In the opening round, held in Hamilton: …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Whitby Sinclair Celtics defeated the Etobicoke Collegiate Rams 45-29 as Stephanie Parfitt scored 14 and Kalisha Keane 13. Kathryn Fuderich led Etobicoke with 13. Nicki Schutz added 12. The Celtics were in control from the start and led by as many as 20 in the third quarter. …………………………………………………… The unseeded Mississauga St. Francis Xavier Tigers stunned the 8th-seeded Kitchener Grand River Renegades 49-29 as Brianna Rutty scored 18 and Chanel Jones-Delas 17. Steph DeBoer led Grand River with 10. Maddie Soye added 7 and Teddi Firmi 7. The Tigers took command after 6-2 Renegade post picked up third foul early in the first quarter. “I think coming to OFSAA we were a little bit nervous and excited,” guard Teddi Firmi told the Kitchener-Waterloo Record. “You can’t expect it to be an easy ride. I think we were a little too laid back.” Renegades coach Kathy Brook said “the kids need to believe in themselves more. Each one of them needs to step up and play. We’re at OFSAA.” …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors defeated the London Saunders Sabres 47-35 as Alaine Hutton scored 27 and Rachael Harrison 12. Miranda Ayim paced Saunders with 10. Stephanie Pullam added 7. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Sarnia Northern CVI Vikings crushed the Ottawa Glebe Gryphons 63-22 as Kendel Ross scored 21, Jen Easter 8 and Taryn O’Reilly 8. Marian Hussein paced Glebe with 10. TauraLee Tenn added 9. Sarnia Northern led 18-5, 32-14 and 45-18 at the quarters. …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights crushed the Toronto Northern Secondary Red Knights 57-27 as Tamika Nurse scored 21, Amanda D’Ortenzio 13 and Lisa-Marie Iavarone 11. Naudia Campbell led Northern Secondary with 11. Aviva Hagen added 10. D’Ortenzio told the Hamilton Spectator that “we wanted to pick it up after last year’s silver medal. We’re even more determined this year. That’s how we wanted to start the tournament with a blast. We came out right from the tip. Our offence was flowing, the defence was talking and shifting around and the players off the bench all played well.” The Knights led 20-8, 36-14 and 47-19 at the quarters. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders dumped the Collingwood Fighting Owls 46-23 as Rebecca Rewi scored 15 and Julia Finlay 8. Allison Lainey led Collingwood with 9. Brooke Nickel added 5. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Waterloo CI Vikings defeated the Markham District H.S. Marauders 63-40 as May Kotsopoulos scored 20, Allison Stinson 17 and Andrea Durst 10. Stephanie Poster led the Marauders with 15. Katie Root added 6. The Marauders led 28-27 at the half but the Vikings cranked up the defensive pressure in the second half. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Mississauga Father Michael Goetz Gators crushed the Scarborough Pope John Paul II Panthers 65-44 as Jessica Roque scored 18, Ryann Fletcher 12, Christina DeCarvalho 12 and Tamara Sandiford 11. Setarah Myles paced Pope John Paul II with 13. Julie-Ann Frank added 10 and Monique Webley 8.
In the second round: …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors thrashed the Etobicoke CI Rams 52-36 as Kristina Harse scored 15, Alaine Hutton 12 and Rachael Harrison 12. Nicki Schutz paced Etobicoke with 24. Donna Trifunovic added 6. Harse scored eight early as the Warriors got on track and led 18-7, 33-19 and 41-23 at the quarters. “We knew we needed a strong effort, not just from one player, but from everyone,” Harse told the Hamilton Spectator. “I had a good warmup and came out with a little bit of fire.” Harse noted that Schutz is “a strong player and plays with a lot of intensity. I just tried to stay with her and do my best.” The Rams, coached by Paul Pearson, also included Sara Gusev, Kathryn Fudurich, Anna Simpson-Porco, Anna Pisarek, Bojana Savic, Kalene Camphausen and Sarah Bertrand. …………………………………………………… The Mississauga St. Francis Xavier Tigers whipped the Ottawa Glebe Gryphons 53-36 as Chanel Jones-Delas scored 25 and Brianna Rutty 20. TauraLee Tenn and Marian Hussein each scored 18 to pace the Gryphons. The Gryphons (coached by Alex Overwijk) also included Rachel Aaron, Nada Alaness, Kelly Bateman, Leny Chhun, Avril Ford Aubry, Emma Mackintosh, Norah McIntyre, Galya Schwartz, Sara Stevens and Inari Vaissi Nagy. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Mississauga Father Michael Goetz Gators crushed the Collingwood Fighting Owls 61-40 as Jessica Roque and Ryann Fletcher each scored 20. Julia Roest paced Collingwood with 17. Jenna MacLeod added 6. Coached by Cathi Haiduk and Bob Hirst, the Fighting Owls also included Carlie Bell, Kaite Bell, Jasmine Cuff, Michaela Dance, Kaitlin Garbutt, Allison Lainey, Paige Meesters, Brooke Nickel, Nadine Schweishelm and Chelsea Stoklas. …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights waxed the Markham District H.S. Marauders 67-20 as Taylor Smith scored 18, Tamika Nurse 14, Amanda D’Ortenzio 11 and Lisa Iavarone 8. Emily Berggren led Markham with 6. Colleen O’Brien and Katie Root each added 4. St. Thomas More led 17-2, 34-10 and 52-16 at the quarters. The Marauders, coached by Allison Tunnicliff, also included Lauren Chin-Fook, Jackie Cormier, Stephanie Krucas, Tara MacLeod, Alison Norman, Stephanie Poster and Jennifer Wong. …………………………………………………… The London Saunders Sabres defeated the 7th-seeded Whitby Sinclair Celtics 40-31 as Jenny Swartman scored 14 and Miranda Ayim 7. Kalisha Keane paced Sinclair with 12. Stephanie Parfitt added 7. Coached by Rosanne Curtis and Dan MacDonald, the Celtics also included Monique Budani, Heather Walgate, Kiomi Sakata, Lisa Aunger, Kaila Janssen, Valerie Brown, Tori Hills, Stefani Mann, Takima Keane, Claire Davies, Megan Kelly and Carly Graham. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Sarnia Northern CVI Vikings crushed the 8th-seeded Kitchener Grand River Renegades 62-40 as Kendel Ross scored 29 and Kelly Lyons 14. Maddie Soye paced Grand River with 15. Meagan Slack added 9. Sarnia Northern led 20-11, 38-19 and 50-27 at the quarters. The Renegades, coached by Kathy Brook, also included Teddi Firmi, Laurie Ferguson, Mel Caue, Janelle Scheifele, Kerry Allerton, Jillian Simmons, Katie Gosse, Steph DeBoer and Heather Campbell. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders walloped the Scarborough Pope John Paul II Panthers 70-43 as Rebecca Rewi scored 19, despite sitting most of the game with four fouls, and Michele Hynes 17. Julie-Ann Frank paced Pope John Paul II with 25. Monique Webley added 10. The Crusaders led 15-8, 36-19 and 56-27 at the quarters. “We keep getting more intense as the games go on,” Crusaders guard Rebecca Rewi told the Hamilton Spectator. “We just have to play the way we can. It always seems to come together at the right time for us.” The Panthers (coached by Connie Shimko, Steve Gazmin and Sam Moncada) also included Darrelle Johnson, Aimee Manipor, Koa Thornhill, Adelaide Gyamfi, Jessie Abrazado, Sabrina Lyon, Setarah Myles, Letrice Davies, Samantha Plantado, Tayag Yasmin and Alicia Hyde. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Waterloo CI Vikings dumped the Toronto Northern Secondary Red Knights 59-41 as May Kotsopoulos scored 37, Allison Stinson 10 and Andrea Durst 5. Julia Sapershteyn and Ali Mooers each scored 12 to pace the Red Knights. Naudia Campbell added 9. The Red Knights led 10-9 after one quarter. Waterloo led 27-18 at the half and 44-28 at the three-quarter mark. Coached by John Giles, the Red Knights also included Mikaela Bain, Lauren Brucker, Aviva Hagen, Brittany MacDonald, Erin Silverstein and Paloma VanGroll.
In the quarterfinals, the 4th-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors defeated the 5th-seeded Mississauga Father Michael Goetz Gators 74-66 as Alaine Hutton scored 34, including 18-18 from the line. Rachael Harrison added 15, Kristina Harse 10 and Kayla Wilson 10. Angel Roque paced Goetz with 25. Ryann Fletcher added 18. Father Goetz coach David Maxin told the Toronto Star that lack of defence proved the difference. “We got a nice start. I think it was 9-0 and then our defence just fell apart. The team just faltered. We lost focus, got into a rut and they got the rebounds, the key shots and the points. I hope they learned from it.” Father Goetz took a 10-point lead in the first half before tanking. Westdale coach Nadia Flynn said “the start wasn’t pretty but the girls maintained composure and the focus was to take away their running game. It was very intense. Goetz is an excellent team and I don’t want to see them next year.” Hutton called the win “monumental. They kept giving me the chances and I had the hot hand. It’s not hard remembering how they beat us (by 19 earlier in the season), so this game – knowing a loss also meant the year was over – was huge to us.” Gators Jessica Roque, Tamara Sandiford and Ryann Fletcher also struggled with foul problems. “We got in trouble, lost our composure and didn’t know how to get out of it,” said Roque. Westdale coach Nadia Flynn told the Hamilton Spectator that “we talked about the first few minutes being key. But unfortunately, that didn’t happen. We never lost our composure and the girls dug deep. We dictated the tempo of the game.” Goetz led 22-14 after one quarter on a four-point play by guard Angel Roque. But when Roque picked up her third foul, Alain Hutton took command for the Warriors, scoring six straight and then feeding Rachael Harrison for a trey. A 20-6 run gave Westdale a 36-32 lead at the half. Hutton opened the second half with a trey but Roque rallied Goetz to a 45-43 lead but Harrison hit a trey to give the Warriors a 52-39 lead after three quarters. Kayla Wilson hit three consecutive jumpers to extend the Warriors lead. “I’ve always been waiting for the opportunity to be the one the team can count on, and tonight just felt really good,” Wilson said. Hutton hit eight free throws down the stretch to ice it. The Gators also included Jessica Roque, Cyndi Affary, Jessica Cortez, Christina DeCarvalho, Charlene Diaz, Nicole Divell, Samara King and Cynthia Motiram.
The top-seeded Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights defeated the Mississauga St. Francis Xavier Tigers 61-55 as Tamika Nurse scored 24, Lisa Iavarone 12 and Lauren Stewart 12. Chanel Jones-Delas paced St. Francis Xavier with 20. Brianna Rutty added 18 and Natasha Blackburn 5. St. Thomas More led 19-17 after one quarter but trailed 37-31 at the half and 49-42 at the three-quarter mark. The Tigers, coached by David Tucci and managed by L. Foster, also included Jessica Currie, Amanda D’Souza, Raeanne Villardo, Jusyl Sanchez, Jenny Magat and Ruth Cagara.
The 3rd-seeded Sarnia Northern CVI Vikings defeated the 6th-seeded Waterloo CI Vikings 52-35 as Kendel Ross scored 34 and Kelly Lyons 11. May Kotsopoulos paced Waterloo with 18. Allison Stinson added 8. Coached by Doug Ranton, Mike Liotta and Gillian Herman, the Vikings also included Kirsten Orchard, Kelsey Rodricks, Megan Brophy, Courtney Allain, Andrea Durst, Laura Chris, Michelle Joslin, Alyssa Vogt and Abbey Gingerich.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders crushed the London Saunders Sabres 54-26 as Julia Finlay scored 12, Michele Hynes 11 and Rebecca Rewi 8. Miranda Ayim paced Saunders with 12. Stephanie Pullam added 5. St. Mary’s led 22-5; 30-14 and 43-16 at the quarters. Coached by Pete McIntosh, Jamie Clark and Melissa Moszcelt, the Sabres also included Ines Jelic, Jenny Swartman, Cheyney Sadler, Jacquie Madzia, Molly McPhee, Larissa Campbell, Lauren Ryder, Nicole Smyrnios and Michelle Gross.
In the semi-finals, the top-seeded Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights defeated the 4th-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors 47-37 as Tamika Nurse scored 21, Laura Stringer 11 and Lisa Iavarone 8. Alaine Hutton led Westdale with 18. Rachael Harrison added 7. St. Thomas More led 16-5, 31-19 and 40-27 at the quarters.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders edged the 3rd-seeded Sarnia Northern Secondary Vikings 50-48 in overtime as Michele Hynes scored 18 and Rebecca Rewi 12. Kendel Ross led Sarnia Northern with 21. Morgan Jean added 11. St. Mary’s led 15-10, 27-20 and 36-33 at the quarters. Hynes pilfered the ball with 3.3 seconds to play to ice the win for the Crusaders. Morgan Jean had forced overtime with a buzzer-beating trey.
In the bronze medal match, the 3rd-seeded Sarnia Northern CVI Vikings defeated the 4th-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors 45-40 as Kelly Lyons scored 14 and Kendel Ross 8. Rachael Harrison paced Westdale with 15. Alaine Hutton added 11. The score was knotted at eight after a quarter. Westdale led 22-18 at the half. Sarnia Northern led 30-28 after three quarters. The Warriors chances of a win dissipated when star Alaine Hutton fouled out with two-minutes to play. The Warriors (coached by Krista Giralametto and Nadia Flynn) also included Stacey Brown, Heather Croft, Lauren Gelens, Kristina Harse, Brittany Prenger, Blair Kelly, Elizabeth Syrotiuk, Danielle Thompson, Kelly Traynor and Kayla Wilson.
In the final, the top-seeded Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights defeated the 2nd-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders 52-41 as Tamika Nurse scored 22, Taylor Smith 17, including four treys, Lauren Stewart 7 and Lisa Iavarone 6. Rebecca Rewi paced St. Mary’s with 13. Jenny Vaughan added 7, Julia Finlay 6 and Michelle Hynes 5 before suffering a hand injury. St. Mary’s led 15-1 early and 15-9 after a quarter. St. Thomas More led 30-26 at the half and 43-32 at the three-quarter mark. Smith got the Knights back in the game in the first quarter with a pair of treys and then Nurse took command in the second quarter, scoring 17 of her 22 while repeatedly attacking off the dribble. “We wanted to do it for each other. We came out together and did it,” Taylor Smith told the Hamilton Spectator. “There’s nothing better in the world right now.” Nurse said “how much better can you feel after you win OFSAA in your last (high school) game?” said Nurse, who will be at the University of Oregon in September. “These are the greatest girls to play with. I’m glad it ended this way. … What a start. You have to battle back. You can’t worry about every possession, you have to move on. You’ve got to go back to basics and do the things you do well and that’s run.” The Knights took their first lead of the game 26-25 with 1:18 left in the half and never surrendered it. “When it was 15-1, we knew there was a lot of game left. It was not a great way to start a game but we just had to find a way that we wanted to play and stay with it. All the girls wanted it. It took a while to get going but once they got going, they all played very well,” said Nurse. Crusaders coach Rich Wesolowski said “we got a good start, which we wanted but after that we didn’t play team basketball for a quarter-and-a-half. Team defence was not good and transition was not good, meaning we didn’t get back to stop Tamika. Smith hit a couple of threes but Tamika brought them back.” The Knights led 30-26 at the half and 43-32 after three quarters. Amanda D’Ortenzio said “when the final buzzer sounded, I went through a wave of emotions. This is what we’ve been striving for our high school careers. Finally, it happened. It’s a feeling you can’t explain.”
The bronze medalist Sarnia Northern CVI Vikings: Kendel Ross; Kelly Lyons; Zulmara DaSilva; Mallory Kohlmeier; Emily Wakely; Taryn O’Reilly; Lindsay Carey; Morgan Jean; Rachel Bigras; Katie Cuthbertson; Jen Easter; coach John Thrasher
The silver medalist Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders: Rebecca Rewi; Michele Hynes; Sarah Back; Sara Pilon-Bignell; Sandra Cers; Amanda Scione; Jenny Vaughan; Ashley Donald; Devyn Cuncic; Julia Finlay; Lauren Valvasori; Taylor Chiarot; Sarah Townsend; coach Rich Wesolowski
The gold medalist Hamilton St. Thomas More Lady Knights: Tamika Nurse; Meghan McPeak; Laura Stringer; Taylor Smith; Amanda Selkirk; Kendra Smith; Lisa Iavarone; Amanda D’Ortenzio; Lauren Stewart; Taryn Thomas; coach Tom Spironello; assistant Blaize Spironello; assistant Nadia Fortino; manager Tyrell Vernon; manager Brendan Cabanas