In December 1996, OFSAA launched a two-year pilot project for the AAA girls division in which the provincial play-offs were expanded to 64 from 16 teams to allow more than one team from a conference to play in the tourney, thus avoiding the disparities arising when a second place team from a particularly strong conference fails to make the provincial tourney even though they’re ranked second in the province, as is often the case in the WOSSA conference, where perennial powerhouses Sarnia St. Patrick’s and the London Oakridge Oaks are customarily ranked one-two in the province but only one is allowed in the provincial. Under the pilot, 7 regional winners advance to the final, along with a wild card (i.e. host). Each qualified in a 7-team regional playoff with each association being allowed a specified number of entries determined by the number of AAA schools in their respective associations. But to limit the number of schools per association that can reach the final eight, an association may only be represented in two regional sites. In the first-round draws, a modified double elimination will continue to apply. But in the final eight, the games will be single elimination to determine the champion. The 64-team tournament will provide far more teams with an opportunity to play in the provincial play-offs and if successful, will likely be adopted for other girls’ and boys’ categories, OFSAA said.
OFSAA subsequently held seven regionals. The eighth berth was awarded to the champion of the host association.
In the East regional opening round, held in Ottawa: …………………………………………………… The Kingston Frontenac Falcons clubbed the Oshawa Paul Dwyer Saints 60-42 as Jen Cunningham scored 19. Meghan O’Brien led the Saints with 11. …………………………………………………… The Kingston Bayridge Blazers whipped the Whitby Father Leo J. Austin Wildcats 48-24 as Karlyn Pennell scored 11. Andrea Lyon led the Wildcats with 9. …………………………………………………… The Ottawa Sir Robert Borden Bengals smacked the Nepean Bell Bruins 41-20 as Raquel Burke scored 15. …………………………………………………… The Ottawa Nepean Knights clipped the Ottawa St. Pius X X-Women 48-37 as Cheryl McShane scored 18. Cecilia Cotton led the X-Women with 15. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the Kingston Frontenac Falcons clubbed the Ottawa Bell Bruins 66-44 as Jen Cunningham scored 22. Kathy Jackson led the Bruins with 17, including 4 treys. The Bruins also included Lauren O’Brien. …………………………………………………… The Nepean Knights dumped the Whitby Father Leo J. Austin Wildcats 52-33. The Wildcats included Tania Chappell. …………………………………………………… The Ottawa Sir Robert Borden Bengals clubbed the Oshawa Paul Dwyer Saints 58-37 as Raquel Burke scored 19. Sarah Langley led the Saints with 15. …………………………………………………… In the last quarterfinal, the Kingston Bayridge Blazers whipped the Ottawa St. Pius X-Women 54-37 as Janet Jackson scored 21. Christine Nullaly led the X-Women with 14. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Kingston Frontenac Falcons bounced the Nepean Knights 67-38 as Taryn Turnbull scored 27. Cheryl McShane led the Knights with 10. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the Ottawa Sir Robert Borden Bengals clipped the Kingston Bayridge Blazers 49-38 as Raquel Burke scored 18. Karlyn Pennell led the Blazers with 17. The Blazers (coached by Sam Miller) also included Cheryl Pettis, Amy Fillion, Jenny Jackson, Jackie Stanton, Karlyn Pennell. …………………………………………………… In the final, the Kingston Frontenac Falcons bombed the Ottawa Sir Robert Borden Bengals 42-22. The Falcons held the Bengals scoreless until the final minute of the first quarter. They led 21-11 at the half and were never threatened. “We usually rely on our outside shooting, but today it hurt us,” Bengals point guard Kristen Eisner told the Ottawa Citizen. Co-coach Shelley Barnes said “we made some adjustments in our defence for their offence. They have a couple junior national- team-quality players we had to deal with. I think we were a little nervous at first.” Jen Cunningham led the Falcons with 12. Kim Van Winkle added 11. Raquel Burke paced the Bengals with 12. The Bengals (co-coached by Heather McAlpine and Barnes) also included Dayna Graham.
In the Central West regional, held in Brantford: …………………………………………………… In the opening round, the Cambridge Southwood Sabres dispatched the Windsor Kennedy Clippers 49-39 as Mandy-May Bond scored 17, Lindsay Colven 6 and Emily Quantz 5. Lisa Foo led the Clippers with 11. Rachel Copat added 11. …………………………………………………… The Windsor Brennan Cardinals defeated the North York Jeffreys Collegiate Saints 61-42. …………………………………………………… The Guelph Centennial Spartans dispatched the North Toronto Huskies 53-46. …………………………………………………… The Welland Notre Dame Fighting Irish stomped the New Hamburg Waterloo/Oxford District Crusaders 64-42 as Vanessa Bozza scored 29 and Tara Kardas 16. Julie Steinburg led the Crusaders with 15. Abby Moody added 7 and Sarah Peters 7. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the Windsor Kennedy Clippers defeated the Windsor Brennan Cardinals 54-44 as Jody Curley scored 15 and Rae-Ann Copat 11. Stacey Ducharme led the Cardinals with 13. Andrea Sikora added 12. The Cardinals (coached by Mike Sikora) also included Tracy Lambert, Rachelle Quenneville, Andrea Bulat. …………………………………………………… The North Toronto Norsemen edged the Welland Notre Dame Fighting Irish 49-46. The Fighting Irish (coach Kelly Baker) included Tara Kardas, Vanessa Bozza, Jen Lalonde, Cindy Markowich, Tina Zayad. …………………………………………………… The Guelph Centennial Spartans dusted the New Hamburg Waterloo-Oxford District Crusaders 61-43 as Anna James scored 14, Josere Farrell 9 and Amy McPherson 9. Sarah Peters led the Crusaders with 11. Julie Steinburg added 9, Heather Carr 5 and Aaron Yantzi 5. The Crusaders also included Abby Moody, Svelynn Wirth, Meaghan Wagler. …………………………………………………… In the last quarterfinal, the Cambridge Southwood Sabres dispatched the North York Jeffreys Collegiate Saints 59-52 as Mandy-May Bond scored 14, Lindsay Colven 11 and Emily Quantz 8. Latoya Blackwood led the Saints with 25. Taneisha McKenzie added 22. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the North Toronto Norsemen edged the Windsor Kennedy Clippers 65-63. Jody Curley paced the Clippers with 20. The Clippers (coached by Honora Loughlin) also included Lisa Foco, Aubrey Biundo, Rae-Anne Copat, Gina Gural, Tara Newman, Katie Walker. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the Guelph Centennial Spartans defeated the Cambridge Southwood Sabres 41-36 in overtime as Amy McPherson scored 14, Anna James 14 and Leslie Mitchell 11. Dayna Seldentius led the Sabres with 11. Mandy-May Bond added 8 and Samantha Boardley 6. The Sabres led 10-5 after one quarter. The Spartans led 18-15 at the half. The Sabres led 28-25 after three quarters. The score was knotted at 36 after regulation. The Sabres (coach Jim Baird) also included Stephanie Holt,Miranda Vanderberg, Melissa Mendicino, Allison Salter, Lindsay Colven. …………………………………………………… In the final, the Guelph Centennial Spartans defeated the North Toronto Norsemen 54-39 as Amy McPherson scored 15. Spartans coach Jim Mitchell told the Kitchener-Waterloo Record that “no question, Amy McPherson is the quarterback of just everything we do on the floor but this is really a remarkable team, an unselfish group who play hard and for as long as it takes.” Jennifer Rigg led the Norsemen with 17. The score was knotted at 29 at the half.
In the semis of the North regional, held in Sudbury: …………………………………………………… The Sault Ste. Marie St. Joseph Royals clocked the Sudbury Lo-Ellen Park Knights 67-46 as Sarah Cameron scored 22. Kyleen Sonoski led the Knights with 14. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the Sault Ste. Marie St. Basil Saints edged the Sudbury Lasalle Lancers 40-37 as Miranda Pyette scored 22. Marina Prodanovic led the Lancers with 11. …………………………………………………… In the final, the Sault Ste. Marie Mount St. Joseph Royals defeated the Sault Ste. Marie St. Basil Saints 31-25 as Sarah Cameron scored 13, Hollie McNally 6, Melanie Roach 5 and Lisa Felton 3. The Royals broke to an 11-0 lead and led 15-7 at the half. Miranda Pyette led the Saints with 7. Kristin Peddie added 5, Carly Uhlman 4 and Diana Little 4.
In the opening round of the Central regional, held in Toronto: …………………………………………………… The Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils dumped the Aurora Golden Eagles 54-33 as Julia Burdon scored 14. Tara Perrier led the Golden Eagles with 11. ………………………………………………… The Mississauga Meadowvale Falcons dispatched the Brampton Turner Fenton Secondary Trojans 44-38 as Libby Kishimoto scored 17. Meredith School led the Trojans with 12. …………………………………………………… The Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints clubbed Toronto Branksome Hall 55-30 as Khalilah Este-Shehu scored 19. Vanessa Nobrega led Branksome Hall 14. …………………………………………………… The East York Leaside Lancers edged the Newmarket Huron Heights Secondary Warriors as Vicky Sheriff-Scott scored 15. Kerry Gall, Kim Botnik and Krissy Avey each scored 8 to pace the Warriors. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils whipped Toronto Branksome Hall 79-35 as Rebecca Richardson scored 26. Vanessa Nobrega led Branksome Hall with 12. …………………………………………………… The Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints dispatched the Aurora Golden Eagles 57-50 as Khalilah Este-Shehu scored 35. Tara Perrier led the Golden Eagles with 27. …………………………………………………… The East York Leaside Lancers dumped the Brampton Turner Fenton Secondary Trojans 48-35 as Vicky Sherrif-Scott scored 24. Meredith School led the Trojans with 16. …………………………………………………… The Newmarket Huron Heights Secondary Warriors dispatched the Mississauga Meadowvale Falcons 46-37 as Chaissy Avey and Melanie Heintz each scored 12. Libby Kishimoto led the Falcons with 12. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils stomped the East York Leaside Lancers 58-32 as Rebecca Richardson scored 20. Vicky Sherrif-Scott allowed the Lancers with 13. …………………………………………………… The Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints edged the Newmarket Huron Heights Secondary Warriors 37-34 as Kahlilah Este-Shehu scored 24. Melanie Hinds led the Warriors with 9. …………………………………………………… In the final, the Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils thrashed the Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints 38-25 as Rebecca Richardson scored 21. Khalilah Este-Shehu led the Saints with 15.
In the opening round of the Southwest regional, held in London: …………………………………………………… The London Oakridge Oaks bombed the Mississauga Erindale Raiders 69-32 as Alli Peckham scored 30. Nasrin Gilbert led the Raiders with 17. …………………………………………………… The Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles blasted the Sarnia St. Patrick’s Fighting Irish 53-39. …………………………………………………… The London John Paul II Jaguars dumped the Caledon East Mayfield Secondary Mavericks 49-33 as Renee Belanger scored 13. Brooke Bradburn and Stephanie Marcus each scored 7 to pace the Mavericks. …………………………………………………… The London Regina Mundi Catholic Titans clubbed the Brantford North Park Trojans 68-42 as Joanne Chehade and Carrie Urbanowicz each scored 11. Angela McLeod led the Trojans with 10. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the London John Paul II Tigers spanked the Mississauga Erindale Raiders 75-51. …………………………………………………… The Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles dispatched the Brantford North Park Trojans 53-44. The Trojans included Holly Pagnan, Naomi Baker, Angela McLeod.…………………………………………………… The London Oakridge Oaks stomped the Caledon East Mayfield Secondary Mavericks 63-19. …………………………………………………… The Sarnia St. Patrick’s Fighting Irish edged the London Regina Mundi Catholic Titans 54-50. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles dispatched x. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the London Oakridge Oaks defeated x. …………………………………………………… Participants included Sarnia St. Patrick’s Fighting Irish: Lindsay Finch, Karie Jackson, Adrienne Crickard, Jenn Wakely, Melissa Magtanog, Julie Robbins, coach Jeff Parco …………………………………………………… In the final, the Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles defeated the London Oakridge Oaks 45-43.
In the opening round of the Central East regional, held in Whitby: …………………………………………………… The Ottawa Lisgar Lords defeated the Pickering St. Mary Monarchs 52-41 as Jennifer Lochhead scored 15. Emily Renaud led the Monarchs with 14. …………………………………………………… The Etobicoke CI Rams dumped the Thornhill Vaughan Voyageurs 62-51 as Kristy Hineline scored 27. Tanya Cross led the Voyageurs with 36. …………………………………………………… The Markham District Marauders whipped the Pickering Pine Ridge Pumas 55-39 as Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 20. Danielle North led the Pumas with 12. …………………………………………………… The Rouge Hill Sir Oliver Mowat Mustangs whipped the North York Earl Haig Haigwomen 44-26 as Alisha Myatt scored 18. Sara Davison led the Haigwomen with 12. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the Ottawa Lisgar Lords defeated the Thornhill Vaughan Voyageurs 68-60 as Cynthia Cooper scored 23 and Tegan Phillips 21. Tanya Cross led the Voyageurs with 27. …………………………………………………… The Etobicoke CI Rams stomped the Pickering St. Mary Monarchs 60-36 as Kristy Hineline scored 17. Shawna Walker led the Monarchs with 9. …………………………………………………… The Pickering Pine Ridge Pumas dispatched the Rouge Hill Sir Oliver Mowat Mustangs 49-41 as Danielle North scored 20. Amy Ball led the Mustangs with 14. …………………………………………………… The Markham District Marauders pounded the North York Earl Haig Haigwomen 48-23 as Kerri Cooper scored 18. Sara David led the Haigwomen with 9. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Markham District Marauders dispatched the Ottawa Lisgar Lords 61-53 as Tammy Sutton-Brown scored 30. Tegan Phillips led the Lords with 16. The Lords (coached by Bill Fraser, assisted by Bill Arden) also included Cynthia Cooper, Leah Friesen, Caitlin Jenkings, Rachel Boomgaardt, Vanessa Maxwell, Steph Hogg, Caroline Parkin, Krysta Petrie, Catherine Lu, Sue Brocklebank, Natalie Johnston, Sheila Goodfellow and Jen Lochhead. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the Etobicoke Collegiate Rams dumped the Pickering Pine Ridge Pumas 64-46 as Elanna Robson and Nastassia Subban each scored 17. Danielle North led the Pumas with 12. …………………………………………………… In the final, the Etobicoke Collegiate Rams defeated the Markham District Marauders 57-50. The Rams led 24-9 after the first quarter and by 17 at the half. But after Ram starter Kristy Hineline fouled out, Markham rallied with a 10-2 run led by 6-3 Rutgers-bound Tammy Sutton-Brown, who was playing with an injured elbow and scored 25 but only hit 5-10 from the line. Still, Etobicoke clung to a 51-50 lead. “We were taking shots we shouldn’t have, the girls panicked and, sure, I was worried,” Rams coach Paul Pearson told the Toronto Star. Etobicoke iced the win with five free throws, including three from Elanna Robson, who scored 17.
In the opening round of the South regional, held in Niagara Falls: …………………………………………………… The Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders clocked the St. Catharines Denis Morris Redmen 60-26 as Cassie Kergan scored 18, Rachel Ellison 12 and Renee Beach 6. The Crusaders led 12-7, 34-12 and 43-16 at the quarters. Mary-Lou Fruscella led the Redmen with 12. Sheila Don added 5 and Katie Modolo 4. Redmen guard Jen Murphy told the St. Catharines Standard that “they just ran us dry. They are just constantly moving and passing. They’re much faster.” Redmen coach John Giroux said “St. Mary’s has been playing 40 or 50 games a year (in club ball). When you get all that under your belt before you get to high school, it’s hard for other teams. St. Mary’s is so fundamentally sound.” …………………………………………………… The Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders clocked the Scarborough Albert Campbell Celtics 63-49 as Carrie Sharpe scored 19, while nabbing 18 boards, Jessica Kemp 17, while nabbing 17 boards, Brooke Crawford 14, Sarah Paul 7, along with 12 boards, and Jamie Fung 6. The Marauders le 16-14, 31-29 and 49-37 at the quarters. Marauders coach Sheri Findlater told the Niagara Falls Review that “to be honest, it was a bit of an ugly win. They were jittery and missed a lot of baskets underneath.” Brooke Crawford said “that was pretty physical. There were a lot of elbows.” The Marauders hit 16-34 from the line, while the Celtics were 4-6. Amina Khalif led the Celtics with 18 (also reported as 20). Tania Campbell added 17, Marsha Bowes 4, Kathryn Blazina 4 and Michelle Clarke 4. Celtics coach Bryan Pardo said “they were a good team but I was really disappointed in the balance of the calls. … What bothered us was their passing skills. I don’t think they have foot speed and their quickness is in passing the ball.” …………………………………………………… The Burlington Nelson Lords whacked the Scarborough Macdonald Black Scots 54-23 as Erin Magee scored 15, Jen Grebeldinger 12 and Lynn Ariss 9. The Lords led 21-7, 28-17 and 44-21 at the quarters. Karen Papapdopoulos led the Black Scots with 16. …………………………………………………… The Hamilton Westdale Warriors whipped the Ancaster Royals 81-37 as Christin Dickenson scored 18, Suzanne Miller 12, Katherine McColl 10 and Alaine Gutoski 20. The Warriors led 25-3, 43-17 and 59-24 at the quarters. Sarah Zagorski led the Royals with 21. Jen Goodram added 9. …………………………………………………… In the quarterfinals, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders thrashed the Scarborough Sir John A. Macdonald Black Scots 70-28 as Rachel Ellison scored 23 (also reported as 18, Julie Lamparski 11 and Nicole Powell 10. The Crusaders led 18-4, 38-8 and 56-13 at the quarters. Karen Papadopoulos led the Black Scots with 21. …………………………………………………… The Burlington Nelson Lords thumped the St. Catharines Denis Morris Redmen 40-25 as Jennifer Grebeldinger scored 12. Jennifer Murphy led the Redmen with 14. The Redmen led 11-8 after one quarter and 19-17 at the half. The Lords led 28-21 after three quarters. The Redmen (coach Pat Sullivan, coach John Giroux) also included Mary-Lou Fruscella, Kerry McKenna, Katie Modolo, Carla Kamendy, Barb Thomas, Sheila Don. …………………………………………………… The Hamilton Westdale Warriors clocked the Scarborough Albert Campbell Celtics 75-43 as Alana Gutoski scored 13, Suzanne Miller 11 and Katherine McColl 10. The Warriors led 17-2, 38-20 and 59-27 at the quarters. Amina Khalif led the Celtics with 12. The Celtics also included Tania Campbell, Marsha Bowes, Kathryn Blazina, Michelle Clarke. …………………………………………………… In the last quarterfinal, the Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders whipped the Ancaster Royals 81-56 as Jessica Kemp scored 26, Jamie Fong 15, Carrie Sharpe 15, Sarah Paul 9, Krista Stephenson 6 and Bri Roach 4. Jennifer Goodram led the Royals (coach Ralf Hakenberg) with 15. Carla Cupido added 8 and Sarah Zagorski 8. …………………………………………………… In the semis, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders spanked the Hamilton Westdale Warriors 53-35. Suzanne Miller led the Warriors with 10. Katherine McColl added 5. The Warriors (coach Amos Connolly) also included Kristen Dickenson. …………………………………………………… In the other semi, the Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders defeated the Burlington Nelson Lords 58-50 as Jessica Kemp scored 20, while nabbing 13 boards, Jamie Fong 15, Carrie Sharpe 9, Brooke Crawford 7, Sarah Paul 5 and Christina Webb 2. The Marauders outrebounded the Lords 38-29. They hit 20-46 from the line, while the Lords were 7-16. A Lords assistant was hit for a technical with 39 seconds to play. The Marauders hit the free throws and got the ball back, sealing Nelson’s fate. Lynn Ariss led Lords with 14. Jen Grebeldinger added 11. The Lords (coach Gord McNeice) also included Erin Magee, who injured an ankle in the third quarter, Krista Ariss. McNeice told the Niagara Falls Review that “I’ve coached basketball for 16 years and I’ve never seen such biased officiating.” …………………………………………………… In the final, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders smacked the Niagara Falls A.N. Myer Marauders 79-33 as Tami Asquith scored 13, Jen Brzozowski 10 and Casie Kergan 10. The Crusaders led 23-0 early and 31-3, 47-23 and 63-28 at the quarters. Marauders coach Sherry Findlater told the St. Catharines Standard that “St. Mary’s is a total team. There are no stars. Their basics are phenomenal. They all shoot the same way. They pass well. They play year round and they have poise.” Krista Stephenson led the Marauders with 8. Jessica Kemp added 6, Jamie Fong 6, Sarah Paul 5, Brooke Crawford 5, Christina Webb 2 and Carrie Sharpe 1. The Marauders (coach Sherry Findlater, assistant Kerry Felstead, assistant Cathie Petheran) also included Sonia Zitano, Bri Roach, Katherine Miller and Francie Dandonneau. Kempt told the Niagara Falls Review “that team was 3-1 and we thought there was no way we could win. If we didn’t know their record, or anything about the team, I think it might have been a different game.” Marauders coach Sherry Findlater said “there was nothing to be ashamed of. We lost to a team that was very good. … We are young. We knew what we had to do but I don’t think they knew they couldn’t make any errors.”
In the provincial quarterfinals, the top-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the 8th-seeded Sault Ste. Marie Mount St. Joseph Royals 45-33 as Rachel Ellison scored 16 and Casie Kergan 10. Crusaders coach Chris Oliver told the Hamilton Spectator that “we shot 33% from the field and 39% from the free throw line. Our defence won us that game. … It was just real sluggish effort. We were a bit tentative on offence and it showed. Maybe we were a little nervous, or tight, or maybe we’ve just had too much press lately.” The Crusaders entered the draw with a (37-0) record. The Royals led 8-6 after one quarter. The Crusaders led 16-14 at the half and 30-27 after three quarters. Sarah Cameron led the Royals with 21. Royals coach Laurie Mazzuca told the Sault Star that “we played them with no problem and with a little luck, we could have won that game. … Their press eventually got to us. Our girls tried hard but they just wore us down.” The Royals (coached by Laurie Mazzuca) included Sarah Cameron, Lisa Febbraro, Holly McNally, Lisa Felton, Melanie Roach, Danielle Marchand, Deanna Nicholls.
The 5th-seeded Guelph Centennial Spartans dumped the 4th-seeded Brantford St. John’s Green Eagles 35-30 as Leslie Mitchell scored 12 and Amy McPherson 11. Jennifer Rousseau led the Green Eagles with 9. The Green Eagles (coached by Sharon Boyd) also included Allison McColeman, Bonnie Kruis, Erika Gregory.
The 6th-seeded London Central Golden Ghosts, who qualified by winning the London city title, which earned them a berth in the draw as hosts, stunned the 3rd-seeded Etobicoke CI Rams 78-66. The Rams (coached by Paul Pearson, assisted by Marissa Gettas) included Kristy Hineline, Elanna Robson, Catherine Sundeen, Andrea Wood, Tamara Sam, Natassia Subhan, Andrea Robson, Aidan Kirby, Brooke Summers, Shari Wilson, Marija Kiric, Jeannie Davis, Michelle Kurczyk and Katharine Hagerman.
In the last quarterfinal, the 7th-seeded Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils stunned the 2nd-seeded Kingston Frontenac Falcons 43-37 after rallying from a 15-point first-half deficit. The loss ended a 31-game winning streak for Frontenac. The Falcons shot .230 from the floor and hit only two buckets, a trey by Kim Vanwinkle and a layup by Taryn Turnbull during the second half. The Falcons nevertheless led 24-18 after three quarters. “Our outside shooting just wasn’t there. We had shots that were close, but just wouldn’t go in for us and we paid the price,” coach Tim McCue told the Kingston Whig-Standard. The Falcons led 20-5 in the first half. Trafalgar rallied when Tulane-bound Turnbull, Jen Cunningham and Meaghan McAlpine all got in trouble for Frontenac. Taryn Turnbull led Frontenac with 14 points, including 10 from the line. Jennifer Cunningham added 10, Kim Van Winckle 9 (all from beyond the arc) and Meaghan McAlpine 4. The Falcons (coached by McCue) also included Darlene Holt, Lexy Taylor, Megan Cheesbrough, Christine Lapeer, Kelly Conner, Trisha Salmon, Jenn Waugh, Karen Gravel and Tanis Twiddy.
In the semi-finals, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the 5th-seeded Guelph Centennial Spartans 57-45 as Rachel Ellison scored 15 and Cassie Kergan 12. Ellison told the Hamilton Spectator that “we knew in our minds that people were going to be coming at us but to be actually on the floor and have it happen, it’s a bit of a new scenario. … We shot four free throws and that means we weren’t aggressive enough.” The Crusaders led 2-19 early. L. Mitchell led Guelph with 18. Amy McPherson added 10. The Crusaders led 30-17 at the half and were never threatened.
In the other semi, the 6th-seeded London Central Golden Ghosts defeated the 7th-seeded Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils 68-54 as Lindsay Kennedy scored 22 and Vanessa Richardson 20. Julia Burden led Trafalgar with 17. Supported by the vocal home crowd and a bit of home cooking by the officials, according to the Toronto Star, the Golden Ghosts broke to a 7-0 lead and twice rolled up 11-0 runs. Trafalgar coach Alex Wysocki told the Star that his troops panicked. “It was unbelievable, just not like us and it seemed like we were asleep from the start. We must have had about 30 turnovers and you can’t even beat an elementary school team with that. Sure (Central) out-hustled us but they wanted the win more.” Burden blamed the loss on mental lapses. “We’re a team that’s not used to trailing and every time we tried to get back in the game we panicked and threw the ball away.” Kennedy hit 10-11 from the line for the Golden Ghosts, who led 21-12 after the first quarter, 36-24 at halftime and by 17 after three quarters.
In the bronze medal match, the 7th-seeded Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils defeated the 5th-seeded Guelph Centennial Spartans 46-39. The Spartans (coached by John Mitchell) included Amy McPherson, Erin McQueen, Anna James, L Mitchell, Josere Farrell.
In the final, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the 6th-seeded host London Central Golden Ghosts 65-61 as Rachel Ellison scored 21. The Crusaders repeatedly rallied from 9-point deficits to pull out the win. Ellison and point guard Tami Asquith each drilled three from beyond the arc to beat Central, which lacked St. Mary’s depth. Ellison hit a pair of treys in the final four minutes to rally the Crusaders and Maria Stangerlin hit two free throws with 3:24 to play as St. Mary’s took its first lead. Asquith sealed it with a pair from the line with 10 seconds to play as St. Mary’s won its second title in five years. Rachel Ellison told the Hamilton Spectator that “this was the most special way to win it. … Last year, it was so close, we almost had it. We were down the whole game and dug down, played with heart and we pulled it off.” Crusaders coach Chris Oliver said “I might have been wrong when I said no one could stay for us for four quarters if we played our game. They played a heck of a game for all four quarters.” The Golden Ghosts dominated the boards but the Crusaders were able to dictate the tempo, which opened up the floor for Ellison. “They ran with us all game, grabbed the rebounds and we weren’t hitting the shots until that spark late in the game,” Ellison, who scored 17 on the second half, told the Toronto Star. With Central holding 19-12, 37-31 and 45-42 quarter leads, the smaller Crusaders squad had difficulty penetrating the key. But they kept drawing fouls. “We’re a big team, we’ve had a history of problems with fouls and eventually those things come back to haunt you,” added Golden Ghost guard Vanessa Richardson, scored 19 on 10-12 from the line. Lindsay Kennedy also notched 19 for the Golden Ghosts. Central coach Brian Rice noted that Ellison “is a big-time player, a real star and winner. When she cranked it up, you could feel the momentum switch.” Oliver said “we were very lucky to have the right people step up at a key time. We couldn’t get on a run, just lacked the hype and I was plenty worried. Rachel came to play in the fourth quarter and she’s one big time player. I just wish she had come much earlier.” The Crusaders finished 38-1 on the campaign and were undefeated against Canadian competition. The Golden Ghosts finished 32-4 on the season. Oliver told the Hamilton Spectator that “we had some pressure on us this weekend. When it comes right down to it, we had the right people that stepped up at the right time.”
The bronze medalist Oakville Trafalgar Red Devils: Rebecca Richardson; Julia Burden; Kristi Perras; Kate Richardson; coach Alex Wysocki
The silver medalist London Central Golden Ghosts: Vanessa Richardson; Shawna LaBonte; Lindsay Kennedy; coach Brian Rice; assistant Sandy Perryman
The gold medalist Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders: Rachel Ellison; Jenn Brzozowski; Casie Kergan; Tami Asquith; Maria Stangerlin; Lisa Ketchmark; Ashleigh Cuncic; Courtney Cuncic; Nicole Powell; Julie Lamparski; Renee Beach; Angela Papalia; Julia Williams; Leanne Rowthorn; Amanda Kergan; coach Chris Oliver