In the opening round, held in Lethbridge: …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs clipped the 9th-seeded Red Deer Lindsay Thurber Raiders 71-59 as Raelyn Palmer scored 17 and Leslie Collyer 16. Michelle Wilson led the Raiders with 16. Raelene Purnell added 14. “We didn’t play our best game today,” Bulldogs coach Rick Frey told the Calgary Herald. “I could tell the kids were a little nervous and Thurber is a very athletic team. They jump very well.” The Raiders (coached by Kathy Lalor, assisted by Kerri DeZutter) also included Nancy West, Amanda Moore, Ashley Quaife, Azadeh Boroumand, Leah Melnychuk, Ashley Flemming, Julie Young. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Magrath Pandas defeats the 12th-seeded Lloydminster Barons 65-44 as Lauren Balderson scored 15 and Debbie Balderson 14. Janelle Watson led the Barons with 18. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Medicine Hat Kwahommies whipped the 10th-seeded Calgary Lord Beaverbrook Lords 76-58 as Lindsay Woodward scored 24, Jill White 16, along with 10 boards and 9 steals, Tessa Parker 10 and Stacey Toews 9. Carla Romeril and Lisa Pedersen each scored 14 for the Lords. “Lindsay Woodward started hot. She got us on a run offensively,” Kwahommies coach Boris Grisonich told the Medicine Hat News. “Then the rest of the girls started to pick it up.” The Lords (coached by Brian Krasselt) also included Hawley McCartney, Kesha Manywounds. ………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Airdrie Bert Church Chargers thumped the 11th-seeded Leduc Tigers 63-43. The Tigers included Maia DeKlerk.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Calgary Dr. E.P. Scarlett Lancers stomped the 8th-seeded Calgary Sir Winston Churchill Bulldogs 77-57 as Sarah Craig scored 24 and Chantal Corbett 15. Brittany Paterson paced the Bulldogs with 14.
The 4th-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans defeated the 5th-seeded Magrath Pandas 82-56 as Carlye Hicks scored 21 and Tonya Brown 13. Kelsey Helgeson led the Pandas with 16. The Pandas (coached by Tom Alston) also included Michelle Smith, Kim Miller, Danielle Wilde, Lauren Balderson, Amanda Loewer, Debbie Balderson.
The 2nd-seeded Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans throttled the 7th-seeded Medicine Hat Kwahommies 68-33 as Anne Fleming scored 11. Jill White and Jen Tschritter each scored 10 to lead the Kwahommies. “The girls are disappointed, but I think they’ll be OK,” Kwahommies coach Boris Grisonich told the Medicine Hat News. “They’ve been taught that as long as they work as hard as they can on defence and take the right shots, it’s all they can do. I’m really happy with the way the girls played on defence and they took the right shots. This time they didn’t fall. … (And) we couldn’t press because the shots didn’t go in.” The Kwahommies also included Lindsay Woodward, Tessa Parker, Amy Thorogood, Stacey Toews, Brandy Clark, Kim Schreiber, Kendra Smid, Jessica Parks, Brooke Neufeld, Rachel Pendezall, Lindsay Cunningham.
The 3rd-seeded Edmonton Jasper Place Rebels dumped the Airdrie Bert Church Chargers 73-58 as Cheryl Kurd scored 29 and Sarah Vanhooydonk 10. Lolene Stang and Mara Pratt each scored 12 to lead the Chargers. The Chargers (coached by Doug Wilde) also included Holly Stevens, Jessy West.
In the semis, the top-seeded Calgary Dr. E.P. Scarlett Lancers dumped the 4th-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans 76-61. The Lancers established a nine-point lead with a late run in the first half, withstood a challenge down the stretch and then held on for the win. Three Spartans and two Lancers fouled out in the whistle-happy affair. “It was real close until we went on that run,” coach Bryce Tolley told the Calgary Herald. “We kept them at bay for most of the game from there.” Ashley Dutchak led the Lancers with 19. Sarah Craig added 16 and Erin Mercier 14. Nadine Pyzyk led the Spartans with 12.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans thrashed the 3rd-seeded Edmonton Jasper Place Rebels 86-37.
In the bronze medal match, the 4th-seeded Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans defeated the 3rd-seeded Edmonton Jasper Place Rebels 63-47. The Rebels (coached by Ralph Tuominen) included Rachel Vander Veen.
In the final, the Calgary Dr. E.P. Scarlett Lancers took a 21-13 lead midway through the first half and maintained a 30-21 lead at the break. They quickly extended their lead to 14 in the second half and romped to a 62-48 win over the 2nd-seeded Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans. The win gave the Lancers their four provincial titles in five years. “It was a complete win,” coach Bryce Tolley told the Calgary Herald. “Before the game, I told the girls we were ranked number 1 all year, now we have to prove everybody right. It was a great basketball game.” Tolley added that his troops were determined to avenge a loss to the Titans in the 2001 final. “Even at dinner today, the girls were just focused. Then they went about their business. Ainlay didn’t play poorly. We outplayed them. Nearly everyone got on the scoresheet.” Ashely Dutchak led Scarlett with 21. Sarah Craig added 18. “This feels so good compared to last year’s loss,” said Craig. “It’s a picture perfect end to my high school basketball career. It was the most solid game we’ve played all year.” Both squads came out hot, hitting 9-11 to start the affair. But the Lancers went on a 10-0 run as they got their transition game going, capped by a steal by Chantal Corbett and a long outlet pass that hit a streaking Ashley Dutchak in stride. Tolley said “that’s the way we play. People say you have to adapt your style to your personnel but when you get into the program, they know they have to run whether you are big or small. We’ve been to the final five times in a row so we must be doing something right.” Dutchak hit a trey to put the Lancers ahead 49-29 in the second half and they coasted to the easy win. Lindsay Jantzie paced the Titans with 12.
The bronze medalist Edmonton Archbishop O’Leary Spartans: Leanne Theuss; Nadine Pyzyk; Amber Paul; Tonya Brown; Carlye Hicks; Nicolle O’Connor; Chelsea Ellis; coach Ron Kutney
The silver medalist Edmonton Harry Ainlay Titans: Lindsay Jantzie; Stephanie Ruste; Leanne Barrett; Anne Fleming;
The gold medalist Calgary Dr. E.P. Scarlett Lancers: Jaime Myck; Jill Talbot, Melissa Scmidt; Sarah Craig; Ashley Dutchak; Jenny Goodrow; Erin Mercier; Chelsea Pocza; Amy Lewis; Krista McMillan; Chantal Corbett; coach Bryce Tolley, assistant Lyle Watson