn Lazarus, Melissa Irish, Alison Randa and Audrey Siebert-Timmier were scoreless. The Lakers hit 25-64 (.391) from the floor, 3-15 (.200) from the arc and 3-10 from the line, while garnering 39 boards, 8 assists, 17 steals and 27 turnovers.
In the other semi, the top-seeded Camosun Chargers defeated the 4th-seeded Malaspina Mariners 74-62. Ashley MacKay earned player of the game honours for Camosun, while Stephanie Chow earned the laurels for Malaspina.
In the bronze medal match, the 3rd-seeded UBC Okanagan Lakers edged the 4th-seeded Malaspina University College Mariners 74-69. Malaspina had the lead at halftime, 35-25. But, the Lakers dominated play in the third quarter and outscored the Mariners 23-11. In a run-and-gun fourth quarter, both teams lit up the scoreboard – 26 points for UBC-O and 23 for Malaspina. In the end, the Lakers held on for the victory. Mandy Trenholm scored 20 points for the Lakers, who also got 18 from Kim Whelpton. Jessica Stubbs drained 24 points for the Mariners. Mandy Trenholm earned player of the game honours for Okanagan while Maria Kirkbride earned the laurels for Malaspina.
In the final, the host and 2nd-seeded UNBC Northern Timberwolves defeated the top-seeded Camosun Chargers 71-54. The Timberwolves trailed 39-37 at halftime but put the game away with an absolutely dominant third quarter, outscoring the Chargers 22-4 to build a 59-43 lead. “We pumped each other up (at halftime),” said UNBC forward Carlye Hicks. “We talked about what we had to work on and we knew we had to come out strong. How we played in the first half was not how we really wanted to play. If we wanted to win the game we had to win the third quarter so we came out as strong as we could.” Laurel Wallace, named the tournament’s most valuable player, led the Timberwolves with 23 points. Lindsay Anderson added 14 and Jaclyn Nazareno had 12. Ashley MacKay led Camosun with 16 points and 8 boards. The Chargers started strongly in the first quarter and built a 7-0 lead before Anderson got the Timberwolves going with a three-pointer. Before the game was five minutes old, Camosun was up 13-4. The Chargers were particularly deadly from long range. Kendall Allen sunk a pair of three-pointers, and Carmen Lapthorne also dialed long distance for a three-ball. A three-pointer by UNBC’s Wallace gave the home team some life and confidence, and the Timberwolves started to get their offence into gear. With 58.5 seconds left to play in the opening quarter, they took their first lead, 18-16. Camosun, however, led 21-18 after the quarter. In the second, the teams went back and forth at each other, but the player who stood out the most was MacKay. The third-year forward was virtually unstoppable any time she got the ball in the paint. UNBC’s Nazareno just failed to convert on a drive to the bucket before the halftime buzzer sounded. Wallace and Anderson both had nine points in the half for the T-wolves. MacKay finished with 12 for the Chargers. Lindsay Anderson was chosen player of the game for UNBC, while Kate Carlson earned the laurels for Camosun. Camosun coach Brett Westcott said “I thought we were ready coming out to start the third quarter but we couldn’t score with the number of times we turned the ball over.” Unable to execute offensively in the second half of a close gold medal game on Saturday, the women saw their two-point lead after the first half turn into a 20-point deficit when the Timberwolves capitalized on turnovers and outscored the Chargers 22-4 in the third quarter. Ashley Mackay managed 16 points and tied Carmen Lapthorne with eight rebounds. “It’s unbelievable. I can’t even explain it,” said fourth-year forward Laurel Wallace, named the tournament’s most valuable player following a 23-point performance in the championship game. “Just thinking back to Day 1 of this year, we’ve come together so well and everyone’s improved so much, as an individual and as a team. I’m so happy for everyone. I’m so excited.” For the UNBC women, the provincial final featured their most superior quarter of the season when they outscored the Chargers 22-4. The BCCAA championship trophy and banner could’ve been presented to the Timberwolves entering the fourth quarter as they led 59-43. Only a mammoth collapse would’ve cost UNBC the victory, and with a loud and boisterous crowd pumping them up, they had mileage to spare. “(The spectators are) a sixth man,” fourth-year guard Jaclyn Nazareno said. “Things get rolling and you just feed off them. You can’t be tired because you’re just so excited. It’s great.” Nazareno, named a tournament all-star after scoring 12 points in the final, figured in on the third quarter offensive surge with a couple significant plays. First, she drew a foul and dropped a pair of free throws. Then with about two and a half minutes remaining in the quarter, Nazareno showed off her scoring touch with an underarm, finger roll shot that spun around the rim of the hoop before dropping in for two points. The Timberwolves took their largest lead of the game at 59-41 and never looked back. “We went into the locker room at halftime and we talked about our defence,” UNBC women’s head coach Loralyn Murdoch said. “Our defence (surrendered) 39 points in the first half and that’s unacceptable. We talked about that and we talked about playing with heart and playing with passion. We all know our jobs, they all know they can do their jobs so do it. Don’t be worried about anything else. There’s nothing else they can worry about. They went out and they played with a lot of heart, with a lot of passion, with a lot of energy and we get a couple stops and things just started to build.” The Northern Timberwolves entered halftime losing 39-37. “They were taking balls away from us in the first half, but we didn’t let that happen in the second half and that was a big turning point for us,” Murdoch said. “We physically stepped up and played much tougher.” Spectators rose to their feet in the final minute, and when the clock stopped with 10.2 seconds remaining, high fives were already being shared by the Timberwolves coaching staff and their players. The celebration was underway for a team which finished a perfect 10-0 on its home court during league action and playoffs this season. “The girls were talking about (the crowd) in the dressing room,” Murdoch said. “We got a standing ovation midway through a quarter for no reason, and as much as it made (the players) nervous, it was like a sixth player, that constantly someone had their back, someone was encouraging them. The words can’t even explain it.” Wallace’s 23 points led all scorers. She drained nine buckets in field goal range, scored three times from beyond the arc, pulled down five rebounds and assisted on five baskets. “(She was our most valuable player) by far, and I’m yelling we need to use the clock and she hits a pull up jumper,” Murdoch said. “I’m like okay, just do whatever you want. When she gets in the zone, she is an unbelievable player.” Two other Timberwolves reached double-figured point totals. Fifth-year guard Lindsay Anderson had 14, and fourth-year forward Carlye Hicks had 10. Mackay led the Chargers with 16 points, while Carlson collected 11. The Chargers turned the ball over 28 times, compared to 10 turnovers for UNBC. “(Our depth is) the big thing,” Nazareno said. “I don’t think teams can key on one player on our team. We’re so deep. Anyone can have a great night any given night and so I think that’s a huge thing for us. Everything is spread out, defensively and offensively.”
The bronze medalist Okanagan Lakers: Taryn Lazarus; Katie Woodman; Megan Kolman; Melissa Irish; Jenna Kantz; Bailey Radley; Alison Randa; Audrey Siebert-Timmer; Jennifer Bridgeman; Kim Whelpton; Meghan McGill; Mandy Trenholm; Taryn Lazarus; coach Heather Semeniuk; assistant Marc Semeniuk
The silver medalist Camosun Chargers: Kate Carlson; Jill Proudfoot; Kayla Morris; Julia Fisher; Kendall Allen; Filipa Filipi; Jessica Hickey; Teresa Hartrick; Carmen Lapthorne; Chiara Ciapponi; Ashley Mackay; Drew Crout; Rachel Griffin; Niki Hodgkinson; coach Brett Westcott; assistant Nate Boersen; assistant Pat Griffin; assistant Dallas Lansdell; assistant Courtenay Parks; manager Gina Graves; trainer Alan Poole
The gold medalist University of Northern British Columbia: Jaclyn Nazareno; Theresa Doan; Kady Dandeneau; Jessica Wallace; Brittany Bidlake; Chelsea McMullen; Nicole Chappell; Soili Smith; Theresa Smith; Lindsay Anderson; Ami Strang; Jennifer Clyne; Laurel Wallace; Carlye Hicks; Maria Neumann; Emily Nusse; Brenna Boyle; coach Loralyn Murdoch; assistant Laura Foster; assistant Dave Holmes; assistant Cory Antrim; assistant Joel Hulme; assistant Rachel Johnson; athletic director Len McNamara