In the opening round, held in Sudbury: …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks dumped the host Sudbury Lockerby Vikings 43-38 in overtime as Amanda Anderson scored 22, Mellissa Bartlett 11, Andrea Tafferiren 5, Chrissy Martin 2, Jacqueline LeTourneau 2 and Allison Macintosh 1. Stephanie Cull led Lockerby with 11. Katie Goggins added 10, Erica Duczeminski 6, Ashley Veale 6, Jenna Roach 3 and Samantha Falcioni 2. Vikings coach Terry Luoma told the Sudbury Star that his troops “did everything we’ve practiced throughout the year. We played great defence, ran our offence extremely well and were strong in both offensive and defensive rebounds. And they played with heart.” …………………………………………………… The top-seeded St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats whipped Newmarket Senator O’Connor Blues 61-29 as Sam Scull scored 19, Sarah Wilson 11, Maggie Scull 8, Sam Maingot 5, K. Wilson 4, Toms 4, Dobosiewicz 3, L.B. Brown 3, Flynn 2 and Anderson 2. Kyla Douros led Senator O’Connor with 11. Thia Velinor added 6, Niveal Pastrana 6, Joannah Balita 5 and Michell Palmer 1. …………………………………………………… The Sudbury Lasalle Lancers stunned the 8th-seeded London Central Golden Ghosts 50-43 as Lisa Furchner scored 26, Sammi Garofolo 13, Sarah Lazarus 4, Amanda McDonald 3, Lynn Moffatt 2, Stevie Pitre 1 and Julie Labre 1. Jaleesa Rhoden led London Central with 22. Hollie Parsons added 8, Chelsea Brown 7 and Patricia Thompson 6. The lead changed hands repeatedly down the stretch until Lancer guard Sammi Garofolo drilled a trey to give Lasalle a five-point lead with two minutes to play and then iced it with a pair from the line. Lancer Lynn Moffat did a good job of containing Golden Ghost star Jaleesa Rhoden, coach Jenn Bourget told the Sudbury Star. “Defence was the key. Lynn did an unbelievable job. And Lisa (Furchner) showed great composure. I’m very proud of the team.” Furchner said “I’m very pleased with the outcome. You have to keep your composure out there or it goes the wrong way and everything breaks down. We played very well as a team and that’s what helped us win.” Sammi Garofolo noted that “I was very nervous at the start. I just wanted to win so bad, and I told myself just to get in there and compete. This win will give us a lot of confidence for the rest of tournament.” …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders whipped the Mississauga Port Credit Warriors 72-16 as Jocelyn Manion scored 18, along with 4 steals and 7 boards, Amanda Piribauer 17, along with 4 blocks, Alana Korczynski 13, along with 8 assists and 6 steals, Erin West-Sadler 7, Laura Desveaux 6, Cassidy Shkimba 6, Matteke Hutzler 3 and J. Taylor 2. Erick Jalickis and Julie Manns led Port Credit with 4 apiece. Ashleigh Devane and Stephanie Anderson each added 3, while Monika Nabielec scored 2. The Crusaders led 34-9 at halftime. “It was a good first game for us,” coach Kelly Dixon told the Kingston Whig-Standards. “Everyone played in the second half. … Amanda looked very strong on the post and Laura Desveaux played really well defensively. Those are encouraging signs,” Dixon said. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders throttled the Etobicoke Martingrove Bears 69-29 as Karen Zmirak scored 21, Sarah Dillon 11, Nina Joy Mueller 8, Andrea Sergautis 8, Alex Yurichuk 8, Cheryl Silva 7 and McKenna 6. Tania Walters led Martingrove with 9. Karen Russell added 6, Aniesha Coach 3, Suzanne Rodger 3, Amanda Judd 2, Erica Brittian 2, Sophie Corretti 2 and Tellease Williams 2. …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Whitby Father Leo Austin Wildcats defeated the Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints 75-73 as Tanisha Smith scored 17, Kelly Lafontaine 14, Lauri Lafontaine 11, Steph Kerr 11, Ashley Bannister 8, Michelle Farrugia 8 and Jess Newton 6. Nattoya Williams led Eastern Commerce with 24. Amber Winn and Angie Musceo each added 13, while Nathalie Castillo scored 12, Vanessa Kabongo 9 and Lindsay Wagner 2. The Saints nearly rallied from a 17-point deficit to pull off an upset. In the closing seconds, Wildcats guard Kelly LaFontaine missed two free throws that would have iced the game. That gave Eastern a chance to force overtime. Saints forward Nattoya Williams fed Angie Musceo for a shot but she didn’t get it off before the clock ran out. Commerce coach Kareem Griffin told the Toronto Star that Musceo was fouled on the play. “It was a heartbreaker to lose but to say this was an OFSAA- calibre playoff, and then see this kind of officiating, it wasn’t good for either team or the fans.” The Saints hit 12-16 from the line, while the Wildcats were 4-10. Austin coach Heather LaFontaine said “there was a lot of grabbing not called and then (the officials) had some rather strange calls.” LaFontaine was also perturbed with her team’s frequent second-half lapses. Austin led by nine with one quarter to play, but struggled to put the game away even though LaFontaine instructed her players to stall on offence to try to force fouls and get some easy layups. “You have to do those things, go for easy points, in a close game with young inexperienced kids on the floor.” Williams, who scored 10 points in the final quarter, was a nuisance around the Wildcats’ basket but it was teammate Amber Winn’s three-point bucket with a minute to play that set up the exciting finish. “It’s a real shame, we had the game going our way and needed that last shot but they missed the call,” said Williams. Tanisha Smith, whose layup with 2:16 to play proved to be the winning points, blamed sluggishness and inconsistent refereeing for the near loss. “(We made) too many mistakes but all those fouls had you second- guessing about being anywhere near the ball.” …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Lindsay I.E. Weldon Wildcats dumped the Owen Sound West Hill Raiders 35-24 as Emily VanHoof scored 11, Larrisa Digkstra 6, Lindsay Taylor 6, Candice Hart 4, Amanda Nesbitt 4, Lisa O’Neill 2 and Sarah VanHoof 2. Alyson Bacon led West Hill with 11. Alica Belbeck added 6, Emily Barclay 5 and Morgan Taylor 1. …………………………………………………… The unseeded Orleans St. Peter Knights dumped the 8th-seeded Huntsville Hoyas 47-37 as Tina Ethier scored 30, Courtnay Pilypaitis 9, Amy Mole 4 and Lindsay Hutton 4. Amanda Orr led Huntsville with 13. Kayla O’Connor added 9, Nicole Cotterchio 7, Stephanie Strang 4, Julie Hoo 3 and Alison Boucher 1. The Knights prevailed despite having three players sidelined by the flu and stars Tina Ethier and Courtney Pilypaitis in foul trouble for most of the contest. The game was tied at 21 at the half. “But we played really well defensively and played a good ball control game on offence. We broke their press easily all game,” Knights coach Mario Gaetano told the Ottawa Citizen. Ethier hit five treys.
In the second round: …………………………………………………… The top-seeded St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats dumped the Sudbury Lockerby Vikings 64-35 as Sarah Wilson scored 20, Sam Scull 18, Sam Maingot 12, Maggie Scull 10, Robyn Bomar 2 and Jayani Edwards 2. Jenna Roach led Lockerby with 11. Katie Goggins and Stephanie Cull each added 7, while Ashley Vick scored 6, Samantha Falcioni 3 and Erica Duszeminski 1. The Vikings (coached by David Bertrim) also included Devon West, Samantha Roberts. …………………………………………………… The 6th-seeded Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks defeated Newmarket Senator O’Connor Blues 47-31 as Amanda Anderson scored 16, Melissa Barlette 11, Chrissy Martin 11, Jacqueline Letourneau 5, Allison MacIntosh 2 and Andrea Taffeiren 2. Tina Velinor led O’Connor with 11. Niveal Patrana added 10, Kyla Douros 8 and Michelle Palmer 2. …………………………………………………… The Sudbury Lasalle Lancers dumped the Mississauga Port Credit Warriors 41-31 as Lisa Furchner scored 18, Amanda McDonald 8, Sarah Lazarus 5, Stevie Pitre 4, Sammi Garofolo 4 and Ashley Faubert 2. Stephanie Anderson led the Warriors with 13. Julie Manns added 7, Erin Valickis 6, Ashleigh Devane 3 and Ashley McMillin 2. The Warriors (coached by Mike Penrose) also included Monica Nabielene, Nicky Gaihdhu, Christina Blonski, Amanda Sawoszczuk, Alex Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Morningstar. …………………………………………………… The 3rd-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders defeated the 8th-seeded London Central Golden Ghosts 64-60 as Alana Korzcynski scored 26, Erin Westsadler 11, Cassidy Shkimba 8, Amanda Piribauer 7, Nicole Shillington 6, Laura Desvaux 3 and Matteke Hutzler 2. Jaleesa Rhoden led London Central with 33. Chelsea Brown added 9, Hollie Parsons 6, Patricia Thompson 6 and Leah Gillard 6. The Crusaders led 15-4 early but the Golden Ghosts rallied to knot the score at 51 after regulation. The overtime proved a parade to the foul line. “We were triple-teaming [Rhoden] and we got into foul trouble early,” Crusaders coach Kelly Dixon told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “We were getting pretty deep into the bench, and we had trouble stopping her.” …………………………………………………… The 5th-seeded Whitby Father Leo Austin Wildcats defeated the Etobicoke Martingrove Bears 64-46 as Steph Kerr scored 24, Lauri Lafontaine 14, Tanisha Smith 7, Andrea Laziuk 7, Kelly Lafontaine 6 and Ashley Bannister 6. Tania Walters led Martingrove with 16. Sophie Caretti added 8, Amanda Judd 6, Erin Brittian 5, Aniesha Coach 4, Suzanne Rodger 3, Tellease Williams 2 and Katie Ge 2. …………………………………………………… The 2nd-seeded Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders crushed the Toronto Eastern Commerce Saints 60-42 as Karen Zmirak scored 21, Sarah Dillon 10, Holly Quinn 6, Nina Joy Mueller 6, Alex Yurichuk 6, Andrea Sergautis 4, Krista Sejtokas 4, McKenna 2 and Cheryl Silva 1. Nattoya Williams led Eastern Commerce with 17. Vanessa Karongo added 7, Tameecka Osbourne 6, Nathalie Castillo 5, Amber Winn 4, Lindsay Waginer 2 and Angie Musceo 2. …………………………………………………… The 4th-seeded Lindsay I.E. Weldon Wildcats defeated the 7th-seeded Huntsville Hoyas 41-31 as Emily VanHoof scored 20, Lindsay Taylor 10, Amanda Nesbitt 4, Sarah VanHoof 3, Candice Hart 2 and Larissa Dykstra 2. Amanda Orr led Huntsville with 12. Nicole Cotterichio added 7, Kristin Dafoe 6, Stephanie Strang 4 and Kayla O’Connor 2. The Hoyas also included Carly Brailsford, Julie Hoo, Alison Boucher, Thahne Crozier, Heila Radtke, Shana McLean. …………………………………………………… The unseeded Orleans St. Peter Knights defeated the Owen Sound West Hill Raiders 40-37 as Tina Ethier scored 21, Courtnay Pilypaitis 9, Lindsey Hutton 5, Tania Gomes 2, Jill Taylor 2 and Amy Mole 1. Alyson Bacon led West Hill with 19. Emily Barclay added 8, Taylor Morgan (Morgan Taylor?) 5, Amy Bester 3 and Christie Carey 2. The Raiders (coached by Lorne Johnson) also included Alicia Belbeck, Ashley Barclay. The Knights rallied from a one-point half-time deficit and pulled out the win as point guard Courtnay Pilypaitis hit a pair of critical free throws with 3.5 seconds to play. “Our bodies are still limited (because of the flu) and that’s hurting us,” Knights coach Mario Gaetano told the Ottawa Citizen. “But we’re really playing disciplined in terms of staying out of foul trouble and we’re getting the job done.” The Knights trailed 26-25 at the half but led 32-31 after three-quarters. “The last quarter was back-and-forth but we held on. Those two free throws by Courtnay at the end really helped,” Gaetano added.
In the quarterfinals, the top-seeded St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats dumped the Sudbury Lasalle Lancers 48-36 as Sam Scull scored 18, Sarah Wilson 12, L.B. Brown 7, Sam Maingot 5, Jayani Edwards 2, Maggie Scull 2 and Liz Brown 2. Lisa Furchner led Lasalle with 16. Amanda McDonald added 7, Sammi Garofolo 6, Sarah Lazarus 4 and Stevie Pitre 3. The Lancers (coached by Jen Bourget) also included Ashlee Falibert, Lynn Moffat.
The 3rd-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders dumped the 6th-seeded Chatham-Kent Golden Hawks 37-23 as Alana Korcynski scored 11, Jocelyn Manion 9, Erin West-Sadler 7, Amanda Piribauer 7, Cassidy Shkimba 2 and Laura Desveaux 1. Melissa Bartlett led Chatham-Kent with 10. Jacqueline Letourneau and Amanda Anderson each added 4, while Chrissy Martin scored 3 and Andrea Taffeirnen 2. “They played a zone, and really slowed the game down,” Crusaders coach Kelly Dixon told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “They took about two minutes for every offensive possession. We were happy to play a patient game because they were so small and quick. Both teams chose to play a quarter-court game. It was not a really interesting game to watch.”
The 4th-seeded Lindsay I.E. Weldon Wildcats defeated the 5th-seeded Whitby Father Leo Austin Wildcats 55-48 as Emily VanHoof scored 20, Lindsay Taylor 10, Lisa O’Neil 8, Sarah VanHoof 8, Amanda Nesbitt 6 and Melanie Prise 3. Kelly Lafontaine led Leo Austin with 14. Stephanie Kerr added 10, Kauri Lafontaine 9, Ashley Bannister 6, Tanisha Smith 6 and Jessica Newton 3.
In the last quarterfinal, the 2nd-seeded Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders pounded the Orleans St. Peter Knights 65-47 as Karen Zmirak scored 25, Sarah Dillon 16, Nina Joy Mueller 10, Alex Yurichuk 6, Krista Sestokas 3, Andrea Sergautis 3 and Cheryl Silva 2. Tina Ethier led St. Peter with 23. Courtnay Pilypaitis added 16, Jill Taylor 4, Amy Mole 2 and Lindsey Hutton 2. “It’s tough to make it through against the second ranked team when you’ve only got five-and-a-half bodies (because of the flu). We hung in tough, though,” said Knights coach Mario Gaetano.
In the semis, the top-seeded St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats nipped the 4th-seeded Lindsay I.E. Weldon Wildcats 40-39 as Samantha Scull scored 14, Sarah Wilson 9, Sam Maingo 8, L.B. Brown 6 and Maggie Scull 3. Maggie Scull hit 3-4 free throws in final minutes with Simcoe holding a narrow one-point lead. Redcoats coach John Dakin told the St. Catharines Standard that “they had to foul and there was only about 10 seconds left on the clock. The gym was packed and you could have heard a pin drop. If she doesn’t make those, we don’t play for gold.”
Emily VanHoof led Weldon with 17. Larissa Dykstra added 8, Lindsay Taylor 7, Amanda Nesbitt 5 and Sarah VanHoof 2.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders crushed the 3rd-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders 52-34 as Karen Zmirak scored 22, Andrea Sergautis 13, Sarah Dillon 11, Alex Yurichuk 3, Nina-Joy Mueller 2 and Holly Quinn 1. Amanda Piribauer led Holy Cross with 14. Erin West-Sadler added 9, Jocelyn Manion 7, Alana Korzcynski 2 and Cassidy Shkimba 2. “Aquinas is a strong, strong team and it simply played a much better game than we did,” Crusaders coach Kelly Dixon told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “We didn’t get production from our guards, which has been a key in any success we’ve had. We never got our inside-outside game going.” Korczynski noted that Aquinas “is a quick team and their players really got in our face and never allowed us to establish an outside game.” Aquinas led by only five points at the break but gradually took control in the third quarter after Piribauer, freshly back from a broken arm, re-injured that arm in a fall. Though she returned in the fourth quarter, the Crusaders had scored just two points in her absence. “We had to tape up seven players before each game,” Dixon said. “We went through a pile of tape.”
In the bronze medal match, the 3rd-seeded Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders defeated the Lindsay I.E. Weldon Wildcats 38-36 after rallying from an early 15-4 deficit in a sloppy, foul-plagued affair. Holy Cross trailed for almost all of the match. Weldon led 22-20 at the half and 27-25 after three quarters. “We’re ecstatic with the bronze, especially with all the adversity and injuries this team had to deal with this year,” Crusaders coach Kelly Dixon told the Kingston Whig-Standard. “Because of injuries or sickness, we did not have a full roster all year, and even in this tournament we had several players pretty banged up. So yes, I think the girls are very satisfied with the bronze. It’s hard enough to just get back to OFSAA let alone repeat as champion.” Dixon told the Sudbury Star “that was a very physical contest with both teams laying it all on the line. It was all about heart and I was so impressed with how the team came back. But we knew once we got up on them that we could run our spread offence because we have strong guards who can make good decisions with the ball and that they did. It was an ugly game as far as fouls go. For a game like this, you don’t like to see it decided like that but maybe the referees were as nervous as the players.” Amanda Piribauer led the Crusaders with 9. “It was rough game and the reffing was a bit off but we showed a lot of character in the end and we pulled through,” said Piribauer. “We were a little worried when we were down so much early but our team is great and we have a lot of chemistry and we knew that if we showed some heart, we’d pull through in the end.” Wildcats coach Mark Newell expressed disappointment. “I think both teams played pretty good defence and it came down to who could execute better on offence. Offensively, we got some looks but we didn’t capitalize on a lot of the chances we got. Alana Korzcynski added 9 for Holy Cross, while Jocelyn Manion scored 8. Lindsay Taylor led the Wildcats with 11. Amanda Nesbitt added 8. Officials called 37 fouls, including 24 in the first half. Dixon said the game “was ugly, too many fouls in my opinion and for a game at this level you don’t want to see it decided at the line. Maybe the referees were as nervous as the players, but it came down to a defensive battle in the final few minutes and we got the points needed to win it.” After Holy Cross opened the scoring on two free throws, Weldon appeared to take control of the Triple-A bronze medal game early with an 11-0 run. Up 16-10 after eight minutes, both teams were cautious of a barrage of foul calls and combined for 10 points in the second quarter. Weldon scored all six points from the free throw line. With Weldon leading 22-20 to start the second half, Weldon’s Amanda Nesbitt broke a scoreless span of 4:46 with a lay-up. Alana Korczynski would later tie it for Holy Cross on a bonus shot with 2:39 left, then scored the eventual winner, also from the free throw line. Korczynski scored seven of her nine points in the final quarter. Lindsay Taylor led Weldon with a game-high 11 points. “We struggled, so did they, but when you play tough clubs you tend to have low scoring games,” said Weldon coach Mark Newell. “But all the fouls didn’t help either team.” Dixon told the Whig-Standard “there were 24 fouls called in the first half and they really took away from the game’s flow, really affected both teams.” The Wildcats also included Larissa Dykstra, Emily VanHoof, Amanda Nesbitt, Sarah VanHoof.
In the final, top-seeded St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats defeated 2nd-seeded Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders 59-50 as Sam Scull scored 27, Sarah Wilson 14, Sam Maingot 9, L.B. Brown 6, Maggie Scull 2 and Liz Brown 1. Scull told the St. Catharines Standard that “we moved up from 2A and proved we were worthy. It’s such an amazing feeling to get here.” Sarah Wilson said “I’m so happy, I’m beyond excited.” Coach John Dakin said “the calibre difference was immense compared to the last two years. The first game was easy but the next were very tough. … (Samantha Scull) took a while to adjust to the officiating in both the semi and final. Sam had a very average first half but in the second half, she just exploded.” Karen Zmirak led St. Thomas Aquinas with 27. Andrea Sergautis added 9, Sarah Dillon 6, Nina-Joy Mueller 5 and Alex Yurichuk 3. Simcoe led 14-13 after one quarter but trailed 29-25 at the half after Zmirak got the Raiders running in the second quarter. The Redcoats started consistently pounding the ball inside to Sam Scull to build a 44-42 after three quarters and then closed it out with a 15-8 run. Trailing by six with three minutes to play, Sam Maingot nailed a trey and then point guard L.B. Brown added a trey. “Then Sam Scull scored five straight baskets,” Dakin said. “It went L.B (Brown) to Sarah (Wilson) to Sam for a layup each time.” Scull said “we wanted to win so bad and it was so good to win.” The game was close contrast in styles, with the deliberate red coasts, led by 6-3 Sam Scull and 6-2 Sarah Wilson, patiently pounding the ball inside against the up-tempo Raiders. “The game plan was to rely on Sam Scull and get the ball inside,” Redcoats coach John Dakin told the Sudbury Star. “Aquinas is a fast, well-coach teamed, so we wanted things to revolve around her on the inside.” Dakin also said his troops did a good job of containing Zmirak. “We expected them to go to her in the fourth quarter, so we doubled her. We played a box-and-one most of the game on her and we thought having one person on her would be enough. But she was hitting shots from NBA-range three-point territory, so we came out of the box and put two on her at all times and had the others play a triangle.” Scull said determination proved the difference. “I just knew that if we could put it up and get ahead in the second half that we could pull it through. I knew I missed some easy ones in the first half and I knew I had to pick it up in the second half and I felt I did. I was on my shots and our team played excellent.” Sarah Wilson said the early deficit wasn’t an obstacle. “It was a little nerve-wracking but me and Sam pulled it together and our guards hit some key three-point shots and it was awesome. We weren’t too worried about being down at the half. We knew what we had to do. We knew what kind of mistakes we were making but we also knew what was working well.” Raiders coach Mike Giammichele felt the officiating proved the difference. “It almost seemed like the referees wanted them to win. Maybe I shouldn’t say that and I don’t want to blame it all on the refs but I got that sense sometimes. Maybe it’s sour grapes right now. I’m not sure. They are a very, very good ball team though. We tried to stop them but they have those two big girls and we can usually stop one. But stopping two of them was too much for us.”
The bronze medalist Kingston Holy Cross Crusaders: Amanda Piribauer; Alana Korczynski; Jocelyn Manion; Cassidy Schkimba; Erin West-Sadler; Laura Desveaux; Cassidy Shkimba; Matteke Hutzler; J. Taylor; Nicole Shillington; Mel Hardy; coach Kelly Dixon;
The silver medalist Oakville St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders: Karen Zmirak; Andrea Sergautis; Sarah Dillon; Alex Yurichuk; Nina-Joy Mueller; Holly Quinn; Krista Sejtokas; McKenna; Cheryl Silva; coach Mike Giammichele
The gold medalist St. Catharines Governor Simcoe Redcoats: Samantha Scull; Sarah Wilson; Sam Maingot; L.B. Brown; Maggie Scull; Liz Brown; Jayani ‘Jayme’ Edwards; K. Wilson; Jayme Tom; Maggie Dobosiewicz; Kylie Flynn; Ronda Anderson; Beth Krawec; Melissa Kendrick; Robyn Beamer (Bomar?); coach John Dakin