Final regular season standings (7): Vanier (14-0); John Abbott (9-3); Dawson (7-5); Outaouais (7-5); Maisonneuve; Champlain-St-Lambert (4-8); Champlain-Lennoxville (4-8)
Playoff non-qualifiers:
Champlain-Lennoxville Cougars:
Champlain-St. Lambert Cavaliers: Stenneth Thompson, Leroy Raffington, Steve Fitz, Todd MacDougall, Shaheed Samuels, Adrian Benjamin, Doug Gagnon, Fred Belanger, Paul Barbeau, Rubens Leveille, Ron Ezerzer, coach Joe Eveleigh
Maisonneuve Vikings: Sebastien Gauthier, Yann Lamy
In the semis, the Vanier Cheetahs whipped the Outaouais Griffins 85-58.
In the other semi, the John Abbott Islanders defeated the Dawson Blues x-x.
In the bronze medal match, the Outaouais Griffins defeated the Dawson Blues 94-90. The Blues (coached by Olga Hrycak) included Benoit Deschamps, Rodney Hampden, Dwayne Richens, John Rimple.
In the final, the Vanier Cheetahs dumped the John Abbott Islanders 69-64 before a standing-room only crowd of 2,000 in the Vanier Gym. John Abbott broke to a 12-5 lead, forcing the Cheetahs to bring center Deon George off the bench, despite his ankle injury. He hit his first shot but John Abbott still led by 14-7. But George and Emerson Thomas ignited a 14-0 run as they built a 40-28 lead at the half. Vanier took a 13-point lead midway through the second half but the Islanders twice rallied to within three (at 61-58 and 67-64). But they missed 6-8 free throws down the stretch and Peter Walcott hit a pair from the line with 35 seconds to play to ice the win for the Cheetahs. The Islanders hit only 2-10 from the line down the stretch. “My heart was really pumping at the end but we’re going to (the nationals),” rookie coach Henry Wong told the Montreal Gazette. “I think the kids were tired. They gave a lot of effort Friday night against Outaouais and once they got a big lead against Abbott, they let down. We were kind of hanging on at the end. But I was very proud of my kids all year. It was a total team effort. They came back all year long.” Islanders coach Steve Seabrooke said his troops were badly hurt by Vanier’s full-court pressure in the first half. All-Canadian Emerson Thomas paced the Cheetahs with 16. Deon George added 13, Johan Deleon 12 and Peter Walcott 11. Dave Bialski paced John Abbott with 20. The 6-10 centre “played his best game ever,” said Seabrooke. “But free throws and turnovers plagued us all year and it did again tonight.” Curtis Robinson added 12, Dave McBride 9 and Cabral Douglas 8.
After the season, the league accepts the Montmorency Nomades as their eighth entry. The Nomades had applied for membership two years earlier but were rejected.
The bronze medalist Outaouais Griffins: Brian Major;
The silver medalist John Abbott Islanders: Dave Bialski; Curtis Robinson; Glen Faucher; Dave McBride; Cabral Douglas; John Lapp; Dwayne Dear; Chris Emergui; Russ Johnson; Jeff Norville; coach Steve Seabrooke
The gold medalist Vanier Cheetahs: Emerson Thomas; Deon George; Jomo Williams; Peter Walcott; Johan Deleon; Pelle Varrichio; David Rosenburg; David Abacasis; Fritz Mascary; Peter Walcott; coach Henry Wong