In the opening round held at Capilano College: …………………………………………………… The 11th-seeded Maple Ridge Thomas Haney Thunder defeated the 6th-seeded Steveston Packers 68-46 as Gaby Salazar and Jennifer Van De Walle each scored 22. Lindsey Diehl led the Packers with 15. The Packers (coached by Mike Simmons) included Carla Evans, Erika Fowler, Kristen Bennett. Simmons told the Richmond Review that the Thunder used a box-and-ne to limit Evans, who averaged 30 points per game during the season, to 11. “They stuck to her like glue. … (But) our troubles wasn’t the box-and-one. We just had trouble scoring (shooting 43%). When we executed, we got good shots. Patience has been a problem for us all year.” …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Victoria Spectrum Thunder defeated the 16th-seeded Cranbrook Mount Baker Trojanettes 61-43 as Christine Rigby scored 24, while nabbing 15 boards and blocking 7 shots. Sara Hambleton added 11 points and 8 boards. Spectrum coasted in the second half after building a 35-15 lead at the break. “We didn’t play as well as we could have,” Rigby told the Vancouver Sun. “If we’re going to win the B.C.’s this year, we’re going to have to step up our game. Anyone can beat us at any time, we know that.” Lindsay Brooke, who scored 6, added that “it was a little disappointing. We didn’t know what we were running (offensively)…our defence was awful. We’ve got to get our heads back into it.” The Trojanettes included Monica Marton. …………………………………………………… The 10th-seeded Port Coquitlam Terry Fox Ravens defeated the 7th-seeded Richmond Colts 68-62 in overtime as 6-0 centre Katherine Kiss hit a pair of critical buckets in the extra session. With the Colts trailing 61-60 and seemingly ready to take over the momentum with just more than three minutes to go, Kiss drained one from in close to push them back. She finished them off with 1:23 remaining, lofting a prayer over a trio of Richmond players that found the mark to make the score 65-61 for Terry Fox. “I was like, `Oh my, that went in,” Kiss told the Vancouver Province. “It all just feels so great. We weren’t really talking about it before the game, but I didn’t think we were going to win. And I had some doubt in the back of my mind until there was just seven seconds to go.” The Ravens looked to be finished until a layup by Tamara Smith with 23 seconds remaining cut the Richmond margin to 58-57. A free throw from Peggi Whidden with 3.6 seconds left forced overtime. “I feel bad for them,” Kiss said of the Colts. “I know a lot of girls on that team.” Adrienne Sankey paced the Colts with 22. Kristina Laffling added 19. The Colts (coached by Les Hamaguchi) also included Stacy Reykdal, Candice Hayden. Hamaguchi told the Richmond Review that “I feel bad for the kids. I know they may look back on the game and think missed shots here and there. But sometimes, you just don’t have the luck and there’s a lot of it in this game.” …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Salmon Arm Jewels dumped the 12th-seeded North Vancouver Argyle Pipers 80-77 in overtime. Forward Jenny Henderson had 32 points for the Jewels, including 8 in the extra frame, in which Salmon Arm outscored Argyle 12-9. She added 11 boards. Amy Jonker added 13, while forward-guard Kim Johnson just missed a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Lindsey Burke also scored 12. Joanna Smith scored 30 for the Pipers, including 25 in the second half, while taking 34 of the Pipers 72 shots and nabbing 9 boards. The Pipers also included Jennifer Wickson. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Maple Ridge Ramblers clipped the 15th-seeded Prince George Polarettes 77-58 as Kelli Fort scored 22 and Janice Moss 18, along with 12 boards and 7 steals. Karina LeBlanc added 17 points and 11 boards, and Deanna Brooks 11. Stacey Wagner paced the Polarettes with 22 points and 9 boards. The Ramblers picked Polarettes pockets to the tune of 22 steals. Maple Ridge used a full-court press to build a 24-9 lead after one quarter and a 42-23 lead at the half. “It wasn’t pretty, but we will certainly take it,” Maple Ridge coach Don Herman told the Vancouver Province. His troops hit just .370 from the floor “but all week, our practicing was bad and our concentration was bad, and I didn’t expect us to play that well. Can we keep up the pressure all week? No, probably not, but that’s why we took off the press after we got a comfortable lead.” Stacy Wagner paced the Polarettes with 20. Olivia Greenwood added 10. The Polarettes (coached by Chris Gilbert, assisted by Ojay Uy and Lynda Klippenstein, and managed by Heather Reichert) also included Jacqueline Richards, Helen Liu, Jocelyn Legault, Stasha Matic, Stacey Wagner, Sandy Suter, Holly McLeod, Jody Dalton and Skye Loomis. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks defeated the 9th-seeded West Vancouver Highlanders 57-52 as Jodie Currie scored 12. Heather Osberg paced the Highlands with 18. The Highlanders (coached by Shawn McGuiness) also included Caroline Rowles, Samantha Haladner, Samantha Audley. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Richmond Hugh McRoberts Strikers dumped the 13th-seeded Cowichan Thunderettes 90-76 as point guard Charmene Adams scored 24 and dished 10 assists. Tanya Neufeld added 23 points and 10 boards, and Leah Jespersen 6. Strikers coach Trish Nicholson told the Richmond Review that “it wasn’t our intention to get into such a high scoring game.” The Thunderettes led 19-16 after one quarter. The Strikers led 36-32 at the half. Kathleen Beddis paced the Thunderettes with 32 points and 12 boards. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Mission Hatzic Crusaders romped to an easy 64-38 win over the 14th-seeded Terrace Caledonia Kermodes as Teresa Kleindienst scored 29 on 11-13 from the floor and 3-4 from the arc. The Crusaders led 35-17 at the half as Kleindienst dominated the floor. Teresa was her usual self,” Hatzic coach Bruce Langford told the Vancouver Sun. “She handles pressure incredibly well, creates very well, changes her pace well. She knows when to go the hole, and when not to . . . she can take it up a level.” Julie Kyte added 15 points and 8 boards. Felicia Arbuah led the Kermodes with 22 points and 5 boards. The Kermodes (coached by Scott Stewart) also included Becky Heeman, Linnae Bee.
In the quarterfinals, the 11th-seeded Maple Ridge Thomas Haney Thunder defeated 3rd-seeded Mission Hatzic Crusaders 74-61 as Gaby Salazar scored 32. The Crusaders (coached by Bruce Langford) included Theresa Kleindienst, Lisa Clark, Rachel Peters, Amanda Laslo.
The top-seeded Victoria Spectrum Thunder defeated the 8th-seeded Abbotsford W.J. Mouat Hawks 50-38. Hawks coach Rudy Teichrob, whose squad had beaten Spectrum three times out of four over the past two years, thought his troops had a shot at an upset. “I think we were the ones they feared the most. We came in believing we had a chance to win the game. And I think our kids never gave up. They showed a lot of heart,” he told the Vancouver Province. The Thunder avenged a loss to the Hawks earlier in the season in which star forward Christine Rigby had been consistently double-teamed. This time round, they had the open player go straight to the bucket and they kept finding whoever it was for layups to punish the Hawks for the double-team. Reserve guard Susan Nguyen scored 14. Rigby notched 11 points, 15 boards and 8 blocks, and forward Erin Bentley 10 and 10 boards. Spectrum guard Lindsay Brooke masterfully controlled the tempo in a spirited battle with Mouat star guard Jody Currie. “I like playing against her,” Brooke told the Vancouver Sun. “We always have a good battle. We sort of play the same. She’s a good player.” The Hawks (coached by Teichrob) also included Lesley Sharp, Leanne Kiley, Jamie Mullaney.
The 5th-seeded Salmon Arm Jewels defeated the 4th-seed Richmond Hugh McRoberts Strikers 67-57 as swingman Kim Johnson hit 7-13 from the floor and scored 26, while grabbing 11 boards. Jenny Henderson scored 19 and nabbed 12 boards. Forward Tanya Neufeld led the Strikers with 19. Twin sister Tammy Neufeld added 16. McRoberts pulled to within four with less than two minutes to play but Johnson and Jenny Henderson hit critical buckets down the stretch as the Jewels took command. Johnson told the Vancouver Sun that composure proved the difference down the stretch. “We knew to stay calm and play our game. I’m really proud of our team.” The Strikers (coached by Trish Nicholson) also included Charmene Adams, Carrie Rogers, Leah Jespersen.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Maple Ridge Ramblers defeated the 10th-seed Port Coquitlam Terry Fox Ravens 59-47 after holding their foes scoreless for nearly eight minutes in the second quarter. Swingman Janice Moss paced the Ramblers with 23 points, including 8-15 from the floor and 3-4 from the arc. Point guard Kirsten Homeniuk led the Ravens with 13 points. The Ravens also included Michelle Bast, Alaina Thiessen, Christine Bonish, Shannon Campbell, Shawna Smith.
In the semis, the Maple Ridge Thomas Haney Thunder defeated the 2nd-seeded Maple Ridge Ramblers 42-40 as Gaby Salazar scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Ashley Newport paced the Ramblers with 16.
In the other semi, the top-seeded Victoria Spectrum Thunder defeated the Salmon Arm Jewels 50-36 despite trailing 9-5 at the quarter. Spectrum opened the second quarter with 6-6 centre Christine Rigby taking command, as she hit hooks, layups and short jumpers en route to a 16-point first half effort as Spectrum pulled away. Rigby finished with 26 points, 13 boards and six blocks. Erin Bentley added 9. Coach Rick Tschritter told the Vancouver Sun that his troops were rattled by Salmon Arm’s tough defence early in the contest. “They gave us a real scare.” But Tschritter was pleased with his troop’s composure and Rigby’s efforts. “It’s not so much the points she scores, it’s her rebounding. She’s intimidating.” Rigby said “I stepped up my game but it can’t be just one player. It was a team effort.” Rigby also noted the Jewels “didn’t quit. They fought us right to the end.” Kim Johnson paced Salmon Arm with 12 despite early foul trouble.
In the bronze medal match, the Salmon Arm Jewels defeated the Maple Ridge Ramblers 57-38 as defensive player of the tournament Kim Johnson scored 13, dished 8 assists and grabbed 9 boards. Forward Jenny Henderson and guard Lindsey Burke each added 12. The Ramblers (coached by Don Herman) included Karina LeBlanc, Janice Ross, Kelly Fort, Ashley Newport, Chrissy Kogler.
In the final, wild card entry and 11th-seeded Maple Ridge Thomas Haney Thunder, in just their first season of AAA ball, stunned the province with its 53-46 defeat of the top-seeded Victoria Spectrum Thunder. Jennifer Van De Walle paced Haney with 21, along with 14 boards. Gaby Salazar added 13 and Reta Derouin 13. Haney led 22-11, 30-23 and 38-32 at the quarters as guards Rochelle Liem and Dana Liem handled Spectrum’s press. Spectrum cut it to three with 1:07 to play when forward Erin Bentley hit a three-pointer to trim the margin to 46-43. But Salazar brought the ball back downcourt and drove to the hoop to restore the margin to five. Spectrum’s Lindsay Brooke was then called for a charging foul after trying to run through Haney’s Reta Derouin and that was the ball game. Haney’s tough defence held Spectrum 6-6 star center Christine Rigby to 15 points on 7-20 from the floor. Erin Bentley added 13 and Lindsay Brooke was held to 7. Salazar told the Vancouver Province that “I had a (vision) the night of the Hatzic game. I saw us jumping up and down, celebrating (after winning the title). I really did see this happening. I felt confident coming into the game.” She told the Vancouver Sun “I feel like I’m going to wake up any second now. … I feel so happy and excited. I keep thinking we have to play another game. We peaked at the right time. Everybody played their best. Everybody did their job and that’s what won it for us.” Coach Winifred Liem, father of Haney’s two starting guards, added that “a friend of mine told me two years ago when we were in the junior championship that whoever gets to the big dance, whichever team is the hottest and, on a streak, that’s the one that’s gonna do it. We just got hot at the right time. The kids played their guts out.” Salazar also noted that she “had a vision the night of the Hatzic game. I saw us jumping up and down celebrating (after winning the title). I really did see this happening. I felt confident coming into the game. Haney coach Lance Milligan told the Vancouver Province that “I could have been a millionaire if I had bet on this before the tournament. This puts Thomas Haney on the map. We’ve won the curling championship and the bowling championship but it doesn’t really compare to winning this.”
The bronze medalist Salmon Arm Jewels: Kim Johnson; Jenny Henderson; Lindsay Burke; Amy Jonker; Marlese Redding; Niki Strutynski; Yeiko Mayes; Ali McTavish; Leanne Jackson; Trinity Folland; Krista Reed; coach Terry Michell; coach Chris Harrington
The silver medalist Victoria Spectrum Thunder: Lindsay Brooke; Erin Bentley; Christine Rigby; Susan Nguyen; Sara Hambleton; Sabrina Amaral; Tanya Gilmore; Gillian Hitchmough; Katie Meyer; Susan Nguyen; Karen Richards; Erica Selzler; Michelle Somner; Emily Vucic; coach Rick Tschritter; assistant Gary Brooke; assistant Dallas Lansdell; manager Dave Pitre; trainer Shannon Thompson
The gold medalist Maple Ridge Thomas Haney Thunder: Gaby Salazar; Reta Derouin; Jennifer Van De Walle; Rochelle Liem; Dana Liem; coach Winfred Liem; assistant Lance Milligan