In the opening round, held in Ottawa: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Sudbury Lasalle Lancers defeated Toronto Archbishop Romero Raiders 58-31 as Shauna Brouillard scored 22, Vanessa Jakola 14, Shannon Labre 10, Erica Johnson 6, Jessica Taylor 4 and Katie Golanski 2. Melissa Sapio led Romero with 18. Laura Bruce added 6, Hannah Brock 4, Francine Doyle 2 and Marily Kusi Achampong 1. The Lancers built a 39-10 lead at the half and were never threatened. “We played a really good first half,” Lancers coach Jen Bourget told the Sudbury Star. “We let up a little in the second half although we have to credit the opposition for some of that. It was good because everyone got a lot of playing time, and we did what we had to do.” …………………………………………………… The Welland Centennial Cougars defeated the 6th-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders 70-64 as Sharon Hollinshead scored 28, Stefanie Burch 13, Chelsea Oster 11, Kaitlin Weeks 9, Kim Maracle 5 and Kelly Marcle 4. Alana Korczynski led Holy Cross with 17. Jocelyn Manion added 15, Julie Roantree 10, Amanda Piribauer 8, Jessica Piribauer 6, Laura Dexveaux 3, Jill Holmes 3 and Laura Cooney 2. The Crusaders outscored Centennial 43-31 in the second half but were unable to crawl out from under a 39-21 half-time deficit. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Tilsonburg Glendale Griffins dumped Stouffville District Spartans 69-43 as Rebecca Heeney scored 16, Adrienne Gilvesy 10, Cassandra Van Leeuwen 10, Lauren Demaree 9, Andrea Ellenburger 9, Jill Buchner 4, Sasha Gilvesy 4, Aida Oliviera 4, Brooke Symons 2 and Bopha Crea 1. Hannah Flemming led Stouffville with 26. Tiffany Bennett added 8, Joanne Crymble 5 and Andrea Moller 4. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Windsor F.J. Brennan Cardinals thrashed the Toronto Thistletown Scots 75-30 as Jessie Plante scored 17, Colleen Russel 12, Stephanie Doiron 12, Brittany Denboer 10, Katie Hamilton 8, Sara Caparowich 6, Krista Banner 5, Stephanie Dipietro 3 and Leanne Harris 2. Nara Jabr led Thistletown with 16. Debbie Gordon added 6, Nathalie Vassel 6 and Hashi Sham 2. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Orleans St. Matthew Tigers defeated the Belleville Quinte Saints 53-26 as Moriah Trowell scored 22, Jamie Hoffman 9, Shannon Moyle 7, Heather Burridge 5, Cherish Tom 4, Karla Iezzi 4 and Meg Hutchings 2. The Tigers experimented with different forms of full-court pressure as they dismantled the Saints. St. Matthew scooted to a 14-6 lead as Moriah Trowell drove into the key for a pair of baskets and Cherish Tom put back a pair of offensive rebounds. But then the jitters struck as the Tigers missed uncontested layup after layup while creeping to an 18-11 lead at the break. St. Matthew began playing like a second seed after the break, and with full-court presses hounding the Quinte Saints into miscues, the Tigers ripped off a 15-4 run and quickly extended their lead to 31. “We just couldn’t find the bottom of the basket in the first half,” Trowell told the Ottawa Citizen. “We needed to come out and do something consistent, which is defence. And then we got a couple of good runs to get us going.” The win should ease the Ontario championship tournament jitters, said forward Jamie Hoffman. “So did the people who came and watched us play. That really helped.” Ashley Hunter led Quinte with 7. Alison Cathrae added 6, Jennifer Tripp 6, Stephanie Dainard 4 and Sarah Bullock 3. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Orillia District Blues defeated the Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints 63-37 as Katie Guthrie scored 23, Courtney Brown 11, Mallory Bromley 8, Caitlin Campeau 6, Caitlin McKim 5, Sarah Weber 4, Lyndsay Kataryncych 4 and Amy Brown 2. Donnalee Grant led Eastern Commerce with 9. Tania Lewin added 8, Frances Rawlings 8, Thao Nguyen 6, Nattoya Williams 4 and Josie Brackett 2. …………………………………………………… 4th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts dumped the Uxbridge Tigers 67-54 as Audrey Plaskacz scored 16, Danielle Simpson 13, Jessica Smart 8, Allison Bechtel 8, Kate Poulin 8, Caitlin Sparks 5, Sheila Street 5 and Bess Lennox 3. Meanwhile, Ashbury quickly outclassed Uxbridge, taking a 24-5 lead after generating a raft of transition layups. “We just went off. We turned the ball over easily with our press and transitioned well,” Colts point guard Kate Poulin told the Ottawa Citizen. “The next games won’t be as easy. But I think we’re ready.” Julie-Ann Domik led Uxbridge with 14. Amanda Vanderlee added 6, Carine Simonian 2 and Colleen Cooke 2. …………………………………………………… The Burlington Nelson Lords dumped the 7th-seeded Brantford Assumption Lions 55-47 and Elaine McNeil scored 19, Kira Borden 14, Laura Keith 5, Emily Peaker 5, Kristen Magnusson 4, Bridget Doyle 3, Callie Watson 3 and Kailey Johnstone 2. “It just shows you that rankings really don’t mean a lot after the top four or five,” Nelson coach Corey Trodd told the Ottawa Citizen. Jen Long led Assumption with 13. Becky Gallant added 12, Abby Cass 8, Ann Marie Schehas 7, Cassie Emmett 5 and Kandice Tota 2.
In the second round: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded Sudbury Lasalle Lancers defeated the 6th-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders 56-39 as Shauna Brouilliard scored 24, Erica Johnson 16, Vanessa Jakola 8, Jessica Taylor 2, Amy Chau 2, Ellen Moffatt 2, Megan Chude 1 and Shannon Labre 1. Jocelyn Manion led Holy Cross with 10. Alana Korczynski added 9, Amanda Piribauer 8, Jill Holmes 6, Julie Roantree 4 and Laura Dexveaux 2. “Holy Cross played a good game against us but we came out flying in the first quarter and built enough of a lead to get through the rest of the game,” said Lancers coach Jen Bourget, who was assisted by Alfred Demelo. …………………………………………………… The 8th-seeded Windsor F.J. Brennan Cardinals defeated the Stouffville Spartans 60-25 as Jessie Plante scored 31, Krista Banner 15, Colleen Russell 6, Katie Hamilton 4, Stephanie Dipietro 2 and Stephanie Doirin 2. Hannah Fleming led Stouffville with 12. Lindsay Hermanson added 5, Tiffany Bennett 2, Andrea Meyer 2, Kaitlyn Buck 2 and Joanne Crymble 2. The Spartans (coached by Jamie Hewitt and Bill McKnight) also included Andrea Moller, Samantha Metcalfe and Julie Bagshaw. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Orillia District Blues defeated the Belleville Quinte Saints 46-37 as Katie Guthrie scored 18, Courtney Brown 15, Caitlin McKim 8 and Mallory Bromley 5. Jenn Tripp led Quinte with 14. Stephanie Dainard added 11, Ashley Hunter 7 and Lisa Howard 5. The Saints (coached by Liane Woodley and John Chapman) also included Sarah Bullock, Alison Cathrae, Kelsey Cailes, Megan Vanderbeken, Chelsea Timmins and Kylie Cross. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts overcame a cold-shooting first half to stomp the 7th-seeded Brantford Assumption Lions 50-37 as Kate Poulin scored 22. Becky Gallant led Assumption with 15. Ashbury bounced the ball off every part of the rim as they slowly built a 19-17 lead at the half. But tenacious defence by Danielle Simpson and Bess Lennox shut down Lions star Becky Gallant and the Colt’s full-court press began to exact a toll on the Lions as Ashbury earned a measure of breathing room on a three-pointer by Kate Poulin and an 18-foot jumper by Jessica Smart. Then Poulin took command, threading a pair of beautiful passes to Audrey Plaskacz in the low post, posting-up for a bucket, drilling another three, and tipping in a rebound as Ashbury upped its margin to 16 and romped. “We came out really flat,” Poulin told the Ottawa Citizen. “But our defence was there to back us up.” Simpson said that “we came alive in the second half. We have to start believing from the start that we can take these girls, if we just play our game.” After two years of quarterfinal defeats, the Colts are hoping to exact a measure of retribution, Simpson added. “There’s a lot of us who have been knocked out every year in the quarterfinals and we want revenge.” Coach Andy Sparks said that “we were getting good looks in that first half but we shot 7-of-28. But over 32 minutes, the nerves will eventually wear off.” Audrey Plaskacz added 7 for Ashbury, Jessica Smart 6, Danielle Simpson 5 and Allison Bechtel 5. The Lions (coached by Jen Kings) also included Kandice Iota, Maggie Schott, Daron Dix, Jen Long, Zeynep Husrevoglu, Casey Carrita, Abby Cass, Cassie Emmett, Rachel Levac, Anne Marie Schelhas and Simone Dalia. …………………………………………………… The Toronto Archbishop Romero Raiders defeated Welland Centennial Cougars 44-39 as Melissa Sapio scored 23, Marilyn Kusi Armstrong 11, Shelby Davis 4, Hannah Brock 3 and Laura Bruce 3. Sharon Hollinshead led Welland with 15. Kaitlin Weeks added 8, Chelsea Osler 7, Kim Maracle 4, Stefanie Burch 3 and Kelly Maracle 2. The Cougars (coached by Andrea Varga) also included Jennifer Cote-Penrose, Baily Labrie, Alanna Reichelt, Katie Russell and Rebecca Wallman. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Tilsonburg Glendale Griffins crushed the Toronto Thistletown Scots 76-36 as Rebecca Heeney scored 23, Cassandra Van Leeuwen 19, Jenna Horvath 6, Adrienne Gilvesy 6, Karen Graham 4, Andrea Ellenberger 4, Lauren Demaree 4, Sasha Gilvesy 4, Brooke Symons 2, Jill Buchner 2 and Christine Langrell 2. Alicia Reese led Thistletown with 22. Nara Jabr added 4, Juliana Lazaro 4, Debbie Gordon 4 and Nathalie Vassel 2. The Scots (coached by Donavan Williams) also included Krystal Asmoah, Susan Johnson, Tiffany Haddock, Jasmine Bastawi, Crystal Garcia-Staley, Hashi Siham, Lensa Badso and Debra Lowe. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Orleans St. Matthew Tigers pummelled the Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints 75-35 as Moriah Trowell scored 16, Meg Hutchings 16, Heather Burridge 11, Cherish Tom 8, Jamie Hoffman 6, Shannon Moyle 5, Mary-Beth Haley 4, Katherine Lawlor 4, Stephanie Brule 3 and Karla Iezzi 2. St. Matthew quickly dispatched Eastern Commerce. It was 8-0 before standing-room-only Tiger fans settled into their seats, as Moriah Trowell knifed into the paint for a bucket and hit a layup off a steal, while Jamie Hoffman hammered a 10-baseline jumper and a layup on a perfect downcourt feed from Katherine Lawlor. With the Tigers generating steals almost at will, Cherish Tom dominating the defensive glass, and Shannon Moyle breaking down the Saints defense with the dribble-drive to repeatedly set up Tom, Meg Hutchings and Heather Burridge for uncontested layups, St. Matthew extended its lead to 43-20 at the break and was never threatened. “They announced it was our last home game (at St. Matthew gym). Once we heard that, we went all out,” Moyle told the Ottawa Citizen. “Whenever we work hard on defence, our offence always flows.” Trowell said that “we gotta stay with what works and right now it’s working. We’ll just keep pounding the ball inside.” Coach Mario Gaetano noted that “we’re firing on all cylinders again. We came out and played well right from the start. Our transition game was really good and our defence was sound.” Tania Lewin led Eastern Commerce with 12. Nattoya Williams added 11, Frances Rawlings 8, Donnalee Grant 3 and Thao Nguyen 2. The Saints (coached by Sean Johnson, assisted by Josette Meade) also included Melissa Henry, Crystal Taylor, Diana Tran, Josie Brackett, Essence Dos Santos and Tracy Brackett. …………………………………………………… The Burlington Nelson Lords dumped the Uxbridge Tigers 69-22 as Callie Watson scored 15, Kristen Magnusson 11, Emily Peaker 22, Elaine McNeil 8, Bridget Doyle 5, Kailley Johnstone 4, Fran Mayr 3, Kira Borden 2 and Larissa Lazdins 1. Julie-Anne Domik led Uxbridge with 7. Amanda Vanderlee added 5, Amy Pullan 4, Lindsey Welsh 2, Tiffany Dejak 2 and Colleen Cooke 2. The Tigers (coached by Rob Houston) also included Christine Cotie, Jessica Chalmers, Tanya Parsons-Flemming and Carie Simonian.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded Sudbury Lasalle Lancers defeated the 8th-seeded Windsor F.J. Brennan Cardinals 35-26 as Erica Johnson scored 13, Shauna Brouillard 10, Vanessa Jakola 6, Jessica Taylor 4 and Laura Teddy 2. Krista Banner led Brennan (coached by Michael Sikora) with 12. Brittany Denboer added 8, Katie Hamilton 4 and Jessie Plante 2, while Sara Caparowich, Stephanie Dipietro, Stephanie Doiron, Leanne Harris, Ana Maria Martinez, Colleen Russell and Roxanna Villanueva were scoreless. ““Holy Cross played a good game against us, but we came out flying in the first quarter and built enough of a lead to get through the rest of the game. We struggled offensively but we were great defensively,” Lancers coach Jen Bourget told the Sudbury Star. “F.J. Brennan had been scoring 60 to 70 points in their other games and we held them to 26 and that was the difference.”
The 4th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts dumped the Orillia District Blues 54-34 as Kate Poulin scored 17, Bess Lennox 10, Caitlin Sparks 9, Jessica Smart 7, Allison Bechtel 5 and Audrey Plaskacz 4. Ashbury’s team defence was nothing short of extraordinary as the Colts twice held the Blues to a single field goal in a quarter. Defensive rotations were impeccable and weak-side defensive help arrived instantaneously, while forwards Bess Lennox and Danielle Simpson all but totally neutralized Orillia’s top threats. “We wanted it so bad,” said Caitlin Sparks, whose team had fallen short in the provincial quarterfinals in each of the past two years, told the Ottawa Citizen. “It would have the third year in a row that we lost in the quarterfinals, and that is not appropriate.” Point guard Kate Poulin said the Colts felt the game was theirs to win. “As soon as we stepped on the floor we knew.” Simpson said “we were definitely ready for this. We’ve been working so hard, and to finally get past quarterfinals is like a dream.” Coach Andy Sparks was justifiably proud of his squad. “I can honestly say that I think we came together in that one.” The Colts exploded to a 13-2 lead and then embedded the dagger by draining four treys in the second quarter, including two by Sparks and one apiece by Poulin and Jessica Smart. The shell-shocked Blues never recovered. Katie Guthrie led Orillia (coached by Andy Power) with 11. Caitlin McKim added 6, Courtney Brown 6, Mallory Bromley 4, Adrienne Gross 2, Amy Brown 2, Lyndsay Katarynch 2 and Sarah Weber 1, while Stacie Thies, Stephanie Theis, Katie Guthrie, Mallory Bromley, Caitlin Campbell and Jill Taylor were scoreless.
The 2nd-seeded Orleans St. Matthew Tigers defeated the Burlington Nelson Lords 64-52 as Moriah Trowell scored 21, Karla Iezzi 15, Heather Burridge 11, Jamie Hoffman 6, Cherish Tom 5, Shannon Moyle 4, Katherine Lawlor 4 and Meg Hutchings 2. St. Matthew raced to a 24-11 lead by creating a bushel of layups off its full-court press. With Moriah Trowell slashing to the basket and Shannon Moyle distributing the ball with aplomb to Karla Iezzi and Heather Burridge for jumpers, the Tigers quickly extended the lead to 24. Moyle was eventually forced to the bench with her fourth foul, and Trowell was sidelined after being slammed to the floor in a scramble, and the Lords got back within 11. However, Trowell and Moyle returned, settling the Tigers and stemming the bleeding. Moyle set up Katherine Lawlor and Iezzi for buckets and Trowell twice stripped the ball, leading to layups, as the Tigers restored their lead to 20. “They forced us to play a tough 32 minutes, but we just didn’t let up,” Trowell told the Ottawa Citizen. “It was a do or die situation, and we had to win,” Moyle said. “We didn’t come this far to bow out in the quarterfinals.” Laura Keith led Nelson (coached by Corey Trodd) with 16. Emily Peaker added 11, Julie Robinson 5, Kira Borden 5, Larissa Lazdins 4, Callie Watson 3, Brianne Frieday 2, Bridget Doyle 2, Kristen Magnusson 1 and Kailley Johnstone 1, while Elaine McNeil, Jamie Cameron, Jessica Leah, Cindy Jarvis and Fran Mayr were scoreless.
The 3rd-seeded Tilsonburg Glendale Griffins defeated the Toronto Archbishop Romero Raiders 71-28 as Rebecca Heeney scored 17, Cassandra Van Leeuwen 15, Lauren Demarre 9, Andrea Ellenberger 6, Brooke Symons 6, Jill Buchner 4, Jenna Horvath 3, Bopha Crea 3, Christina Langrell 2, Aida Oliviera 2, Sasha Gilvesy 2 and Karen Graham 2. Marilyn Kusi Aschampong led Romero with 14. Melissa Sapio added 8, Hannah Brock 4 and Shelby Davis 2. The Raiders (coached by Michelle Perkins-Ball) also included Fabia Achaoinea, Laura Bruce, Francine Doyle, Alicia Koo, Miriam Oroku, Catarina Pedro and Camelia Thomas.
In the semis, the 4th-seeded Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts rocked the top-seeded Sudbury Lasalle Lancers 56-48 as Kate Poulin scored 14 and grabbed 7 rebounds, Caitlin Sparks 12, Jessica Smart 10, Bess Lennox 6, Danielle Simpson 6, Audrey Plaskacz 5 and Allison Bechtel 3, while Sheila Street, Denise Murphy, Hilary Kilgour, Katya Zeidan and Lauren Rock were scoreless. The Colts shot 20-48 (.417) from the floor, 4-13 (.308) from the arc and 12-23 (.522) from the line, while garnering 22 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 7 assists, 8 turnovers and 7 steals. Erica Johnson led Lasalle with 17. Vanessa Jakola added 13, Shauna Brouillard 12 and 13 boards, Jessica Taylor 4 and Shannon Labre 2, while Jen Skelly, Amy Chau, Laura Teddy, Ellen Moffatt, Katie Golanski and Megan Chude were scoreless. Lasalle shot 17-39 (.436) from the floor, 1-6 (.167) from the arc and 13-18 (.722) from the line, while garnering 21 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 19 fouls, 7 assists, 13 turnovers, 3 blocks and 6 steals. Lasalle led 24-23 at the half. The Colts built an eight-point lead and then withstood a furious Lancers rally when Poulin knifed into the paint for pair of buckets, before Ashbury iced it at the line by hitting nine free throws in the final two minutes of play.
In the other semi, the Orleans St. Matthew Tigers dumped the Tilsonburg Glendale Griffins as Moriah Trowell scored 19 and 8 boards. Heather Burridge added 10 points, Jamie Hoffman 8, Shannon Moyle 4, Karla Iezzi 2 and Meg Hutchings 2, while Katherine Lawlor, Cherish Tom, Mary-Beth Haley, Allison Moran, Stephanie Brule and Emily Atherton were scoreless. The Tigers shot 19-49 (.388) from the floor, 3-7 (.429) from the arc, 4-9 (.444) from the line and garnered 27 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 12 fouls, 3 assists, 20 turnovers, 2 blocks and 9 steals. Cassandra Van Leeuwen led Glendale with 11 and 8 boards. Rebecca Heeney added 8 and 8 boards, Andrea Ellenberger 6, Adrienne Gilvesy 6, Jill Buchner 5 and Aida Oliviera 2, while Sasha Gilvesy, Lauren Demaree, Brooke Symons, Christina Langrell, Karen Graham, Jennie Burton, Bopha Crea and Jenna Horvath were scoreless. Glendale shot 16-48 (.333) from the floor, 0-3 from the arc and 6-13 (.462) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 6 assists, 22 turnovers, 1 block and 9 steals. St. Matthew stormed to a 22-13 lead at the half as Trowell hit 12, while sterling defence by Katherine Lawlor and Heather Burridge prevented the Gemini from finding their offensive rhythm. Glendale scrapped back to within four before Burridge tipped-in a pair of offensive boards and Trowell knifed for a hoop as the Tigers pulled away down the stretch.
In the bronze medal match, the Sudbury Lasalle Lancers defeated the 3rd-seeded Tillsonburg Glendale Griffins 44-22. Lasalle led by 10 at halftime and opened the gap wider during the second half. “We were deeper than they were,” Lasalle coach Jen Bourget told the Sudbury Star. “We just wore them down.” Bourget added that she was pleased with the way her Lancers rallied from their semi-final loss. “After you lose like that, it’s really hard to get up for the next game, but they were ready for this game,” Bourget said. “They wanted to walk out of here with the bronze.” Erica Johnson led the Lancers with 16 points. Shauna Brouillard added 15, along with 13 boards, Jessica Taylor 6, Vanessa Jakola 4, Laura Teddy 2 and Shannon Labre 1, while Jen Skelly, Amy Chau, Megan Chude, Ellen Moffatt and Katie Golanski were scoreless. The Lancers hit 16-42 (.381) from the floor, 4-11 (.364) from the arc and 8-11 (.727) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 14 fouls, 6 assists, 12 turnovers and 9 steals. Rebecca Heeney paced the Gemini (coached by Bill Marouk and Pam Demaree) with 9. Cassan Van Leeuwen added 4, Andrea Ellenberger 4, Jill Buchner 3 and Aida Oliviera 2, while Sasha Gilvesy, Lauren Demaree, Brooke Symons, Adrienne Gilvesy, Christina Langrell, Karen Graham, Jennie Burton, Bopha Crea and Jenna Horvath were scoreless. The Gemini hit 9-33 (.273) from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 4-12 (.333) from the line, while garnering 16 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 1 assist, 12 turnovers and 7 steals.
In the all-Ottawa final, a rematch of the National Capital Secondary Schools Athletic Association Triple-A title match, the Ashbury Colts avenged the city title loss by defeating the Tigers 51-42. Jessica Smart led Ashbury with 14 and 6 boards. Caitlin Sparks added 9, Bess Lennox 9 and 8 boards, Allison Bechtel 8, Kate Poulin 7 and Audrey Plaskacz 4, while Danielle Simpson, Sheila Street, Denise Murphy, Hilary Kilgour, Katya Zeidan and Lauren Rock were scoreless. The Colts shot 18-39 (.462) from the floor, 9-18 (.500) from the arc and 6-11 (.545) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 13 fouls, 2 assists, 16 turnovers, 2 blocks and 5 steals. Moriah Trowell led St. Matthew with 20 and 12 boards. Shannon Moyle added 10, Cherish Tom 6, Jamie Hoffman 4 and Katherine Lawlor 2, while Heather Burridge, Meg Hutchings, Karla Iezzi, Allison Moran, Stephanie Brule, Mary-Beth Haley and Emily Atherton were scoreless. The Tigers shot 17-49 (.347) from the floor, 2-9 (.222) from the arc, and 6-11 (.545) from the line, while garnering 22 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 10 fouls, 3 assists, 11 turnovers, and 6 steals. Ashbury led 27-21 at the half. It was a shame there had to be a winner and a loser because both teams had more chemistry than a lab full of beakers and bunsen burners. The Ashbury Colts and St. Matthew Tigers had met each four times during the season, splitting 2-2, and even the notion they might somehow have a rubber match in the final seemed altogether improbable. But that distant dream became reality. The jubilant Colts were in tears. “Oh my God, oh my God, I just can’t believe it,” forward Jessica Smart told the Ottawa Citizen. “We wanted this so bad.” Bess Lennox added that “there’s nothing we wanted more,” added Bess Lennox. “We decided before the game that this was one was ours.” Point guard Kate Poulin noted that “we wanted revenge for the city finals and we wanted to win one so bad for coach (Andy) Sparks.” Guard Caitlin Sparks said that “coming in as the underdog really motivated us. It kept us focused.” Tearful graduating senior Danielle Simpson said that “throughout OFSAA, we’ve been coming together as a team. It’s been amazing. I’m so excited. I’m going to miss playing with all these girls.” With all the emotion, it seemed only fitting the game was a scorcher which kept fans at the jam-packed Raven’s Nest on the edge of their seats. Sparks drilled a pair of three-pointers as Ashbury exploded to an 8-3 lead before point guard Shannon Moyle steadied the Tigers, dishing the ball to Jamie Hoffman and Cherish Tom for low-post buckets as St. Matthew rallied to take a 14-13 lead. But the Colts continued to blister the nets. Sparks, Allison Bechtel and Smart each drilled three-pointers as Ashbury exploded for 11 unanswered points. Katherine Lawlor posted-up for a bucket and Moriah Trowell stole the ball for a layup to rally the Tigers before Bechtel hit another three-pointer — Ashbury’s seventh in the half — to give the Colts a 27-21 lead at the break. Trowell drove the lane and set up Tom in the low post as the Tigers cut the margin to five. But Smart hammered another three and drove the baseline for a hoop as the Colts moved back in front by nine. Still, the Tigers wouldn’t quit. Despite being hounded by Lennox on defence, Trowell knifed for a bucket and scored a transition layup off a Moyle steal as St. Matthew trimmed the margin to four. But Lennox and Smart posted-up for buckets, Lennox put back an offensive rebound, and Smart drilled yet another three as Ashbury finally quelled the Tigers for good.
The bronze medalist Sudbury Lasalle Lancers: Shauna Brouillard; Vanessa Jakola; Shannon Labre; Erica Johnson; Jessica Taylor; Laura Teddy; Amy Chau; Jen Skelly; Ellen Moffatt; Katie Golanski; Megan Chude; coach Jen Bourget
The silver medalist Orleans St. Matthew Tigers: Moriah Trowell; Katherine Lawlor; Shannon Moyle; Cherish Tom; Jamie Hoffman; Karla Iezzi; Meg Hutchings; Allison Moran; Lana Muirhead; Stephanie Brule; Mary-Beth Haley; Jackie Eisenmann; Emily Atherton; Heather Burridge; coach Mario Gaetano; assistant Jim Kent
The gold medalist Rockcliffe Ashbury Colts: Kate Poulin; Bess Lennox; Danielle Simpson; Jessica Smart; Caitlin Sparks; Audrey Plaskacz; Allison Bechtel; Sheila Street; Denise Murphy; Hilary Kilgour; Lauren Rock; Katya Zeidan; Sarah Watters; coach Andy Sparks; assistant Dean Petridis; manager Laura Argument