In the opening round, held in Kamloops: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Prince George Duchess Park Condorettes defeated the 16th-seed Maple Ridge Westview Wildcats 72-64. The Condors entered the tourney with a 26-0 record, led by Morgan Stoner, an all-star from 2000 and also featuring perimeter gunner Carly Szanik and 6’3” rebounding star Randi Colone. Erika Johnson paced Duchess Park with 32, including four three-pointers against Westview. Stoner added 17. Hayley McAusland, Lindsay Garrigus and Jean Garrigus each scored 11 for Westview. …………………………………………………… The Abbotsford Christian Knights defeated North Vancouver Sutherland Sabres 82-74 as Cindy Bestebraer scored 20, Jessica Boersma 18, Rebecca Kyba 18 and Crystal Wikkerink 18. Chelsea Miller led Sutherland with 27. …………………………………………………… The Victoria Lambrick Park Lions dumped the 11th-seeded Hazelton Spartans 58-44 as Ashley Lum scored 19. Tamara Stoney led Hazelton with 12. Ashlene Ranahas added 11 and Kateri Clay 9. Spartan Anna Leung told The Interior News that “our baskets were just not going in.” The Spartans (coached by Simon Dodd and Lucille Stoney) also included Michelle Stoney, Amy Ward, Laura Nash, Heather Dodding, Kelsey Green, Stephanie Blackburn, Kaili Clay and Tara Di Zazzo. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Kamloops Brocklehurst Broncs defeated the 10th-seeded Richmond Robert A. McMath Wildcats 74-72 in double overtime after rallying from 10 down in the final quarter. Amber Paulson and Ashley Shannik each nailed a pair of treys as the Broncs rallied in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Shannik notched 8 in the extra periods, while hitting a critical free throw and nabbing a rebound off the second, missed free throw in the final seconds. Meanwhile, the Broncos contained post Breanne Watson to just 2 in the overtimes. “There was so much pressure to win that first game,” Broncs forward Ashlee Paulson told Kamloops This Week. “We did it but it took a lot out of us. McMath played an awesome game; they came out on fire.” Broncs coach Brian Peters said “we did not play very well. That’s probably our worst game since (January) easily. I’m pleased we won and I’m pleased with the heart we showed at the end. … Our feet were slow. We went for pancakes this morning; that must have been a mistake. We’ll meet before the game today but we won’t have pancakes.” Ashley Shannik led Brocklehurst with 30. Ashlee Paulson added 17. Breanne Watson paced McMath with 35, along with 15 boards. Erin McPherson added 28. “This game wasn’t any fun,” Broncs coach Brian Peters told the Vancouver Province. “We had a number of team goals and one of them obviously was to get out of that first round. We’ve done that. Our next goal is to play the way we can play, with a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of fun.” McMath led 33-22 as Watson dominated. Wildcats coach Jim Tsui credited his troops with playing “their hearts out and that’s all you can ask. Breanne is a great player and that’s why they start double-and-triple teaming her. We’ve got to kick it out sometimes and give the other girls a look. We lack that.” The Wildcats also included Soni Bone. ………………………………………………… The Castlegar Stanley Humphries Rockettes dumped the Quesnel Correlieu Clan 95-42 (alternately reported as 95-44). Irene Wark led the Clan with 19, while player of the game Morgan Wiles added 10. Clan coach Heather Service told the Cariboo Observor that “I though we would play well enough to beat them, or at least stay close but I think the girls were shell-shocked. … They did not play to their potential.” The Clan (coached by Service) also included Kat Robinson, Pam Bisal, Bevin Kennelly, Fawn Oakley, Christine Dekelel, Kate Wiles, Angela Jones and Brandi Planeta. …………………………………………………… The Surrey Holy Cross Crusaders crushed the Qualicum Beach Kwalicum Kondors 84-56 as 5-6 guard Taylor Stuart scored 47. Anna Chappell led Kwalicum (coached by Butch Gayton) with 23. Emily Shafflick added 17. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels dumped the 15th-seeded Kamloops Westsyde Whundas 81-47 as Emily Cordonier scored 19 and Laureen LaBrosse 14. Lindsey Carpenter had 11 for Westsyde. The Whundas also included Stephanie Nicholson, Meghan Allan, Erica Howes, Alesha Fell, Laura White. …………………………………………………… The Vancouver York House Tigers defeated the 9th-seeded Kamloops High Red Angels 56-45 as Erin Allen scored 16 and Lisa Tindle 15. Jessica Desnazes led the Red Angels (coached by Lynda Hall) with 13.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Prince George Duchess Park Condorettes defeated the 8th-seeded Vancouver York House Tigers 42-30 in a defensive affair as Erika Johnson scored 19 on 3-5 from the arc. Erin Allan led York House with 12. Susana Henri added 11. The Condors rode an 8-0 run, including 5 from Johnson, in the final quarter to win. “It was just a strong defensive game,” Johnson told the Vancouver Sun. “It was a little odd. We weren’t really into that, but we came through with the win. That’s all you really need.”
The Surrey Holy Cross Crusaders defeated the Abbotsford Christian Knights 69-49 after jumping out to a 20-9 lead as Katrina Veeken scored 19 and Taylor Stuart 16. The Crusaders led 35-19 at the half. The Crusaders avenged a loss to the Knights in the Fraser Valley fina, a loss which coach John Prescott said “was the best thing that happened to us all season. We became a bit more focused and concentrated on doing the little things like shooting.” Stuart said “we were very, very hungry to beat them. When we got the draw, it was in the back of our minds that we might get another chance.” The Knights included Jessica Broersma, Cindy Bestebroer, Bec Kyba.
The Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels crushed the Kamloops Brocklehurst Broncs 86-40 as Emily Cordonier scored 26. Ashley Shannik led Brocklehurst with 14. Little Flower opened with a 12-0 run and coasted. The Broncs (coached by Brian Peters) also included Nicole Wallis, Dana Ranger, Amber Paulson.
In the last quarterfinal, the Castlegar Stanley Humphries Rockets defeated the Victoria Lambrick Park Lions 53-41 as Andrea Delong scored 14. The Lions included Melissa McCaghey, Natalia Grzywna.
In the semis, the Surrey Holy Cross Crusaders stunned the top-seed defending champ Prince George Duchess Park Condors 58-53 in overtime. Crusaders Taylor Stuart hit the front end of a one-and-one to tie the score at 46-46 in the final fifteen seconds of regulation. Crusaders then controlled much of the overtime with strong offensive rebounding that forced a number of Condor fouls (10 of 13 in overtime foul shots) to hand Condors their only loss all season. Ironically, Condors had held the high-scoring Stuart without a single basket, save six points from the foul-line, but Monni Dumas scored 16 and Kristy Oculto 15 (alternately reported as 13), Katrina Veeken 11 and Taylor Stuart 10 in the win. Duchess scoring saw Morgan Stoner with 25 and Erika Johnson with 13. Crusaders coach John Prescott told the Prince George Free Press that “we knew it was going to be a real character game. That’s why it went into overtime. Our girls fought a little harder and we’re very, very proud.” Holy Cross led 38-36 after three quarters off a late 6-0 run, including a trey by Kristy Oculto. Prescott said “we have to work for our rebounds. We’re not genetically endowed to be rebounders. It means we tell our kids ‘nobody can jump if your body’s on their body – I think our inside people worked very hard tonight.”
In the other semi, the Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels trailed for much of the game, but gradually overtook Castlegar Stanley Humphries Rockettes to win 67-64. Little Flower scoring was led by Caroline Cannon with 18, while Heidi Flores had 16 and Emily Cordonier 14. Cordonier also pulled 20 rebounds before fouling out of the game. Castlegar led 50-37 at one stage in the third quarter, with Naomi Nevakshonoff scoring 16 in the loss.
In the bronze medal match, the Prince George Duchess Park Condors nipped the Castlegar Stanley Humphries Rockettes 51-50 as Katie Coopersmith scored a free throw with no time left on the clock.
In the final, the 5th-seeded Surrey Holy Cross Crusaders fell behind 14-3 to the 2nd-seeded Little Flower Academy Angels and trailed 30-28 at the half but rallied back and prevailed 80-69. Crusader guard and tournament MVP Taylor Stuart took control in the fourth quarter, including a stretch of eight points off two three-pointers, a forced turnover to draw a foul and pair of free throws, as Holy Cross exploded into a 12-point lead. Stuart hit 3 treys all told in the final frame. “I didn’t know what it would feel like because when we were in volleyball we lost in the final,” Stuart told the Vancouver Sun. “I knew how it felt to play in a provincial final, but I never knew the other side of it. It feels so good.” It was the third consecutive runner-up finish for the Angels and seventh in eight title bouts. Stuart finished with 31, including 5 treys (alternately reported as 7-15 from the arc), while notching 12 rebounds, six steals, and 12 assists. Defensive player of the tournament Katrina Veeken added 10 and Stephanie Hibbert 12. Little Flower got 20 from Lauren LaBrosse, 17 from Heidi Flores and 13 from Emily Cordonier. The Crusaders dug themselves out of the early hole as guard Kristy Oculto notched a three-point play and a perimeter jumper. They took their first lead, 30-28 shortly before the half. Angels 6-3 post Emily Cordonier and fellow senior Heidi Flores kept Little Flower close in the third quarter but the Crusaders still led 55.48 at the break. Then Stuart took command. She hit a trey, stole the ball and made both free throws after the foul, and hit another trey, from NBA range. After Cordonier and Flores scored two points each, Stuart calmly nailed another trey. Cordonier’s spin move pulled the Angels to within eight before defensive player of the tournament Katrina Veeken hit an open jumper and Stuart went coast-to-coast for a left-handed layup. Stephanie Hibbert added 13 for the Crusaders and Veeken 12. Cordonier noted that losing three straight finals was a trial. “I feel like I’m used to it. It’s really upsetting, especially because it’s my senior year. I really wanted it to be this one but what can you do.” Crusaders coach John Prescott told Kamloops This Week that Stuart’s maturity proved the difference. “She plays the floor with a smile on her face. I think it’s indicative of how the kids feel about (the game). The second half came up and they were focused. It was beautiful and her leadership has been phenomenal.” The 5-6 Stuart said “our team has such big heart. We believe we can beat anybody.” Prescott said Stuart “was a little excited when she started chucking them up from about centre a couple of times. After she shoots it, she looks over and gives me a wink as if to say, ‘Don’t worry coach. It was a silly play but I’m not going to make a habit of it’.” Stuart told the Surrey Leader that “I just played. It was fun. I just out and played my best. … I was just in a zone. They kept leaving me open, so I kept shooting. And the shots kept dropping.”
The bronze medalist Prince George Duchess Park Condors: Katie Coopersmith; Erica Johnson; Morgan Stoner;
The silver medalist Vancouver Little Flower Academy Angels: Emily Cordonier; Laureen LaBrosse; Caroline Cannon; Heidi Flores;
The gold medalist Surrey Holy Cross Crusaders: Kristy Oculto; Stacey Cassidy; Taylor Stuart; Monni Dumas; Katrina Veeken; Stephanie Hibbert; Marlene Potes; Jodi Schaufele; Summer Davis; Monica Hartanto; Jennifer Mullally; Jeannie Holwill; Stephanie McCormack; Stefanie Pouwels; coach John Prescott; coach Gianni Bittante; manager Megan McDonald; manager Vissia Catbagan