In the opening round, held in Coalhurst: …………………………………………………… The 9th-seeded New Norway Spartans dispatched the 8th-seeded host Coalhurst Crusaders 53-42. The Crusaders led 26-22 at the half. Corinne Jans paced Spartans with 20. Amanda Cole added 12, while Toni Steiner scored 4 and performed masterfully at the point. “Toni controlled the tempo, on offence and defence,” said Spartans coach Bob Kluthe. “She’s a major reason we are here, she’s a smart player and has very quick hands. But really, we have a very deep team, all our girls got into this game.” Kluthe’s troops press for the first 45 seconds of the second half and force two turnovers, while taking the lead. “The press turned things around, but really through the year what got us here was our tough half-court defence,” said Kluthe. “You have to take your hat off to Coalhurst, they kept trying right to the end.” Sherese Ambler led Coalhurst with 12. Aimee Sandham added 10. The Crusaders also included Jenn Strain, Cassidy Klima, Missy Klima, Amy Soenen. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Three Hills Prairie Bible Sabres clipped the 12th-seeded Calgary Christian Cougars 75-39 as Beckie Hunt scored 18, Jess Richards 17 and Holly Penner 16. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks clocked the Fort Saskatchewan John Paul II Patriots 68-51 as Jill McDonald scored 21, Michelle Hettler 15 and Melanie Wecker 10. Melissa Black led the Patriots with 11. Cass Wilson added 9 and Julie Charchun 8. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Bawlf Wildcats nipped the 10th-seeded Glenmary Saints 72-71 as Leah Hendrickson scored 28. The Saints led 32-22 at the half. Jacqueline Fortin paced the Saints with 35.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators clocked the 9th-seeded New Norway Spartans 67-41 as Angela Thompson scored 15 and Simona Kuipers 13. The two posts dominated the boards for the Gators. “Our team focuses on defensive and offensive boards, and boxing out under the boards is a key part of our game,” said Kuipers. “We will be happy just to get to the finals, and whichever team we have to meet, you can bet it will be a good one. It would be nice just to get there. In our next game, we plan to improve on our turnovers and play with more control.” Gators coach Maurey Salmon said his troops looked disjointed in the first half. “A couple of girls were just going through the motions. On a small floor like this one, I try to use all 11 players and keep the other team running a little harder. Both my big girls (Thompson and Kuipers) usually control the game for us and work the boards well.” The Spartans included Toni Steiner, Corinne Jans, Amanda Cole, Holly Boden.
The 4th-seeded Bonnyville Notre Dame Wildcats edged the 5th-seeded Three Hills Prairie Bible Sabres 64-61. The Sabres led 31-27 at the half. Tera Hennessey paced the Roadrunners with 21. Rachel Vachon and Crystal Sabatier each added 17. Holy Penner led the Sabres with 20. Becky Hunt added 20. The Sabres also included Jess Richards, Jen Salisbury.
The 2nd-seeded Lethbridge Immanuel Christian Eagles crushed the 7th-seeded Bawlf Wildcats 69-42 as Jenessa Vande Griend scored 22 and Lynette Van Damme 12. Leah Hendrickson led the Wildcats with 9. Eagles’ coach Lisa Korver said “everyone played well for us today. Jenessa is going to be a tough loss for us, she graduates this year. She plays with real intensity out there. There are five people on the floor, and we hope each one has the opportunity to play well, but Jenessa is definitely the team leader.”
In the last quarterfinal, the 3rd-seeded Edmonton Christian Lions edged the 6th-seeded Hanna J.C. Charyk Hawks 54-50 as Erin Wisselink scored 16. The Hawks led 31-25 at the half.
In the semis, the top-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators clipped the 4th-seeded Bonnyville Notre Dame Wildcats 73-54 as Angela Thompson scored 23.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Lethbridge Immanuel Christian Eagles clawed the 3rd-seeded Edmonton Christian Lions 61-58 as Jenessa Vande Griend notched 19 and Suzanne Korthius 16.
In the bronze medal match, the Edmonton Christian Lions defeated the 4th-seeded Bonnyville Notre Dame Wildcats 62-57. The Wildcats included Rachel Vachon, Becky Kleinmann, Tera Hennessey, Crystal Sabatier.
In the final, the top-seeded Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators defeated the 2nd-seeded Lethbridge Immanuel Christian Eagles 62-54. “We won the game from the foul line,” Gators coach Maurey Salmon told the Lethbridge Herald. “All year long, until the zones, we were under 30% at the foul line, and tonight we were 20 of 30.” The title marked a basketball-volleyball provincial double for the Gators. “It has a lot more to do with my athletes than with me,” Salmond said. “And I get them all back next year, every one … and we can improve even more.” The Gators ran up an 18-point lead in the first half and though the Eagle briefly rallied within five, the Gators regained a 40-39 lead at the half. In the second half, Jenessa Vande Griend hit three consecutive treys to trim the margin to four with 1:47 to play but Simon Kuipers hit four free throws down the stretch to ice the win. “Immanuel Christian is an awesome team, and they really pushed us,” Salmon said. “We are a young team, but we didn’t fold when they came back at us like that. Angela Thompson played really well defensively for us, and Jen Coutts, another of our Grade 10 starters, did a good job setting up the plays. One of the things which really helped us to win was the fact we didn’t turn the ball over against them.” Kuipers led the Gators with 25. Thompson added 18. Vande Griend led the Eagles with 20. Suzanne Korthuis added 16.
The bronze medalist Edmonton Christian Lions:
The silver medalist Lethbridge Immanuel Christian Eagles: Suzanne Korthius; Annalise Bekkering; Jenessa Vande Griend; Janice Doeve; Lynette Van Damme; Shareen Greidunus; coach Lisa Korver
The gold medalist Bow Island Senator Gershaw Gators: Amy Thompson; Lee Froese; Jen Coutts; Jill Cooper; Simona Kuipers; Angela Thompson; coach Maurey Salmon