In the opening round, held at North Vancouver’s Capilano College: …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Kelowna Owls dumped the 10th-seed Clearbrook MEI Eagles 74-63 as 5-8 senior guard Miki Groholski scored 21 of her game high 32 points in the second half and hit 13-14 from the line. “It took her a while to get into a groove today,” Kelowna coach Heather Semeniuk told the Vancouver Province. Groholski started off 2-9 before hitting her first five field goals of the second half. “But once she takes charge. … She’s a very, very unique player. She has all kinds of tricks in her pocket,” Semeniuk added. Groholski also notched 3 steals and 2 boards. “If I can score, she (Semeniuk) lets me score,” said Groholski. “But it’s not just me. We’re all good scorers.” The Eagles led 37-35 at the half. Heidi Suderman paced the Eagles with 23. The Eagles also included Christina Carric, Krista Visser. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Salmon Arm Jewels whipped the 15th-seeded Vancouver Killarney Cougars 64-32 after ripping off a 22-4 run in the final quarter. Allison Redding paced the Jewels with 19. Andrea Cunningham led the Cougars with 9. The Cougars also included Margaret Masse. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Maple Ridge Ramblers ripped off a 10-0 run early in the second quarter to build a 20-6 lead on the defending champion Steveston Packers and eventually register a 59-39 victory. The Packers were seriously hobbled when star guard Linda Calvert suffered a severe ankle sprain. The Packers (coached by Mike Simmons) also incluced Nadgeline Cliffe, Andrea Dulva, Tori Pettipiece. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Richmond Colts defeated the 14th-seeded Cranbrook Mount Baker Trojanettes 56-50. The Colts led 33-20 at the half but Mount Baker had taken a 50-49 lead with just over two minutes to play on an Alyson Bousquet layup but the Colts stormed back and took command in the final minute on a critical Sarah Quelch bucket. The Trojanettes (coached by Bill Stephens, assistants Jacqui Thompson, Tracey Bell and Ross Robertson) included Jen Catherall, Becky Phillips, Carly Biafore, Jodi Quaife, Erin Downey, Kim Dayman, Shelby Cain, Daphne Munroe and Allyson Bousquet. …………………………………………………… The top-seeded New Westminster Hyacks pounded the 16th-seed Dawson Creek South Peace Penguins 62-15 after registering an astounding 37-0 run in the second half. The Penguins were scoreless in the third quarter and only had one bucket in the fourth. Jasmine Foreman scored 15 and Andrea Nicholson 10 for the Hyacks. Nicole Farley led the Penguins with 4. Tina Middleton added 4 and Kim Middleton 4. The Penguins also included Angie Lockhart. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Victoria Oak Bay Breakers dumped the 9th-seeded Port Coquitlam Terry Fox Ravens 57-41 as Krista Hall scored 25. Lindsay Campbell paced the Ravens with 12. The Ravens also included Kyla Miller, Jill Baker, Rebecca Whiden. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks defeated the 12th-seeded Courtenay G.P. Vanier Towhees 70-45 as Krista Harris scored 15. Pattie Thwaites and Christina Janzen each added 12. Alica Esau, named the game’s MVP, added 8. “It felt good,” said Esau, told the Vancouver Sun. Hawks coach Rudy Teichrob said the team’s speed, discipline and fast break provided the difference. “They’ve been just a delight to coach. The key is they love the game. They’re always shooting and practicing on their own. All I have to do is sit back and enjoy how they play. We had been playing consistently all year, but we’re very young. Coming into here, I didn’t know how we were going to do because playing senior ball is difficult. But they make up for their lack of size with their quickness and skill.” Megan Dalziel paced the Towhees with 16. The Towhees (co-coached by Hugh MacKinnon and x) also included Heather Spratt. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Prince Rupert Charles Hays Hurricanes defeated the 13th-seeded Vernon Panthers 75-54 as Anita Robinson scored 27 and Judy Carlick 24. The Hurricanes led 20-8 after one quarter. Melissa Searle led the Panthers with 19. Tammy Vanderwalle added 18. Panthers coach Ray Kimoto told the Vernong Morning Star that “it was our inconsistency which hurt us. They’re a fast-breaking team and we couldn’t keep up. Turnovers and not going after loose balls hurt us. We pulled within three points late in the second half and then we had a one-minute mental lapse and they scored 7 points.” The Panthers (coached by Ray Kimoto, assisted by Larry Grist) also included Bobbi Powell, Chrissy Benz, Karin Galley, Tammi Vanderwal.
In the quarterfinals, the 5th-seeded Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks defeated the 4th-seed Prince Rupert Charles Hays Hurricanes 65-57. “We are a gutsy team,” Mouat coach Rudy Teichrob told the Vancouver Province. “It is some kind of wonderful feeling to make it to the Final Four.” Christina Janzen led the winners with 17 but the biggest points came courtesy of 5-foot-11, Grade 11 forward Alicia Esau. “Because their big kid (5-foot-11 post Judy Carlick) was in early foul trouble, we just kept pounding the ball inside and our big kids were able to get some easy baskets,” said Teichrob. With her team nursing a 45-44 lead entering the final period, Esau scored 8 of her 13 points. Hurricanes coach Wolf Ilmer told the Vancouver Sun that his troops lost their wits. “They’re very emotional kids and sometimes it’s hard to bring them down. I expected (W.J. Mouat) to be tough and they were. I’m proud of my kids, though — there’s no doubt about that. They played hard.” The Hurricanes (coached by Ilmer) also included Marilou Leonin, Tricia Helin, Anita Robinson and Emily Wilson.
In a rematch of the Okanagan Valley final, the Salmon Arm Jewels avenged their only loss of the season, after 31 straight wins, by dumping the Kelowna Owls 56-46 as Kwynn Blazina scored 17 and Pam Reynolds 15. Miki Groholski led the Owls with 31. The Owls had handed the Jewels their first loss in 32 starts by dumping them 37-26 in the Okanagan final. The Owls also included Jill Sutherland, Melissa Johnson.
The top-seeded New Westminster Hyacks dumped the 8th-seeded Victoria Oak Bay Breakers 63-45 as point guard Liz Conner controlled the tempo masterfully. “This meant a lot,” Conner told the Vancouver Sun. “I hoped so much we were going to do it, but it got tense there in the first half.” Jasmine Foreman paced the Hyacks with 22. Andrea Nicholson added 19 on 8-15 from the floor, 3-3 from the line, 18 boards, including 8 offensive boards, 6 steals and 6 blocks, while being chosen player of the game. The Hyacks ripped off a 17-2 run in the third quarter as Connor took command. “We needed to display self-control,” Hyacks coach Bryan Ansley told the Sun. We were playing a quick team, and a team that runs and guns gets frustrated if you slow them down. … [Conner is] simply the best ball-handler in the province. She’s quick, she’s gutty and she’s got great vision. Just show me somebody better.” Ten Hyacks shared in the scoring. Sarah Hollett led the Breakers with 16 points. The Breakers (coached by Mike Derry, assisted by teacher sponsor Mike Woodley) also included Stasia Ferbey, Krista Hall, Fiona Hawes, Merisa Woodley.
In the last quarterfinal, the Richmond Colts defeated the Maple Ridge Ramblers 54-49 as Heather Gelhorn scored 16 and dominated the boards. Denise Fraser added 7, Sarah Quelch 7, Kristy Odamura 7 and Brooke Rollins 7. The Ramblers led 24-18 at the half but the Colts went on an 18-8 run in the third quarter. Richmond hit 14-20 from the line in the fourth quarter. Colts coach Les Hamaguchi told the Province that “we’ve got the scariest team here. The only team I worry about is my own. I just hope the right one shows up to play.” Tina Vanderkraan led the Ramblers with 11. The Ramblers also included Erin Brooks, Tacy Moss, Alysha Wilkes.
In the semis, the New Westminster Hyacks and Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks staged a close battle until the final quarter, when the Hyacks exploded for 27 points and ran away with a 68-56 victory. W.J. Mouat, relying heavily on its full court press, was ahead 16-15 at the quarter, 28-27 at the half and opened the second half with a 6-0 run. Mouat forward Erin Burgess and guard Krista Harris scored two treys apiece and Alicia Esau added 11 points, six of them in a row to open the second half. Mouat led 34-27 three minutes into the third-quarter, but then suffered a five-minute scoring drought as New Westminster slowly took control of the game. Although star Andrea Nicholson picked up her fourth foul early in the third quarter, coach Bryan Ansley kept her in the game and she took command of the boards. The Hyacks led 41-38 after three quarters. “I wasn’t unhappy going into this game,” Ansley told the Vancouver Sun. “I knew we were in shape. I knew we were going to have to play hard. They’re a pressure team and we knew they were going to press us the whole game. In the end, it came down to controlling their speed and playing 40 minutes of hard basketball.” The Hyacks were led by Kiran Ball 13, including nine in the final quarter, Andrea Nicholson 17 and Jasmine Foreman 12. Mouat was paced by Krista Harris 14, while Alicia Esau and Erin Burgess each scored 10.
In the other semi, the 3rd-seeded Richmond Colts defeated the Salmon Arm Jewels 68-52 after taking a 33-9 lead at the quarter and a 37-23 lead at the half. The Colts were led by Sage Berryman’s 23 points. Cindy Beck added 21. Allison Reddy led the Jewels with 23. Lisa Scarf added 11. Kwynn Blazina missed most of the second half with an ankle injury, while Shannon Walton and Pam Reynolds were in foul trouble. Jewels coach Terry Michell told the Salmon Arm Observor that “athletically, they just had it over us. We got off to a horrible start and were down 22-7 in the first quarter. They were more aggressive than us and everything they did seemed to work.”
In the bronze medal match, Allison Redding scored her team’s first 6 points a team-high 29 in leading the 2nd-seeded Salmon Arm Jewels to a 68-60 win over the Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks. Kwynn Blazina added 19. Jewels guard Quinn Blazina drained consecutive treys in the fourth quarter to ensure the win. She hit 5-6 from the line in the final quarter. The Jewels played the tournament without star pivot Shannon Drage, who was injured shortly before festivities began. Erin Burgess led the Hawks with 18. Jody Currie added 13. The Hawks also included Krista Harris.
In the second straight all-lower mainland final, defensive whiz Liz Conner and tournament MVP Andrea Nicholson led the New Westminster Hyacks to a 69-50 win over the Richmond Colts to capture their second provincial crown in three years. The final was also a rematch of the Lower Mainland championship, which New Westminster had won over Richmond 48-31. The Hyacks led 18-7, 36-27 and 53-34 at the quarters. In control for the entire contest, point guard and tourney most valuable defensive player Liz Conner completely dictated the tempo. Jasmine Foreman scored 24, Kiran Ball 11 and Andrea Nicholson 9. Richmond was paced by Cindy Beck 20, Heather Gelhorn 13 and Sage Berryman 10. Tourney MVP Andrea Nicholson told the Vancouver Sun that winning the crown was “like a dream ending” to the season. “But you wish it didn’t have to end. It’s hard.” Nicholson added that “it still hurts to think about last year (in which the Hyacks lost in the final) because it was a different team, a different year. But this is great.” The Hyacks switching defences confused the Colts, while 6-1 post Foreman dominated. The Colts hit just two of 12 shots in the first quarter and finished the game shooting a woeful .280 (14-50) from the field. Liz Conner noted that “I thought we’d get pretty close (to the championship) but I didn’t think we would win it until we actually got there. I wanted Andrea to win so bad. This feels good.” Hyacks coach Bryan Ansley told the Vancouver Province that “the way they came together, the way they support each other, the way they motivate each other — it’s a great group.” He told the Sun “it’s just a reward, a little acknowledgement for hard work and effort and teamwork. We all came together and we all supported each other, and it was just the cumulative effect of a lot of bright and talented, hard-working people.” Co-coach Bob Gair added that “this team was special, but every team I have ever coached was special in its own way. I’m enjoying this — thoroughly — and I’m going to have some great memories. But I’m not saying this is my swan song, because I made that prediction last year. I love working with kids. I love the pursuit of excellence. These kids are willing to pay the price to get there, and as long as they are, I enjoy doing it.” Leading 36-27 at the half, both Foreman and 6-foot-3 Andrea Nicholson each picked up their third fouls of the game in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter. But Ansley left them in, the Colts went to a zone defence of their own, and New West rattled off 10 straight points for a 51-29 lead. Foreman owned the boards in the fourth quarter and scored her team’s final 10 points. Colts coach Les Hamaguchi said “some of these kids ended up playing very, very well, and I’m very proud of the way our seniors played in the tournament. I thought we were a little bit scared and nervous at the beginning of the game. We had a couple of key players who were playing a little tentatively, and with a team like that you’ve got to go after them. I’m still happy, and I’m proud of the kids. We went further than some people thought we would.” Hyack Andrea Nicholson was a defensive force in the paint and neither a 2-3 zone, nor a man-to-man defence could stymie the Hyacks as they used their size to dominate the boards. Colts coach Les Hamaguchi told the Richmond Review that “it’s frustrating when you keep getting stopped from your goals by the same team. We always seem to meet them at important times. But I thought Nicholson was the key factor. It was her that made the Hyacks zone difficult to go up against. … I really believe we are probably a more skilled team than they are. But the intangibles of size and height was something we couldn’t handle. I’d still like to think, however, that we’re not 14 points worse. But it’s tough to keep saying that when they keep beating us by that much.” Hyacks coach Brian Ansley said “we play pretty good team defence, mo matter who is there on the floor. Things went pretty much as planned. I think our defence was underrated at the beginning of the year and we had some learning to do. But hey, we learned.”
The bronze medalist Salmon Arm Jewels: Allison Redding; Shannon Drage; Kwynn Blazina; Lisa Scharf; Shannon Walton; Pam Reynolds; Kerrie Zorn; Angie Adams; coach Terry Michell
The silver medalist Richmond Colts: Cindy Beck; Heather Gelhorn; Sage Berryman; Sarah Quelch; Cathy Chiang; Denise Fraser; Kristy Odamura; Brooke Rollins; coach Les Hamaguchi
The gold medalist New Westminster Hyacks: Andrea Nicholson; Jasmine Foreman; Kiran Ball; Jennifer Ward; Liz Conner; Tobi Kennedy; Melissa Markley; Robyn Chan-Kent; coach Brian Ansley; coach Bob Gair