In the quarterfinals, held in Stirling, the host Lakers dusted the Marwayne Jubilee Wildcats 90-31 as Brad Steed scored 31. The Wildcats included Norman Tupper.
The Coalhurst Celtics edged the Wanham Wildcats 52-48 as Alex Podruzny scored 24. The Wildcats (coached by Jim Hertzler and Ray Waters) also included Kevin Putio.
The Foremost Falcons clipped the Grassland Cougars 50-22 as Eldon Brittiner scored 20.
In the last quarterfinal, the Rosalind Raiders crushed the Acme Redmen 50-22. The Redmen included Stan Prohl.
In the semis, the Stirling Lakers crushed the Rosalind Raiders 55-42 as Brad Steed scored 23. Jay Herder led the Raiders with 13.
In the other semi, the Foremost Falcons topped the Coalhurst Celtics 59-47 as Garth Van Gaalen scored 23.
In the bronze medal match, the Coalhurst Celtics dumped the Rosalind Raiders 57-47 as Mike Balaz scored 19. Bob Klima added 12 and Shawn Stebbins 10. Jay Herder led the Raiders with 17. Mark Yuba added 14. The Celtics led 18-15, 30-22 and 40-32 at the quarters.
In the final, the Stirling Lakers defeated the Foremost Falcons 49-48. The Falcons broke to a 9-6 lead but the Lakers rallied to a 13-9 lead after one quarter. The Lakers led 24-22 at the half. The score was knotted at 30 after three quarters. The Lakes led 48-40 with two minutes to play but the Falcons responded with a pair of quick buckets and then, with 30 seconds on the clock, Bob Haraga added a bucket but the Falcons missed two opportunities to win it at the line. Brad Steed led the Lakers with 22. Randy Oxley added 9, Ken Byam 8 and Ward Hicken 7. Garth Van Gaalen led the Falcons with 21. Haraga added 11. “It couldn’t have been better,” Stirling coach Jack Hicken told the Lethbridge Herald. “It was a game of high emotion and every player was going full blast the whole game. I’m really pleased with them . . . At crucial times we got key baskets and we were under a lot of pressure. “They (the Falcons) played a real tight zone that pressed out on the ball and it really affected us. It took us quite a while to get going. The only way we could get back at them was by pressing . . . I feel the man-to-man press finally loosened it up for us and gave us the seven-point lead to hold on.” The Lakers were without 6-1 post Darcy Erickson, who was injured in the zone playoffs. “I feel we lost 15 points and a great deal of rebounding strength when we lost Darcy,” Hicken said. “It took the young kids off the bench just a terrific effort to fill the spot and they did that.”
The bronze medalist Coalhurst Celtics: Alex Podruzny; Mike Balaz; Bob Klima; Shawn Stebbins; Greg Hansen; John Lothian; Stephen Stanley; David Pearson; Ken Van Rootselaar; Gordon Cook; coach Mike Hornberger
The silver medalist Foremost Falcons: Garth Van Gaalen; Eldon Brittiner; Bob Haraga;
The gold medalist Stirling Lakers: Brad Steed; Darcy Erickson; Randy Oxley; Ken Byam; Ward Hicken; David Oxley; Eric Hogenson; David Wandler; Monti Coates; Murray Smith; coach Jack Hicken; assistant Rick Mrazek; statistician Brenda Oishi