In the opening round: …………………………………………………… The Clavet Cougars stomped the Unity Warriors 85-32 after leading 53-10 at the half. …………………………………………………… The Wynyard Golden Bears nipped the Canora Cougars 59-56 after leading 23-18, 33-30 and 47-40 at the quarters. J Storzuk led the Golden Bears with 20. K Dell added 12. S Weinbender led the Cougars with 26. …………………………………………………… The Shaunavon Silhouettes stomped the Esterhazy Warriors 68-35 after leading 27-2, 40-11 and 64-22 at the quarters. Benesh led the Silhouettes with 19, including a quartet from beyond the arc. Gronhovd added 18. Bood led the Warriors with 10. Sheppard added 7. …………………………………………………… The Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds whipped the Biggar Blazers 94-26 after leading 33-6, 56-10 and 74-18 at the quarters. Miller led Notre Dame with 16. Tori Fink added 11. Litwinow and Tan each scored 8 to pace Biggar. …………………………………………………… The Lumsden Angels whipped the Birch Hills Marauders 87-26. Sam Chriest scored 20 and Cydney Auzenne 9 in the first quarter as the Angels took control. Lumsden led 48-15 at the half and coasted. Chriest led Lumsden with 20. Jayne Enns paced Birch Hills with 9. …………………………………………………… The Indian Head Broncos edged the Delisle Rebels 58-52 as guards Randi Yee and Jessica Kizuik repeatedly fed Cara Focht in the post. Katrina Currie, who scored 19, kept Delisle close but Kizuik’s perimeter shooting proved the difference down the stretch. Kizuik led the Broncos with 14. …………………………………………………… The Caronport Cougars crushed the Creighton Kodiaks 73-15 after leading 28-2, 44-4 and 67-9 at the quarters. Elly Wendel paced the Cougars with 15. Kristal Kawa led the Kodiaks with 7. …………………………………………………… The Outlook Blues whipped the Prince Albert Rivier Academy Guardians 85-58 after leading 26-13, 51-21 and 67-31 at the quarters. Brittany Prpich and Dielle Bleackley each scored 21 to pace the Blues. Claire Michalishen paced the Guardians with 17. Jessica Jalbert added 15.
In the quarterfinals, the Clavet Cougars stomped the Wynyard Golden Bears 77-39 after leading 47-17 at the half. Ann Hanbidge paced the Cougars with 20. Madisen Harvey led the Golden Bears with 12.
The Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds whipped the Shaunavon Silhouettes 80-60 after leading 22-12, 34-29 and 60-49 at the quarters. The Hounds full court pressure led to runout buckets by Mia Huysman as they built an early double-digit lead. Benesh rallied the Silhouettes within five but Notre Dame’s depth and ball pressure, particularly by Higgs, proved the difference. Mia Huysman and Jayden Ulmer each scored 22 to pace the Hounds. Benesh led the Silhouettes with 26. Gronhovd added 18.
The Lumsden Angels defeated the Indian Head Broncs 80-67. The Broncos led 16-13 after one quarter but the Angels rallied to 38-29 and 62-43 leads at the half and third quarter to earn their first trip to the final four.
In the last quarterfinal, the Caronport Cougars dumped the Outlook Blues 64-54 after leading 13-9, 40-29 and 57-38 at the quarters. Elly Wendel paced the Cougars with 15. Dielle Bleackley led the Blues with 18.
In the semis, the top-seeded Clavet Cougars clubbed the 5th-seeded Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds 79-51 after leading 17-14, 43-27 and 62-43 at the quarters. Anne Hanbidge led the Cougars with 20. Sydney Thiesson added 20. Mia Huysmans led the Hounds with 17. Jayden Ulmer added 9.
In the other semi, the 2nd-seeded Lumsden Angels, making their first Hoopla appearance, nipped the 3rd-seeded Caronport Cougars 72-69. Lumsden led 20-19 after one quarter. Caronport led 34-27 at the half. Lumsden led 51-50 after three quarters. Samantha Chriest paced the Angels with 27. Cydney Auzenne added 15. Elly Wendel led the Cougars with 24. Brittany Larson added 9. Cougars coach Stan Peters said Lumsden was deserving. “Today, Lumsden was a better team. They hit some shots down the stretch and created some problems for us. I was really impressed with them. I stated earlier than all four of the 3A girls’ teams in this tournament are really good teams and I just think it’s a tribute to basketball in Saskatchewan to have teams like this that can compete against each other.” The Cougars had a seven-point lead at half time, but the Angels came out to a 10-2 run to get right back into the game. “We were down seven at the half and we could have lost control of the game right there and then but the girls made a conscious effort,” said Angels coach Randy Wihlidal. “We made some adjustments at half time and made a 10-2 run to get back in to the game. They certainly had their heads in the game after that.” The biggest adjustment the Angels made was in their pressure, especially after the Cougars secured a defensive rebound.
In the bronze medal match, the Caronport Cougars dusted the Wilcox Athol Murray College of Notre Dame Hounds 66-45. The Hounds led 15-14 after one quarter. The Cougars led 34-24 at the half and 54-31 after three quarters. Elly Wendel paced the Cougars with 19. Erika Cartman added 13, Kenedee Charuk 10 and Mahri Macfarlane 10. “It was a great way to finish,” said Cougars coach Stan Peters. “I thought the kids did a great job of turning the disappointment of losing (Friday) into something positive (Saturday). Instead of dwelling on the disappointment we just talked about how any time you can get to a provincial championship tournament and you have the chance to win a medal you have to seize the opportunity. And that’s what the girls did.” Mia Huysman paced the Hounds with 10. Cassandra Higgs added 8. The Hounds also included Gayle Castillo, Kristine Lovatt, Cass Schmidt, Jaydan Ulmer, Olivia Ellis, Miranda Seifert, Alexis Bryce, Kirsten Toth, Maddy King, Tori Fink and Cattie O’Connor.
In the final, the Clavet Cougars burned the Lumsden Angels 74-64 as Kayla Wharton scored 21, Anne Handidge 21 and Andrea Lendsay 10. Cydney Auzenne led the Angels with 21. Samantha Chriest added 13 and Renee Lavoy 11. “We wouldn’t have been satisfied with a silver this year,” said Clavet coach Heith Drennan. “It was what a provincial final should look like. It was the top two teams in the province, we hadn’t played Lumsden before and it was a little bit of a barnburner.” The Cougars jumped out to a big lead early, but were up by just three at the half. Lumsden took the lead in the third quarter and the teams were close until the end when Lumsden was forced to foul Clavet to stop the clock. “It was basically a game of runs,” said Drennan. “And whoever had that last run (would win). For a stretch, it was basket for basket.” For a tight-knit small town, the double gold, winning both the 3A girls and 3A boys titles was a point of pride. “I think it’s a tribute to how the school, parents, community, and teachers . . . have a commitment to basketball,” said Drennan. Boys coach Paul McTavish said the players deserve much of the credit. “The kids from both our teams showed that they have a lot of heart,” he said. “I think that’s something that the town can be proud of.”
The bronze medalist Caronport Cougars: Elly Wendel; Dani Hintz; Brittany Larson; Erika Cartman; Kenedee Charuk; Mahri Macfarlane; coach Stan Peters
The silver medalist Lumsden Angels: Samantha Chriest; Cydney Auzenne; Renee Lavoy; Katie Windrum; Missy Matheis; Rachelle Rich; Stevie Johns; Letisha Mukendi; Mikayla Preete; Hannah Pearce; Jacqueline Perry; Kelsey Boldt; Shai-Lyn Kolodziezak; coach Randy Wihlidal
The gold medalist Clavet Cougars: Anne Hanbidge; Sydney Thiesson; Kayla Wharton; Andrea Lendsay; Tiffany Wharton; Danica Cox; Shelby Fitzgerald; Shayla Shahsavar; Cheyenne Goodsman; Kelsey Cooper; Shelbie Goodsman; Jena Haldorson; Kaitlin Kwochka; Kendall Thomas-McEachern; coach Heith Drennan; assistant M Armstrong