In the opening round: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Penticton Lakettes romped to a 59-47 win over the Steveston Packers, who had been ranked second all season but had a poor performance in the lower Mainland playoffs and barely qualified for the tourney. Penticton ripped off a 16-0 run in the fourth quarter. Carmen Dolfo paced the Lakettes with 28, including 20 in the second half and 15 in the last 10 minutes. Brenda Radman added 10. Cheryle Meppelink led the Packers with 14. The Packers (coached by x, assisted by Ann Gillrie-Clark) also included Caroline Samson, Lisa Terry, Judy MacEachern. The Packers led 20-19 at the half but faltered in the second half when Judy MacEachern fouled out and the Packers leading by eight. Gillrie-Carr told the Richmond Observor that MacEachern “doesn’t have to be scoring points to have an effect on the floor. And with Carmen (Dolfo) getting the hot hand, the game was lost in the final quarter. … When the game ended, we were very happy. I think we were the best team on the floor … and thatonly the hot streak of Carmen kept us from winning.” …………………………………………………… The Salmon Arm Jewels dumped the Prince George Polarettes 63-51 as Lynn Kelly scored 18, Denive Dogterom 14, Leanne Cowell 11, Andrea Loudon 11, Tracy Gatzke 10 and Angela Young 8. In avenging a earlier loss to the Polarettes, coach Terry Michell told the Salmon Arm Observor that “in the other games we played, we probably had over 20 turnovers. This time, there was only five or six … We just kept at them. We jumped on them early but they fought back and even got up on us by four points. Then they got in foul trouble.” Polarettes coach Cal Washington told the Prince George Citizen that “we gave it away. … We got some cheap fouls and it didn’t go the other way.” Gerraine Morgan led the Polarettes with 20. Tracy Gatzke added 10. The Polarettes (coached by Washington, assisted by Tom Konopski) also included Robin Fitzgerald, Christine Murdoch, Jacinta Sheridan, Leslie Gilchrist. …………………………………………………… The Duncan Cowichan Thunderettes dispatched the Vancouver Eric Hamber Griffins 65-52 as Irena Sladecek scored 18 and Carol Bot 16. Carrie Jokanovich paced the Griffins with 16. Jessica Chiachursky added 14. The Griffins also included Maureen McBride, Kelly Keenan. …………………………………………………… The Vernon Panthers clipped the North Vancouver Hillside Middle Highwaymen 65-56 as Lynn Zwarych scored 19 and Lori Elliott 16. Vivian McAdam paced the Highwaymen with 18. Lisa Wild added 12. The Highwaymen also included Gill Saxby. …………………………………………………… The Port Alberni District Chiefettes edged the 10th-seeded North Delta Huskies 51-47 as Milena Geiga scored 24 and Jill Grisdale 10. Pam Walker led the Huskies with 21. Karen Newman added 9. The Huskies also included Kim Luckala. …………………………………………………… The New Westminster Hyacks clipped the Coquitlam Centennial Cougars 52-44 as Sandy McLean scored 21 and Erin Badger 10. Karyn Mitchell led the Cougars with 18. Brenda Giesbrecht added 11. The Cougars also included Nancy Erickson. …………………………………………………… The Kitimat Mount Elizabeth Eagles dispatched the Victoria Mount Douglas Rams 59-51 as Janet Meyer scored 21 and Marie Gubbels 16. Sandra Atkinson led the Rams with 14. The Rams also included Brenda Lindsay. …………………………………………………… The Surrey Queen Elizabeth Royals bombed the Cranbrook Mount Baker Trojanettes 70-51 as Natalie Johnston scored 24, Cheryl Funk 14 and Wendy Nociar 14. Sharon Auld paced the Trojanettes with 15. The Trojanettes (coached by Miss Zaytsoff and Miss McAuliffe) also included Kyra Stephens, Debbie Klassen, Tammy Oak, Patricia Quinn, Susan Sternig, Shannon Conroy, Lisa Normandeau, Susie Caccaro, Robin Henderson, Jill Savage and Rosanne Hawke.
In the quarterfinals, the Penticton Lakettes defeated the Surrey Queen Elizabeth Royals 61-57 as Nadine Fedorak scored 13. Natalie Johnson led the Royals with 19. The Royals included Hilary Cross, Cheryl Funk, Sandra Simpson, Wendy Nociar.
The New Westminster Hyacks defeated the Kitimat Mount Elizabeth Eagles 61-58 as Sandy McLean scored 21. Marie Gubbels led the Eagles with 20. The Eagles included Janet Meyer, Karen Bosiak, Jackie Trach.
The Salmon Arm Jewels defeated the Duncan Cowichan Thunderettes 64-40 as Denive Dogterom scored 20. Jewels coach Terry Michell told the Salmon Arm Observor that “we forced them to shoot from the outside … and were successful in getting 6-2 (Val) Larson to foul out.” Val Larson led the Thunderettes with 13. The Thunderettes also included Irene Sladecek, Kim Poland, Carol Bot.
In the last quarterfinal, the Vernon Panthers defeated the Port Alberni District Chiefettes 72-62 as Lynn Zwarych scored 39. Milena Gaiga paced the Chiefettes with 21. The Chiefettes (coached by Jim Seredick) also included Fiona Moss, Jill Grisdale, Shirley Thomson, Teresa Pley, Janice Browne.
In the semis, the Penticton Lakettes defeated the New Westminster Hyacks 86-57 after leading 20-10 at the quarter, 49-33 at the half and 65-39 at the three-quarter mark. Penticton’s size and bench strength proved too much for the Hyacks to handle as Nadine Fedorak scored 24, Lori Brydon 17 and Carmen Dolfo 15. Sandy McLean paced the Hyacks with 26. Erin Badger added 12. Although he later changed his mind, Penticton coach Len Cox said after the contest that he was “contemplating” retiring after 22 years at the Penticton helm. He told the Vancouver Sun that “I felt glad for the kids tonight. We kept changing from zone to man-to-man and it worked well for us, really kept the tempo going. We kept moving our guards in and out. They don’t have the same moves as (Erin) Badger but they’re fundamentally good players.”
In the other semi, the Vernon Panthers nipped the Salmon Arm Jewels 56-55 as Lynn Zwarych scored 18 and Lori Elliott 13. Salmon Arm was paced by Denive Dogterom’s 25 (also reported as 24). Lynn Kelly added 8, Angela Young 6, Leanne Cowell 6 and Andrea Loudon 6. Jewels coach Terry Michell told the Salmon Arm Observor that “it wasn’t that we played poorly. Vernon played well … It took us a long time to get a man-to-man offence going. … I don’t think I prepared them properly for the game. … They (Vernon) played better defence than the other teams we played but we didn’t do as good a job as we could have.”
In the bronze medal match, the Salmon Arm Jewels defeated the New Westminster Hyacks 70-58 as Denive Dogterom scored 46. Jewels coach Terry Michell told the Salmon Arm Observor that “it was their outside game versus our inside game. It was a tough game all the way. … Denive probably shot 19-23. Not many of her shots came from farther than eight feet away, but still, lots of players as big as she is couldn’t put them in like she did.” Sandy Mclean led the Hyacks with 27. Erin Badger added 20.
In the final, the top-seeded Penticton Lakettes captured the interior school’s first crown but the 14th title for an Okanagan squad since 1960. In that 22-year period, Okanagan teams won 14 titles and finished second eight times. Penticton closed out its season undefeated against B.C. competition. Although Vernon had lost by a mere five points to Penticton during their regular season contest, the final was nowhere near that close as Penticton, playing on its home court before 1300 screaming fans, took a 12-point lead at the half and exploded with a 23-6 run in the third quarter en route to a 66-49 win. Carmen Dolfo, who later played and coached at Western Washington University, led Penticton with 28, centre Sue Grimm 11 and Shelly Johnson 9. Vernon was paced by Sharron Weitzel 12, Lynn Zwarych 10 and Rosie Prevost 10. Penticton co-coach Gord McKay, who retired after the season, noted that “we just didn’t let them have the ball inside. They’ve only got two big kids up front. You saw what happened. The only shots they were getting were from outside.”
The bronze medalist Salmon Arm Jewels: Denive Dogterom; Lynn Kelly; Tracy Gatzke; Andrea Loudon; Carol Balt; Angela Young; Karen Bianco; Brenda Mesich; Leanne Cowell; Adrienne Weare; Janet Blair; Liz Kilby; Rhonda Schmitz; coach Terry Michell
The silver medalist Vernon Panthers: Lynn Zwarych; Lori Elliott; Sharron Weitzel; Rosie Prevost;
The gold medalist Penticton Lakettes: Carmen Dolfo; Nadine Fedorak; Susie Grimm; Brenda Radman; Lori Brydon; Shelly Johnson; coach Len Cox; coach Gord McKay