In the opening round, held in Ottawa: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders annihilated the Whitby Father Leo Austin Wildcats 69-23 as Ashleigh Cuncic tossed in 27 on 11-13 from the floor, including six treys. Alexis Rakovac added 10. Cuncic told the Hamilton Spectator that “we may not have played in a week but we practice really hard and work on things like shooting. … every game we play is like its our last. … WE just go into every game with the same intensity and the same focus so we can dominate teams. The Crusaders led 22-8 after one quarter and 37-14 at the half. Crusaders coach Rich Wesolowski said “I can’t believe how good we shot today. Sometimes, we shoot hot. Other times, we’re cold … But everyone shot great.” Jennifer Radman led Father Leo Austin with 8. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Ottawa Glebe Gryphons defeated the Scarborough Albert Campbell Celtics 50-35 as Jen Bowes scored 17 and Alison Stone 12. Cecilia Chan led Albert Campbell with 12. Tayna James added 10. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts defeated the Kingston Bayridge Blazers 53-39 as Jen Bittner scored 17 and Alicia McCarthy 13. Lisa Ellis led Bayridge with 12. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors defeated Etobicoke Richview Saints 48-35 as Rebecca McColl scored 19, Shona Thorburn 14 and Justine Panavas 9. Warrior Kelly Bodden told the Hamilton Spectator that “was a brutal game. I’m glad that one’s out of the way.” McColl said “we weren’t shooting well and got off to a slow start. We weren’t making our shots at all but had the defence kept us in. As the game went on, we started to get more looks and eventually the ball started dropping for us.” Warriors coach Amos Connolly said “maybe it was nerves because it’s the first game at OFSAA. … We dropped off the halfcourt a little bit and played more to our strengths. Sometimes, we’d get caught in an aggressive mentality and give them openings. We decided to playoff a little bit and the kids responded really well. The whole thing about that game was we stumbled on offence but we always played good defence. That’s what turned the game around. Offensively, that was about as ugly a basketball game as you’ll find.” Trisha Hedges led the Saints with 9. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Etobicoke Michael Power-St. Joseph Trojans defeated the Mississauga St. Francis Xavier Tigers 48-31 as Hutashi Wilson scored 24 and Meaghan McGrath 16. Denee Burgess led the Tigers with 9. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders defeated Richmond Hill 69-37 as Catherine Cachia scored 17 and Andrea Clarke 15. Sandra Marincelli led Richmond Hill with 11. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Sarnia St. Christopher Cyclones defeated the Sudbury Lasalle Lancers 44-39 as Danielle Sabourin scored 22. Shauna Brouillard led Lasalle with 18. Erica Johnson added 10. Lasalle led 23-19 at the half. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded London Pope John Paul II Jaguars defeated the North Toronto Valkyries 54-45 as Alicia Estabrooks scored 12 and Karenina Aguilar 10. Nicole Van Beurden led North Toronto with 10.
In the second round: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the Kingston Bayridge Blazers 59-41 as Ashleigh Cuncic scored 18 and Renee Beach 14 (also reported as 10). Crusader Julie Lamparski told the Hamilton Spectator that “we didn’t come to play. We didn’t have our heads in it. We just weren’t ready. We weren’t prepared and we took too lightly too. They dictated the pace, which is something we usually do but we didn’t get into it.” The Crusaders led 14-11, 29-19 and 48-26 at the quarters. Renee Beach said “I think we took this one for granted. I think we forgot we were at OFSAA and that you have to win every game to be able to go on. I think we forgot where we were. We were letting them do what they wanted to do, which was get second shots. They also got fastbreaks on us which is really uncharacteristic for us, then we’d just sit on offence and not move.” Crusaders coach Rich Wesolowski said “I honestly think we weren’t ready to play. The girls were reacting to everything they were doing and we want to be proactive, not reactive. These games are important because each one leads to the next. You want to build momentum and not just win bad games.” Julie Brand led Bayridge with 11. The Blazers (coached by Dave Steele, assisted by Bob Freeman and managed by Courtney Cridland) also included Brenda Kirton, Stacey Fisher, Kirstin Trudeau, Lindsay Malleson, Kathleen Dumas, Marilyn Benn, Lisa Ellis, Angela Bromfield and Alana Parrett. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Ottawa Glebe Gryphons defeated Etobicoke Richview Saints 52-18 as Jen Bowes scored 19 and Lindsay McShane 13. Trisha Hedges led the Saints with 10. The Saints (coached by Rick Hollowell, assisted by Tara Sameshima and managed by Susan McGrath and Jackie Boutette) also included Monica Lappa, Nadine Gebara, Christine Decaire, Erin Gallagher, Becky Morrison, Keely Slessor, Bianca Semeniuk, Kamillia Isaac, Julia Angeloni, Deanna Lutwyn and Ashley Evans. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Sarnia St. Christopher Cyclones defeated the Mississauga St. Francis Xavier Tigers 68-41 as Beth Dragan scored 10 and Gillian Kohlmeier 10. Denee Burgess led St. Francis Xavier with 10. The Tigers (coached by Anne Marie Thuss and managed by Ashley Si and Reva Sherma) also included Marietta Hristoeski, Sharon Gabuat, Andreia Chong, Keisha Scott, Andrea Phils, Anthonia Ogundele, Anissa Soochit, Allison Kurisu, Evangeline Palad, Christina Habus, Martina Skrela and Charlene Parado. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded London Pope John Paul II Jaguars defeated the Richmond Hill Raiders 49-38 as Karenina Aguilar scored 17. Robyn Fluxgold led Richmond Hill with 19. The Raiders (coached by Jon Gage, assisted by Bryden Gage) also included Neda Vujicic, Meghan McVeigh, Rachel Muttiah, Michelle Hoag, Sandra Marinelli, Elizabeth Mackie, Janice Lewis, Denice Ishmael, Allyson Ishmael, Diane Tennen and Shauna Tsuchiya. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts defeated the Whitby Father Leo Austin Wildcats as Paula Romkey scored 20 and Jen Bittner 15. Bonnie Slaughter led the Wildcats with 19. Natalie Price added 11. The Wildcats (coached by Heather Lafontaine) also included Simone Lee, Erin Giroux, Kelly Lafontaine, Jessica Loziuk, Meghan Carroll, Ingrid Hanf, Jennifer Langani, Pam Wilkinson, Andrea Mitchell, Alexi Roy, Jennifer Radman, Gillian Guest, Jennifer Sawula, Kailey Miller and Candace Nzeakor. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors dumped the Scarborough Albert Campbell Celtics 54-37 as Shona Thorburn scored 18 (also reported as 23), Rebecca McColl 17 and Kelly Bodden 11 (also reported as 8). The Warriors led 14-6 after one quarter and 30-17 at the half. Thorburn told the Hamilton Spectator that “today we were more aggressive and better prepared.” Kelly Bodden said “we realized that each game is important and we all pulled together and went out and played aggressive. We rebounded well because we were always in good position. Sometimes, we threw the ball away but we were able to regain our concentration.” Warriors coach Amos Connolly said “technically, we boxed out really well and it was a good performance. The key is starting strong and if you can do that, you’re in pretty good shape. It’s sort of the name of the game.” Cecilia Chan led Albert Campbell with 17. Tanya James added 12. The Celtics (coached by Bryan Pardo, assisted by Jackie Walters and managed by Marsha Wright) also include Cherissa Thomas, Tanya Allem, Christine Vuong, Stephanie Chau, Chivonne Goulbourne, Lindsay Craig, Petrina Thomas, Denise Francois and Kian Johnson. …………………………………………………… The 7th-seeded Etobicoke Michael Power-St. Joseph Trojans defeated the Sudbury Lasalle Lancers 45-31 as Meaghan McGrath scored 16 and Hutashi Wilson 16. Erica Johnson led LaSalle with 10. The Trojans led 23-13 at the half. The Lancers (coached by Jen Bourget and managed by Geraldine Sheridan) also included Amy Chau, Jen Skelly, Krista Degagne, Shauna Brouillard, Jessica Taylor, Melissa Mehes, Jill Mannella, Meghan Cayen, Carrie Adams, Nat Belowos and Megan Chute. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders defeated the North Toronto Valkyries 44-37 as Andrea Clarke scored 14, Amanda Beadle 12 and Natalie Mornell 10. Fionna Cheng led North Toronto with 16. The Valkyries (coached by Bill Doyleg, assisted by Elissa Beckett and managed by Heather Strupat) also included Elspeth Cheng, Brianna Fitzpatrick, Amy Rankin, Ashley Macdonald, Olivia Batt, Lela Drobac, Martha Paterson, Lindsay Hacker, Katie Doyle, Nicole Van Beurden, Laura Difelice and Rahma Mohammed.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the 8th-seeded Ottawa Glebe Gryphons 55-25. Ashleigh Cuncic led St. Mary’s with 18. Julie Lamparski added 7, Nicole Powell 7, Jesse Lamparski 5 and Kristine Murphy 5. Crusaders coach Rich Wesolowski told the Hamilton Spectator that “a lot of teams stay with us initially but as we get the depth and keep rotating, the pressure stays consistent throughout the whole game and that bothered them. They probably haven’t seen that kind of pressure before.” Crusader Kristine Murphy said “our plan the whole game was to wear them down, especially in the fourth quarter. … Our defence was awesome. This game our defence held us in until our offence got started. We got off to a slow start but it kept getting better and better. … We have a lot of experience and that’s what we count on.” The Crusaders led 8-6, 26-12 and 46-16 at the quarters. Lindsay McShane and Sara Hrehoriak paced Glebe with six apiece. The Gryphons (coached by Murray Shoup, assisted by Carol Rosenthall and managed by Lindsay Deleeuw) also included Anna Singer, Alison MacDonald, Julia Gaffield, Alison Stone, Hanna Feldberg, Emily Woods, Jen Bowes, Doris Chow, Alison Barclay and Caitlin Dolan.
The 4th-seeded Sarnia St. Christopher Cyclones defeated the 5th-seeded London Pope John Paul II Jaguars 72-47. Danielle Sabourin led St. Christopher with 20. Muffy Somers added 15. Karenina Aguilar led the Jaguars with 16. The Jaguars (coached by Bill Pargeter, assisted by Jason Shoemaker and Lori Bartolotta) also included Sara Gonzalez, Kathryn Murray, Alicia Estabrooks, Stephanie Van de Ven, Katie Tucker, Kelly Moran, Kristy Commerford, Jessica Merrifield, Melyssa Tardif, Katherine Gonzalez, Jodie Cowles, Alyson Kenny, Tina Cincolo and Johanna McManus.
The 3rd-seeded Hamilton Westdale Warriors defeated the 6th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts 51-30 as Shona Thorburn scored 18 and Lindsay Snell 7. Snell told the Hamilton Spectator that “we tend to play at the level of the team we’re playing. (Coach) Amos (Connolly) said we had to be aggressive and we had to step it up. We worked really hard as a team.” Justine Panavas said “I guess they haven’t seen Hamilton ball. I came here ready to play and if everybody wanted to join me, that was fine. We were so ready to play this one. We came here to win.” The Warriors led 12-11 after one quarter and 24-18 at the half. They closed out the affair with an 11-0 run. Paula Romkey led Ashbury with 13. The contest was a close until star Ashbury point guard Kate Poulin was forced out of the affair with a broken ankle. The Colts (coached by Andy Sparks, assisted by Hugh Bell) also included Jenn Bittner, Pia Mastromonaco, Alisha McCarthy, Emma Plaskacz, Danielle Simpson, Caitlin Sparks, Alana Street, J.J. Wilson, Sarah Frood and Kim Ryerson.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders defeated the 7th-seeded Etobicoke Michael Power-St. Joseph Trojans 54-23. Nathalie McNeil led Lourdes with 13. Jennifer Nadalin added 11 and Andrea Clarke 10. Meaghan McGrath paced Michael Power with 12. The Trojans, down 38-9 after three quarters, had started out trying to slow down Lourdes’ quick break and actually led 5-4 in the closing seconds of the opening quarter. But that’s about when things went from promising to ugly as the Crusaders went on an 18-0 run, keeping Power off the scoreboard for 8:32 until Meaghan McGrath popped a trey early in the second half. “Nerves got to us and you can’t win such an important game with only two players,” said Power coach Paul McGrath (father of Meaghan). “I couldn’t hit a shot,” said Power vet Hutashi Wilson. “They were all over us, shut down everything and we got intimidated.” The Trojans also included Emily Kuhlmann, Amy d’Ornellas, Megan Cashley, Andrea Steacy, Jennifer Foster, Danielle Iafrate, Eileen Kersnik, Toni-Anne Sarlo and Jaclyn Cashley.
In the semis, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the Sarnia St. Christopher Cyclones 51-49 in overtime. Crusader Julie Lamparski told the Hamilton Spectator that “we didn’t play our best … But we had heart. When you have heart, you should come out on top.” Ashleigh Cuncic paced the Crusaders with 20, while nabbing 6 boards. Julie Lamparski added 13, Nicole Powell 7, Lora te Boeckhorst 6, Renee Beach 3 and 6 boards, and Jessie Lamparski 2, while Kristina Murphy, Mandy Bateman, Krysten Adams, Lisa Critchley, Lauren Angus, Alexi Rakovac, Emily Wearing, Sarah Papalia and Andrea Wade were scoreless. The Crusaders shot 15-33 (.455) from the floor, 4-13 (.308) from the arc and 9-17 (.529) from the line, while garnering 24 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 8 assists, 12 turnovers, 3 blocks and 9 steals. Danielle Sabourin led St. Christopher with 19, 8 boards and 6 assists. Beth Dragan added 10 and 6 boards, Jessica Chamberlain 8, Julie Barr 4 and 6 boards, Muffy Somers 3, Michelle Vignon 2 and Gillian Kohlmeier 2, while Sarah Donohue, Jodie Colebrook, Lindsay Degroot, Chiara Rocca, Erin Chamberlain, Caitlin Rocca and Shannon Mullen were scoreless. St. Christopher shot 13-38 (.342) from the floor, 5-6 (.833) from the arc and 8-11 (.727) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 6 assists, 13 turnovers, and 9 steals. Cyclone Danielle Sabourin inbounded the ball with seconds remaining off of Ashley Cuncic, picked it up and missed an uncontested that would have won it in regulation.
In the other semi, the Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders defeated the Hamilton Westdale Warriors 51-47 in overtime. Lourdes led 36-20 late in the third quarter. But Shona Thorburn hit 15 points in the final quarter, including a trey with 10 seconds to play, to knot the score at 42. She missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have won it for the Warriors in regulation. In overtime, Kelly Bodden, Rebecca McColl, Alison Belot and Justine Panavas all fouled out for the Warriors. McColl told the Hamilton Specatator that “it was a heartbreaking loss, especially the way we came back and fell just short.” Jennifer Nadaline paced Lourdes with 20, while nabbing 7 boards. Andrea Clarke added 13, Dana Vadala 7, Nathalie Macneil 6 and 6 boards, and Amanda Beadle 5, while Shauna Remigis, Stephanie Kewin, Catherine Cachia, Leanne Rawbone, Melissa Horne, Maureen Cassidy and Jennifer Hendry were scoreless. Lourdes shot 11-23 (.478) from the floor, 3-6 (.500) from the arc and 20-37 (.541) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, 15 fouls, 10 assists, 17 turnovers, 3 blocks and 8 steals. Shona Thorburn led Westdale with 29 points and 9 boards. Justine Panavas added 9, Alison Belot 2, Rebecca McColl 6 and Whitney Bodden 1, while Kelly Bodden, Lindsay Snell, Shauna Eisenberg, Justine Roper, Kendra Blimkie, Paige Olmsted, Crystal Thompson, L Thompson and Maggie Inrig were scoreless. Westdale shot 12-31 (.387) from the floor, 3-17 (.176) from the arc and 14-16 (.875) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, 26 fouls, 7 assists, 14 turnovers, 1 block and 12 steals.
In the bronze medal match, the Hamilton Westdale Warriors defeated the Sarnia St. Christopher Cyclones 55-51 in overtime as Shona Thorburn hit two buckets in the final minute of play. Westdale had rallied from a 41-26 third-quarter deficit. Kelly Bodden scored 8 in the final quarter, including a trey with 31 seconds to play that force overtime. Lindsay Snell started overtime with a trey. Rebecca McColl added to free throws but the Cyclones rallied to knot the score at 51. Thorburn pulled out the win with a bucket and two free throws. Thorburn told the Hamilton Spectator that “it would have been the easiest thing to do (to toss in the towel when the deficit was 15, particularly after the semi-final loss) but it would also have been the wimpiest thing to do. We’re not that kind of team. We had a little trouble but we knew we could get out of it. … I’m sure when people saw we were behind by 15 points, they’d say ‘that’s it for them’ but we’re not that type of team. (Coach) Amos (Connolly) told us it was 0-0 to start the fourth quarter and to just play our game. When it went into overtime, the momentum was on our side and we went at it from there. More than anything, this shows who we are. Any other team may have gone in there and not played hard because it wasn’t a gold medal but our coach said two teams come out winners, the bronze medal team and the gold medal team. We wanted to be winners. We wanted to take home a medal.” Lindsay Snell said “Kelly (Bodden) got the three and then I got a three and it turned out to be a perfect ending to an amazing tournament. The whole year, we’ve had faith in each other. We have the most amazing bench and when we were down, they kept saying ‘you can do it, you can do it’. We had to do it for our coaches and for Kelly because she is leaving. We put the ball on the court. We all stepped up and we found something deep within ourselves we’re never experienced.” The Warriors led 11-10 after one quarter. The Cyclones led 24-19 at the half. Shona Thorburn paced Westdale with 17 points and 11 boards. Rebecca McColl scored 14, Justine Panavas 10, Kelly Bodden 8, Lindsay Snell 3, Whitney Bodden 2 and Alison Belot 1, while Jasmine Roper, Shauna Eisenberg, Maggie Inrig, Crystal Thompson, Kendra Blimkie, Paige Olmstead and Leslie Thomson were scoreless. The Warriors hit 14-38 (.368) from the floor, 4-13 (.308) from the arc and 15-24 (.625) from the line, while garnering 39 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 7 assists, 17 turnovers, 2 blocks and 15 steals. Danielle Sabourin paced the Cyclones (coached by Ed Dragan, assisted by Kathie Bristo) with 18. Beth Dragan added 16, Julie Burr 5, Muffy Somers 4, Gillian Kohlmeier 4, Michelle Vignon 2 and Jessica Chamberlaine 2, while Sarah Donohue, Caitlin Rocca, Jodie Colebrook, Lindsay Degroot, Chiara Rocca, Erin Chamberlain and Shannon Mullen were scoreless. The Cyclones hit 16-36 (.444) from the floor, 5-13 (.385) from the arc and 4-10 from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 12 assists, 18 turnovers, 3 blocks and 15 steals.
In the final, the Hamilton St. Mary’s Crusaders defeated the Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders 37-36 as grade 10 guard Jessie Lamparski came off the bench to notch the winning trey with two seconds to play. They were her only points on the night. “I knew there was little time on the clock and heard everyone screaming so I just let it go and hoped for the best,” Lamparski told the Toronto Star. “When I saw it go in the basket, I started to shake. Something like this has never happened to me. I feel like I just woke up from a dream.” Lamparski told the Hamilton Spectator that “I haven’t made one all weekend. This was a great time, I guess. I wasn’t sure to shoot because I didn’t know how much time was on the clock. … I was shocked that I didn’t know that we won the game. I didn’t know the buzzer went, then all of a sudden people started coming at me.” Julie Lamparski said “I don’t believe it. Is it a dream or did it really happen? I’m so happy for her (sister Jessie). Everyone always talks about a buzzer beater and it was just great to see her do it, especially in her first OFSAA. God, or somebody up there, cares.” Alexis Rakovac said “I’m so proud of our team. We worked so hard and good things happen to good people. I knew something was going to happen. I was just waiting for it. We got the opportunity and took it. It was a miracle. When it went in, I think I was the first one off the bench to tackle her. It’s awesome. I’ll do her homework for a month and I’ll carry her books to class.” Crusaders coach Rich Wesolowski said “we were going to go Ash (Cuncic) but they were on her and Jess was sitting there wide open. We’re screaming ‘shoot, shoot’ and she shot. Normally, she wouldn’t try a shot in a situation like that from there. She had the shot, so she had to take it.” Lourdes coach Debbie Kewin said “we were trying to protect the inside and get our man but somebody left her open and she was obviously the worng one to leave open. We took our best shot. It was a great game and there’s certainly no shame in losing to them.” Ashleigh Cuncic paced the Crusaders with 19. Nicole Powell added 14, Jessie Lamparski 3 and Julie Lamparski 1, while Renee Beach, Kristina Murphy, Lara te Boekhorst, Krysten Adams, Mandy Bateman, Alexis Rakovac, Lauren Angus, Emily Wearing, Lisa Critchley, Sarah Papalia and Andrea Wade were scoreless. The Crusaders shot 8-27 (.296) from the floor, 6-14 (.429) from the arc and 3-4 (.750) from the line while grabbing 21 boards and committing 13 turnovers, 10 fouls, 11 assists, 3 blocks and 18 steals. Jennifer Nadalin led Lourdes with 14. Nathalie MacNeil added 6, Dana Vadala 5, Amanda Beadle 5, Andrea Clarke 4 and Catherine Cachia 2, while Shauna Remigis, Stephanie Kewin, Leanne Rawbone, Melissa Horne, Maureen Cassidy and Jennifer Hendry were scoreless. Lourdes shot 13-22 (.591) from the floor, 3-8 (.375) from the arc and 1-2 (.500) from the line while garnering 22 rebounds, 8 fouls, 18 turnovers, 14 assists, 4 blocks and 12 steals. Grade 10 guard Jessie Lamparski came off the bench to winning the winning trey with 5 seconds remaining on the clock. The Crusaders dominated from the perimeter, hitting six treys, including five by Ashleigh Cuncic. The Crusaders closed out the season (40-1).
The bronze medalist Hamilton Westdale Warriors: Shona Thorburn; Justine Panavas; Alison Belot; Rebecca McColl; Whitney Bodden; Lindsay Snell; Jasmine Roper; Kendra Blinkie; Paige Olmstead; Shauna Eisenberg; Crystal Thompson; Leslie Thomson; Maggie Inrig; Kelly Bodden; coach Amos Connolly; assistant Jackie White
The silver medalist Guelph Our Lady of Lourdes Crusaders: Nathalie McNeill; Catherine Cachia; Andrea Clarke; Amanda Beadle; Natalie Mornell; Jennifer Nadalin; Dana Vadala; Stephanie Kewin; Leanne Rawbone; Melissa Horne; Maureen Cassidy; Shauna Remigis; Jennifer Hendry; coach Debbie Kewin; assistant Mark Berardine; manager Elyse Kewin
The gold medalist Hamilton St. Mary’s Catholic Crusaders: Lauren Angus; Jessie Lamparski; Mandy Bateman; Julie Lamparski; Alexis Rakovac; Ashleigh Cuncic; Emily Wearing; Lora te Boekhorst; Lisa Critchley; Renee Beach; Nicole Powell; Sarah Papalia; Kristina Murphy; Andrea Wade; Krysten Adams; Cari TeBoekhorst; coach Rich Wesolowski; assistant Jamie Girolametto; assistant Tanya Tatti; manager George Lamparski