In the interzone playoffs: …………………………………………………… The Sprague Ross L. Gray Raiders clipped the zone 12 champ Warren Wildcats 66-57 as Sandy Spicer scored 25 and Leanne Johnson 22. “We’re pretty close,” Wildcats coach Ken Overby told the Stonewall Argus & Times. The Wildcats (coached by Ken Overby) also included Heather Brotherston.
In the wildcard games: …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans dusted the Stonewall Rams 66-50 after leading 29-27 at the half. Lisa Nagorski led the Spartans with 23. Dionne Williams added 14 and Laurie Fraser 14. Terry Seymour paced the Rams with 16. …………………………………………………… In the wildcard final, the Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans dispatched the Portage pats 49-41 as Lisa Nagorski scored 18 and Laurie Fraser 18. The Spartans led 25-14 at the half. Nikki Cochrane paced the Pats with 15.
In the quarterfinals, held in Killarney, the 3rd-seeded Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans stomped the 6th-seeded Dauphin Clippers 71-50 as Lisa Nagorski scored 26, Nadine Nawatski 10 and Laurie Fraser 9. The Spartans led 40-26 at the half. Michelle Belinski led the Clippers with 12. Gig Debuque added 11. The Clippers (coached by Larry McDougall, assisted by Kim Waslyshen) also included Lori Bage, Denise Jubenvill, Janet Allard, Tanya Shtykalo, Natalie Stirlchuk, Michelle Bilinski, Gigi Dubuque, Carol Tkach.
The top-seeded Winkler Garden Valley Zodiacs stomped the 8th-seeded Killarney Raiders 80-31.
The 2nd-seeded Pas Margaret Barbour Spartans whipped the 7th-seeded Virden Golden Bears 69-40. The Golden Bears included Dana Hansen.
In the last quarterfinal, the 4th-seeded Sprague Ross L. Gray Raiders dumped the 5th-seeded Warren Wildcats 66-57 as Tina Schoenbach scored 24 and Michelle Jernberg 20. The Wildcats (coached by Ken Overby) included Heather Brotherston, Leanne Johnson, Sandy Spicer.
In the semis, the 4th-seeded Sprague Ross L. Gray Raiders dusted the top-seeded Winkler Garden Valley Zodiacs 64-56. The Raiders trailed by eight at the half and by 12 in the third quarter but rallied as Melissa Hovorka scored 22, Tina Schoebach 19 and Michelle Jernberg 18.
In the other semi, the 3rd-seeded Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans defeated The Pas Margaret Barbour Spartans 77-50 as Lisa Nagorski scored 30. Dionne Williams added 14. The Spartans led 40-26 at the half. Jody Rock paced Barbour with 18. Shayna Hawrish added 11.
In the bronze medal match, the Winkler Garden Valley Zodiacs smacked The Pas Margaret Barber Spartans 76-44. The Spartans included Jodi Rock.
In the final, the 3rd-seeded Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans defeated the 4th-seeded Sprague Ross L. Gray Raiders 55-51 as Nadinev Nowatski scored four of her six points in the final minute. Spartan coach Larry Rodenbush told the Winnipeg Free Press that his troops were unnerved by the Raiders having only five players. The Raiders had lost team captain Monique Tardiff to a torn knee ligament in the inter-zone playoffs. Starter Michelle Jernberg sprained her ankle in the semi with 20 seconds to play. Starter Melissa Hovorka picked up four fouls in the first half. Starter Tina Schoenbach fouled out with two minutes to play, forcing coach John Bukich to throw a uniform on manager Deanna Chenier, who hadn’t practiced or played all year. “They really got into our heads because of that. It’s kind of strange playing them. You almost start feeling sorry for them then, Boom! They’re ahead of you. I learned a lesson pretty quickly. But I can’t believe the heart the Sprague girls showed. They didn’t give up and it could easily have been them coming out with the win.” Tournament MVP Lisa Nagorski led the Spartans with 24. “Lisa deserved to be the MVP,” said Rodenbush. “Most of our shooting turned cold in the second half and she kept us in the game. And Dionne Williams played great defense keeping their big shooter (6-3 Tina Schoenbach) to just 11 points.” Neelin broke to a 12-2 lead and maintained a comfortable margin until the final two minutes when the Raiders took a 44-43 lead. Tina Schoenbach led the Raiders with 20. Michelle Jernberg added 12. “I’m really happy,” Rodenbush told the Brandon Sun. “The girls deserved it, they really played well. This is a great way to finish off the season. … They are a big team. We had to really play front and back on most of their girls. I thought that Dionne Williams and Jennifer Hoyland played well for us. They were able to stop their big girls.”
The bronze medalist Winkler Garden Valley Zodiacs: Vicki Neufeld; Angela Dueck; Jennifer Froese;
The silver medalist Sprague Ross L. Gray Raiders: Tina Schoenbach; Michelle Jernberg; Monique Tardiff; Melissa Hovorka; Sheri Thunder; Bonnie Zimmerman; Deanna Chenier; coach John Bukich; statistician Deanna Chenier
The gold medalist Brandon T.A. Neelin Spartans: Lisa Nagorski; Dionne Williams; Leanne Lind; Julia Pernal; Psyche Jones; Laurie Fraser; Jennifer Hoyland; Nadine Nowatski; Michelle LaBelle; Theia Hackeschidt; Kris Gordon; Nancy Sutherland; coach Larry Rodenbush; assistant Darren Creighton