In the quarterfinals, held in Edmonton, the top-seeded Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clipper Queens dumped the Calgary Bishop Grandin Ghosts 57-49. The Ghosts included Suzanne Hawko.
The 2nd-seeded Medicine Hat Kwahommies clipped the Sherwood Park Salisbury Sabres 59-56 as Jennie Umpleby scored 12, Loretta Hatzelaar 16 and Corey Ennis 10. But 5-0 guard Carmen Lonson “was the key,” Kwahommies coach Bren Ennis told the Medicine Hat News. “She singlehandedly broke their press. She weaved through the team got to the other end and would make the bounce pass to Jennie or Loretta for the easy basket.” Ennis added that reserves Tracy Dueck, Svava Thorsteinson and Tara Parker also delivered. The Kwahommies led 38-28 at the half as the Sabres concentrated on their defence on Hatzelaar and Ennis. That allowed Umpleby freedom to operate. “Jennie went to the foul line 16 times,” said Ennis. “They were playing a 1-3-1 defence. We would swing the ball to one side and Carmen would lob the ball to Jennie. She would take one step and by the time a person got over there she would be taking the shot and they would foul her.” The Sabres included Tracy Wilkie.
The Grande Prairie St. Joseph’s Ceinahs dispatched the host Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans 79-64 as Jackie Hebert scored 20 and Annette Blew 20. Ceinahs coach Patrick McDonald told the Grande Prairie Herald Tribune that “we went to the run. The girls played very well.”
In the last quarterfinal, the Red Deer Lindsay Thurber Raiders stunned the Calgary St. Mary’s Saints 59-53 as Tracey Henger scored 28, while nabbing 14 boards. Corie Gunderson added 13, Mona Palfreyman 8, Fiona Moffat 7, along with 11 boards. Carmen Goodacre nabbed 11 boards. The loss was just the second of the season for St. Mary’s. “Make that two,” Thurber coach Sandre Goheen told the Red Deer Advocate. “This is by far our biggest win. It was incredible how well the girls played. I don’t think you could have asked for a better effort. … That was the key. We established great position on the boards and they had to go over our backs. As a result, they got into foul trouble. … We were able to keep our heads up and keep our cool under pressure.” Saints star Heather Bohez picked up three quick fouls in the first half and a fourth early in the second half. She and fellow provincial team player Audra Duregon eventually fouled out. Bohez led the Saints (coached by Barry Calon) with 18. Helen Kubok added 17 and Duregon 10.
In the semis, the top-seeded Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clipper Queens defeated the Grande Prairie St. Joseph’s Ceinahs 61-52 despite trailing 24-22 at the half. The Clipper Queens kept posting their forwards and lobbying the ball over top of the Ceinahs, while drawing fouls and dominating the boards. Ceinahs coach Patrick McDonald told the Grande Prairie Herald Tribune that “their big girls usually scored 15 points per game and we just couldn’t stop them. … Jackie (Hebert) played just unbelievably. It’s not often you see that kind of performance in a coaching career. She was playing above the level of both the teams …. We still had a lead with eight minutds left but they started hitting the bonus shots … The flow of the game didn’t go our way. Our speed guards Cami Wrzosek and Shauna Grant just couldn’t get the rebounds – they only scored six points.” Hebert said “it was basically the height difference. But they really played excellent – they deserved to go the final.” McDonald said “this team beat us. We lost it – we didn’t choke. We just lost it.”
In the other semi, the Medicine Hat Kwahommies dumped the Red Deer Lindsay Thurber Raiders 77-62 as Corey Ennis scored 21, Jennie Umpleby 19 and Carmen Lonson 12. Fiona Moffat paced the Raiders with 17. Tanya MacDonald added 11, along with 12 boards.
In the bronze medal match, the Grande Prairie St. Joseph’s Ceinahs edged the Red Deer Lindsay Thurber Raiders 69-65 as Jackie Hebert scored 19 and Annette Blew 17. Ceinahs coach Patrick McDonald told the Grande Prairie Herald Tribune that “to place third in among a pool of teams like is no insult. They girls showed composure to come off a disappointing loss and win. I was very, very happy with the play of the kids.” Fiona Moffat paced the Raiders with 22. Tracy Henger added 13. Raiders coach Sandre Goheen told the Red Deer Advocate that “the loss … hurt. The girls wanted it real bad and it was a barnburner. We were up by seven at half-time and had a chance but it wasn’t to be.” The Raiders (coached by Goheen) also included Mona Palfreyman, Carmen Goodacre, Corie Gunderson, Tanya MacDonald, Tammy White.
In the final, the 2nd-seeded Medicine Hat Kwahommies defeated the top-seeded Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clipper Queens 60-49 as Corey Ennis scored 32. The Kwahommies were determined to send off retiring coach Bren Ennis with a victory, after five years at the helm. “I haven’t thought about how we are g6ing to celebrate this,” Ennis told the Medicine Hat News. “The girls are going to go back to the hotel and be rowdy all night long. We will probably get
kicked out of the hotel and end up having to drive home.” The Clippers had twice defeated the Kwahommies during the regular season, by a total of three points. “What it boiled down to was that their three forwards are in Grade 11
so I knew if we got them rattled, they would cave in,” said Ennis. The coach’s cousin, Corey, dominated. Jennie Umpleby added 13. Jaylene Baker led the Clippers with 16. Chris Hartley added 9. “We are disappointed,” said Hartley. “We fell apart in the last couple minutes.” Lethbridge had a 26-23 lead at the half but Umpleby ignited the Kwahommies with five unanswered points in just over two minutes as they took a 42-37 lead. “This is incredible,” Umpleby said. “Everybody came together when it counted. We peaked at the right time.” Corey Ennis noted that “it’s unreal. I felt we could win, but I can’t believe we actually did it.” The turning point, she added, came when the Kwahommies scored two quick baskets in the final seconds of the first half to cut the Clippers’ seven-point lead to just three. “That got them frustrated,” she said. The Kwahommies also overcame the loss of 6-0 post Loretta Hatzelaar to fouls with six minutes to play. Ennis said the others were determined to pick up the slack. “They were trying to get Loretta out of the game. The others knew they had to work without Loretta in there. When that happened I looked at Carmen (Lonson). When I saw the killer instinct in her eyes I knew my girls could handle it.” Jaylene Baker paced the Clipper Queens with 16. Chris Hartley added 10. “I’m very pleased with what we did,” said Clipper Queens coach Larry Baker told the Lethbridge Herald. “There’s no problem to get this far with as young as a team as we did. We had to play a whale of a second game to beat St. Joe’s and we used up a lot of emotion for that game.”
The bronze medalist Grande Prairie St. Joseph’s Ceinahs: Shauna Grant; Annette Blew; Jackie Hebert; Tina McKinnon; Leanne Baida; Michelle Lemay; Alison Fedchuk; Cami Wrzosek; Traci Bednard; Debbie Nelson; coach Patrick McDonald
The silver medalist Lethbridge Collegiate Institute Clipper Queens: Jennifer McClain, Kristine French; Dianne Smith; Laura-Lynn McDonald; Karen Nicholson; Chris Williams; Leah Schipper; Lori Yantz; Peggy Au; Allison Townsend; Barb Stewart; Shannalyn Howells; Chris Hartley; Laura Daggy; Candice Kliebrink; Jaylene Baker; coach Larry Baker; assistant Lana Shanks; manager Lisa Wiebe
The gold medalist Medicine Hat Kwahommies: Corey Ennis; Kerri Larson; Carmen Larson; Shelley Sessor; Tara Parker; Tracey Dueck; Jenny Umpleby; Svava Thorsteinson; Loretta Hatzelaar; Tara Lesmeister; coach Bren Ennis