2005-06 CanWest - women - From Naismith to Nash

REGULAR SEASON

GREAT PLAINS				CENTRAL
Winnipeg	14-6	23-11	Tanya McKay	Saskatchewan	17-3	30-8	Lisa Thomaidis
Manitoba	11-9	21-12	Pam Danis	Calgary	13-7	21-13	Shawnee Harle
Regina	11-9	15-16	Jeff Speedy	Alberta	9-11	19-14	Trix Baker
Brandon	0-20	1-27	Cheryl Kryluk	Lethbridge	4-16	8-19	Donna Branch
PACIFIC
Simon Fraser	19-1	31-6	Bruce Langford
U.B.C.	17-3	29-4	Deb Huband
Victoria	8-12	12-18	Brian Cheng
Trinity Western	5-15	5-19	Danielle Gardner
Thompson Rivers	2-18	4-20	Ken Olynyk

Playoff non-qualifiers:

Brandon Bobcats: Suzanne Campbell, Heidi Campbell, Stacey Parsons, Stephanie Hooft, Ruth Jebose, Dani Cote, Miriam Okeadu, Danielle Brock, Jennalee Burch, Jenna Dixon, Nicole Chappell, Deanna Day, Jaelyn Greening, Laura McLellan, Liz Boutette, coach Cheryl Kryluk

Lethbridge Pronghorns: Jessica Lynch, Jordana Miltimore, Ciana Gregorio, Candace Thompson, Kim Bridge, Lindy Lauder, Megan Campbell, Kim May, Joan Wheat, Aimee Sandham, Michaela Dilworth, Karen Bridge, Chelsea Price, coach Donna Hanna-Branch

Thompson Rivers Wolfpack: Kelley O’Grady, Sarah Cameron, Tami MacKinnon, Rebekka Miltimore, Marisa Dwyer, Kali Ellis, Sarah Darley, Kristi Spelay, Caitlin Kettlewell, Alix Stupich, Whitney Gallamore, coach Ken Olynyk, assistant Joe Enevoldson, student manager Monica Tobias, student manager Jasmin Schenk, trainer Kevin Brechin

In the Pacific quarterfinals, U.B.C. d’d Victoria 56-38; 66-64 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Kelsey Blair led the Thunderbirds with 14 points on 7-14 from the floor and 13 boards. Tina Lum scored 13 on 6-8 from the floor and 5 boards. Erica McGuinness scored 8 on 2-9 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Caitlyn Pankratz scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor. Kim Howe added 5, Candace Morisset 4, Caitlin Haggarty 3, Letah Beck 2, Caroline Horsley 2 and Julie Little 0. U.B.C. shot 23-53 (.434) from the floor, 1-7 (.143) from the arc and 9-12 (.750) from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 13 fouls, 11 turnovers, 9 steals and 3 blocks. Ashley Kimmett paced the Vikes with 12 points on 5-7 from the floor and 4 boards. Lindsay Hewson scored 8 on 2-4 from the floor and 4-5 from the line. Janet Hatfield scored 7 on 2-8 from the floor and 7 boards. Jamie Bell scored 5, Allison Omland 4, Leanne Shenton 2, Beckie Macdonald 0, Ashley Yee 0, Eilish Murtagh 0, Emma Rowbotham 0, Kayla Dykstra 0 and Vanessa Forstbauer 0. The Vikes shot 13-44 (.295) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 9-11 (.818) from the line, while garnering 24 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 17 fouls, 20 turnovers, 3 blocks and 1 steal. The Thunderbirds took an early 6-2 lead before Ashley Kimmett mailed a trey to ignite an 8-0 Vikes run. Kimmett added a layup and Leanne Shenton drilled a trey as the Vikes moved ahead 10-6. With the score knotted at 14, Cait Haggarty hit a bucket to trigger an 8-0 U.B.C. run. Shenton responded with a trey but the T-Birds moved ahead 28-19 at the half. U.B.C. opened the second half with a 12-2 run to put the game out of reach. “Our all-around game has improved considerably,” said Kelsey Blair. ‘We especially wanted to clean up our defence and I think we have. Our on-ball defence and defence in the post positions is much more aggressive.” …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. completed the sweep by nipping Victoria 66-64 as Erica McGuinness scored 19 on 5-12 from the floor, 7-10 from the line and 5 assists. Kelsey Blair added 19 on 9-11 from the floor and 11 boards. Julie Little scored 10 on 3-7 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 6 boards. Tina Lum added 5, Kim Howe 5, Caitlyn Pankratz 3, Candace Morisset 3, Letah Beck 2, and Caitlyn Haggarty 0. The Thunderbirds hit 24-47 (.511) from the floor, 4-9 (.444) from the arc and 14-19 (.737) from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 16 fouls, 14 turnovers, 8 steals and 2 blocks. Kelsey Blair hit the winning jumper with 8 seconds to play, hitting a 10-footer over two defenders after spinning to catch a pass from McGuinness. Shenton missed a chance to tie it at the buzzer with a perimeter jumper. “It was one heck of a battle,” said UBC coach Deb Huband. “Kelsey came up with a big shot. They tried to take away some of the passing angles but I think we ran our play really well and Kelsey put the ball in the hoop.” Blair called it a “battle all the way to the very end. I knew that as soon as I got the seal I was going to have to shoot because it was that time on the clock. It didn’t matter if there were people around me or not. I was going to have to take that shot regardless.” Victoria had inched ahead 63-60 with 1:26 to play. But McGuinness hit a pair from the line. Janet Hatfield countered with one for Vic before Julie Little knotted the score at 64 with a layup. Victoria led 31-30 at the half. “They threw a lot of junk defence at us, so the looks were a little different,” said Huband. “If you could get by your check, you could create a lot of opportunities and Erica was trying to take advantage of that. She played like a true veteran tonight.” Janet Hatfield paced the Vikes with 20 on 8-10 from the floor, 4-8 from the line, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Jamie Bell added 13 on 5-9 from the floor and 2-5 from the line. Leanne Shenton scored 12 on 5-8 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 6 assists. Beckie Macdonald notched 8 on 3-9 from the floor and 4 assists. Ashley Kimmett scored 6 on 2-7 from the floor. Lindsay Hewson scored 3, Emma Rowbotham 2, Ashley Yee 0 and Vanessa Forstbauer 0. Victoria shot 25-49 (.510) from the floor, 5-11 (.455) from the arc and 9-20 (.450) from the line, while garnering 20 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 15 fouls, 16 turnovers, 9 steals and 2 blocks. The Vikings (coached by Brian Cheng) also included Kayla Dykstra, Eilish Murtagh and Allison Omland.

In the other Pacific quarterfinal, Simon Fraser defeated Trinity Western 88-42; 69-49 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Devon Campbell paced Simon Fraser with 22 points on 10-13 from the floor and 8 assists. Julia Wilson scored 16 on 5-11 from the floor, 13 boards and 3 blocks. Lani Gibbons scored 12 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 7 boards. Kelsie Thu scored 10 on 4-8 from the floor. Brea McLaughlin scored 7, Brittany Fraser 6, Courtney Gerwing 6, Lisa Tindle 5, Courtney Brown 2, Cara Dodsley 2 and Rakel Helboe 0. The Clan hit 35-57 (.614) from the floor, 7-16 (.438) from the arc and 11-15 (.733) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 10 fouls, 20 turnovers, 9 steals and 3 blocks. Taylor Stuart led Trinity Western with 17 on 7-20 from the floor, 1-8 from the arc and 2 steals. Lauren Doubroff scored 12 on 5-13 from the floor. Randi French added 5, Laura Craig 4, Liesa Ohman 2, Katie Haworth 2, Natalie Twohey 0 and Rhonda Zandstra 0. Trinity Western hit 18-63 (.286) from the floor, 2-20 (.100) from the arc and 4-7 (.571) from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 16 fouls, 20 turnovers, 13 steals and 1 block. Simon Fraser took a 38-25 lead at the half and romped. Trinity Western took four minutes to score a field goal in the absence of starting forwards Kelly Konrad and Heather Van Wieren. The Clan opened the second half with a 20-2 run triggered by treys from Campbell and Gibbons. “I don’t think we came out slow, I thought we were playing well but we were just committing too many turnovers to kill any of the little bit of momentum we were building in the early goings,” said Clan coach Bruce Langford after the game. “But we built off that and started to shoot the ball well, so we began to pull away. [At halftime] we just said that the next four minutes were going to be crucial, they had some open threes in the first half that they missed and we couldn’t keep giving them those open shots. We needed to finish strongly at the hoop, and they had been very physical inside with Julia [Wilson], so we needed to develop that inside game in the second half.” Kelsie Thu noted that Trinity Western “they came out very aggressive, we aren’t used to [TWU] playing that particular style. Tomorrow night is a brand-new game, we need to completely forget about tonight and come out with a fire in our eyes tomorrow.” …………………………………………………… The Clan completed the sweep with a 69-49 win in game two as Julia Wilson scored 18 on 8-15 from the floor, 15 boards and 3 blocks. Devon Campbell added 10 on 3-11 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 8 assists. Courtney Gerwing scored 9 on 4-7 from the floor and Brea McLaughlin 9 on 3-5 from the floor and 4 boards. Lisa Tindle added 6 on 2-8 from the floor. Cara Dodsley added 5, Courtney Brown 4, Lani Gibbons 5, Kelsie Thu 4, Brittany Fraser 0 and Rakel Helboe 0. Simon Fraser shot 26-61 (.426) from the floor, 5-15 from the arc and 12-18 from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 14 fouls, 12 turnovers, 12 steals and 3 blocks. Despite the loss, Spartans coach Danielle Gardner was pleased with her team’s effort. “We played hard and left everything out there.” Simon Fraser jumped to a 9-0 run before Liesa Ohman got the Spartans on the board. Trinity Western twice cut the lead to three before a late surge rallied the Clan to a 30-20 lead at the half. Trinity Western twice cut the margin to six in the second half before the Clan responded with a decisive 21-6 run. Wilson noted that the Clan “came out flat” in the first half. “We stopped moving on offence. We played well on defence early but we weren’t spectacular and we just struggled on offence to pick things up.” But the Clan’s shot selection improved immeasurably in the second half, “to the point where we were able to pull away,” said coach Bruce Langford. Randi French paced the Spartans with 17 points on 6-10 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc and 6 boards. Liesa Ohman added 8 on 2-7 from the arc and 4 boards. Katie Haworth scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 6 boards and 4 steals. Laura Craig scored 6 on 3-9 from the floor and Taylor Stuart 6 on 2-12 from the floor and 8 assists. Lauren Doubroff added 2, Natalie Twohey 2 and Rhonda Zandstra 0. Trinity Western shot 18-55 (.327) from the floor, 6-19 (.316) from the arc and 7-9 (.778) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 17 fouls, 23 turnovers, 8 steals and 4 blocks. The Spartans (coached by Danielle Gardner, assisted by Tyler Coston) also included Heather Van Wieren, Kimber Peters, Deanna Smith, Caitlin Chisholm and Kelly Konrad.

In the Central semis, Calgary defeated Alberta 66-65; 84-66 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Tanya Hautala paced Calgary with 16 points on 7-19 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc and 4 boards. Courtney Coyle scored 12 on 3-5 from the arc and 5 boards. Lindsay Maundrell scored 12 on 5-11 from the floor and 6 boards. Whitney Haswell scored 8 on 4-12 from the floor, 6 boards and 4 steals. Brianna Orr scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor, while Michelle Wilson added 6, Katherine Adams 2, Elyse Hnatiuk 2, Becky Heninger 2 and Jamie Morck 0. The Dinosaurs hit 27-68 (.397) from the floor, 7-21 from the arc and 5-12 (.417) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 25 fouls, 16 turnovers and 11 steals. Michelle Smith led Alberta with 21 points on 8-14 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc and 5 boards. Kristin Jarock scored 18 on 5-12 from the floor, 8-11 from the line and 7 boards. Patricia Ariss scored 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 7 boards. Ashley Wigg scored 8 on 4-11 from the floor and 2 steals. Christine Shewchuk scored 7 on 2-13 from the floor and 3 assists. Kara Stevens scored 3, while Nathalie Kiernan and Rose Webb were scoreless. The Pandas hit 23-70 (.329) from the floor, 3-16 (.188) from the arc and 16-24 (.667) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 16 fouls, 15 turnovers and 7 steals. Alberta led 36-32 at the half as Michelle Smith lit up the frame for nine points. Hautala stripped the ball for a pair of layups to give Calgary a 40-39 lead with 15 minutes to play. Smith countered with a trey to ignite a 10-0 Pandas run but Calgary scrapped back with an 11-1 run to take a 51-50 lead. Alberta countered with a 5-0 mini-run but Maundrell rallied the Dinnies to knot the score at 56 before Coyle hit a pair of treys to give Calgary the lead down the stretch. Calgary moved ahead 64-58. Jarock countered with a free throw and Ariss hit a bucket to trim the margin to three. Adams missed a pair of free throws and Jarock hit another bucket to reduce Calgary’s lead to 66-65 with 37 seconds to play. Calgary worked the ball to Adams in the blocks. She was fouled with 8 seconds to play but missed the free throws. The Pandas had a chance to win but Kara Stevens misfired at the buzzer. …………………………………………………… Calgary completed the stunning sweep by defeating the host Pandas 84-66 in the second game as Tanya Hautala scored 24 on 9-14 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 4 assists and 3 steals.

Lindsay Maundrell added 16 on 7-17 from the floor, 20 boards, 6 assists and 5 steals. Courtney Coyle notched 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc and 5 boards. Michelle Willson scored 13 on 5-8 from the floor and 8 boards. Jamie Morck scored 8 on 4-4 from the floor and 3 boards. Katherine Adams scored 5, Brianna Orr 3, Whitney Haswell 2, Elyse Hnatiuk 0 and Becky Heninger 0. The Dinnies hit 33-65 (.508) from the floor, 7-17 (.412) from the arc and 11-16 (.688) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 21 fouls, 23 turnovers and 11 steals. Calgary broke open a tight game late in the first half to take a 44-26 lead into the lockers, capitalizing on the Panda guard Michelle Smith’s three quick fouls. They extended their lead to 55-30 before Alberta scrapped back with an 11-0 run then then cut the margin to 59-47 on a trey by Shewchuk. The Pandas remained within 10, at 70-60, with five minutes to play but treys by Hautala and Coyle iced the Calgary win. “We weren’t quite as nervous (as in game one),” said Calgary coach Shawnee Harle. “We got the first one under our belt. We were up 1-0 and we knew they would have to take it from us.” Tautala said the Dinos “tried to wear them down and I think we did a good job of that.” Christine Shewchuk paced the Pandas with 19 points on 7-17 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 4-6 from the line. Kristin Jarock added 14 on 7-14 from the floor and 10 boards. Michelle Smith scored 10 on 4-10 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3 assists and 3 steals. Ashley Wigg notched 9 on 3-12 from the floor and 8 boards. Kara Stevens scored 6 on 3-9 from the floor and 8 boards. Nathalie Kiernan scored 4, Patricia Ariss 3 and Rose Webb 1. The Pandas shot 27-73 (.370) from the floor, 3-16 (.188) from the arc and 9-14 (.643) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 20 fouls, 23 turnovers, 11 steals and 3 blocks. The Pandas (coached by Trix Kannekens-Baker) also included Maya Tecza, Carly McLennan, Whitney Adams, Caroline Gault and Jess Todd.

In the Plains semis, Manitoba defeated Regina 55-41; 72-59 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Manitoba prevailed 55-41. Rachel Hart paced Manitoba with 14 points on 5-11 from the floor, 6 boards and 4 steals. Sarah Holder added 12 on 5-15 from the floor and 12 boards. Sopear Chhin scored 10 on 3-9 from the floor. Melanie Schlichter scored 7 on 3-7 from the floor. Kaitlyn Flett scored 5, Rachelle Harty-Edwards 5, Michele Hynes 3, Leigh-Anne Legal-Young 1, Laura Churley 0, Ashley Mackay 0 and Nicole Wooden 0. The Bison hit 20-65 (.308) from the floor, 2-11 (.182) from the arc and 13-18 (.782) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 15 fouls, 17 turnovers, 23 steals and 3 blocks. Lara Schmidt led Regina with 13 points on 5-14 from the floor and 6 boards. Chelsea Cassano added 6 on 2-5 from the floor. Megan Cherkas scored 6 on 3-8 from the floor. Leane Phillips added 5, Carmen Stewart 4, Laura Hunko 4, Stacey Walker 2, Jacquie Kenyon 1, Danny Ash 0, Meryle Jordan 0 and Rebecca Schmidt 0. The Cougars shot 16-53 (.302) from the floor, 0-9 from the arc and 9-17 (.529) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 18 turnovers, 9 steals and 1 block. The Cougars, who led 24-23 at the half, were done in by their poor shooting in the second frame. “Holding them to 55 points was good, so I was happy with our defence but we were quite timid in the second half. We were scared to shoot and attack,” said coach Jeff Speedy. …………………………………………………… In game two, Manitoba completed the sweep with a 72-59 win as Melanie Schlicter scored 17 on 7-13 from the floor and 3 boards. Rachel Hart scored 13 on 3-7 from the floor, 7-8 from the line, 6 boards and 2 steals. Sarah Holder scored 12 on 6-15 from the floor, 5 boards and 3 steals. Kaitlyn Flett notched 11 on 3-10 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 5 boards. Michele Hynes scored 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 3 boards. Sopear Chinn scored 5 on 1-6 from the floor and 4 assists. Rachelle Harty-Edwards added 4, Leigh-Anne Legal-Young 2, Laura Churley 0, Ashley Mackay 0 and Nicole Wooden 0. The Bisons hit 26-62 (.419) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 17-21 (.810) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 22 fouls, 14 turnovers, 9 steals and 2 blocks. Megan Cherkas led the Cougars with 21 on 6-16 from the floor, 7-10 from the line and 5 boards. Lara Schmidt added 14 on 6-13 from the floor and 5 boards. Rebecca Schmidt added 6 on 3-3 from the floor. Stacey Walker scored 5 on 1-2 from the floor, Leanne Phillips 5, Chelsea Cassano 5, Jacquie Kenyon 2, Emily Ross 2, Laura Hunko 0, Danny Ash 0, Mallory Loire 0, Meryle Jordan 0 and Carmen Stewart 0. The Cougars hit 19-57 (.333) from the floor, 2-9 (.222) from the arc and 19-26 (.731) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 23 fouls, 20 turnovers and 7 steals. The Cougars (coached by Jeff Speedy) also included Stacey Walker and Shalyn Kivela.

In the Pacific Division finals, U.B.C. defeated Simon Fraser 68-56; 62-54 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In the opener, U.B.C. dumped Simon Fraser 68-56 as Erica McGuinness scored 17 on 5-10 from the floor, 7-8 from the arc and 5 assists. Kelsey Blair added 14 on 6-13 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 13 boards. Letah Beck scored 9 on 3-5 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Caitlin Haggarty scored 7 on 3-9 from the floor and 6 boards. Candace Morisset scored 6, Julie Little 6, Caitlyn Pankratz 5, Kim Howe 4 and Tina Lum 0. The Thunderbirds shot 25-58 (.431) from the floor, 1-5 from the arc and 17-22 (.773) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 16 fouls, 14 turnovers and 7 steals. Julia Wilson led the host Clan with 15 points on 4-12 from the floor, 7-9 from the line and 13 boards. Devon Campbell added 15 on 6-19 from the floor, 2.4 from the arc and 4 assists. Courtney Gerwing scored 11 on 2-4 from the floor, 7-8 from the line and 5 boards. Kelsie Thu scored 7 on 2-6 from the floor and 3-3 from the line. Lisa Tindle added 3, Cara Dodsley 2, Lani Gibbons 3, Courtney Brown 0 and Brea McLaughlin 0. Simon Fraser shot 17-64 (.266) from the floor, 4-25 (.160) from the arc and 18-22 (.818) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 17 fouls, 11 turnovers, 5 steals and 2 blocks. The Clan hadn’t lost at home in more than two years. “When you come out playing like that, good teams will beat you,” said Simon Fraser coach Bruce Langford. U.B.C. dominated the glass and ripped off a 10-2 run as they built a 31-19 lead. The Clan pressed and rallied to within 35-27 in the second half but U.B.C. took command with a 17-5 run to take a 20-point lead and romped. “They didn’t shoot the ball very well tonight but I’d like to think that had something to do with the adjustments we made defensively since the last time we played them,” said UBC head coach Deb Huband. A couple of weeks ago we gave up way too many easy looks for threes and backdoor stuff. Tonight we forced them to take some tougher shots.”

UBC’s interior defence took away easy shot opportunities for the Clan’s towering Wilson and second-year power forward Courtney Gerwing. The pair got to the free-throw line a combined 17 times Friday. But on the open floor they were either being forced out of their comfort zone or denied shot opportunities. “It was a good team game for us,” said Huband.

“We’ve been moving towards getting all parts of our game going and we had steady performances from a lot of people. But we know we have to approach it as zero-zero tomorrow and take nothing for granted.” …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. completed the sweep over the nation’s ranked team with a 62-54 win in overtime as Kim Howe scored 17 on 8-11 from the floor and 4 boards. Caitlin Haggarty added 12 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 6 boards and 5 assists. Julie Little scored 12 on 3-10 from the floor, 6-9 from the line, 7 boards and 2 steals. Kelsey Blair scored 10 on 4-9 from the floor, 7 boards and 4 assists. Erica McGuiness scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor. Tina Lum scored 5, Letah Beck 2, Candace Morisset 0 and Caitlyn Pankratz 0. The Thunderbirds shot 22-48 (.458) from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 15-22 (.682) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 15 fouls, 18 turnovers and 10 steals. Blair forced an extra session by drilling a short jumper with six seconds to play. U.B.C. outscored the hosts 10-2 in the extra session. “I think we came out a little bit tentative,” said U.B.C. coach Deb Huband. “But our defence was outstanding and we dominated on the boards for the second half and overtime. With Erica fouling out in regulation it obviously caused concern but our depth pulled us through. Kim Howe was outstanding, Cait really stepped (up), Kelsey was a force in the paint at both ends and we just got great contributions from a lot of people.” U.B.C. fought back from a 29-22 deficit primarily by packing the paint and forcing the Clan to hit shots from the perimeter. The Thunderbirds took their first lead at 48-46 on a trey but Julia Wilson put the Clan back ahead 52-50, setting the stage for Blair’s jumper. “Kim played with a lot of passion tonight,” said Huband. “She’s a solid role defender and a great role player and tonight she just stepped up big time. For us to go up to Simon Fraser and beat them twice in their gym is a real accomplishment. I’m really proud of the way we competed this weekend. We played gritty defence and got on the boards and we just willed ourselves to win.” T-Birds forward Kim Howe said “this gives us confidence that we can do it and do it in a close game. It gives us tons of confidence. I haven’t felt that way in a long time. As soon as I hit my first couple shots, I knew that I was feeling it today.” Devon Campbell led the Clan with 23 points on 10-19 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 2-3 from the line, 4 boards and 4 steals. Courtney Gerwing added 12 on 6-12 from the floor and 5 boards. Kelsie Thu scored 9 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Julia Wilson scored 8 on 4-12 from the floor and 11 boards. Courtney Brown scored 2, while Lani Gibbons, Brea McLaughlin and Lisa Tindle were scoreless. Simon Fraser shot 24-65 (.369) from the floor, 2-20 (.100) from the arc and 4-8 from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 16 fouls, 13 turnovers, 8 steals and 4 blocks. The Clan (coached by Bruce Langford) also included Lauren van den Boogaard, Amy Hatt, Cara Dodsley, Rakel Helboe and Brittany Foster.

In the Central finals, Saskatchewan defeated Calgary 75-79; 75-68; 106-70 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… Calgary continued its magical run by upsetting Saskatchewan 79-75 in the opener as Lindsay Maundrell scored 20 on 7-10 from the floor, 6-7 from the line and 4 boards. Tanya Hautala added 16 on 6-15 from the floor and 2-5 from the arc. Courtney Coyle notched 11 on 4-8 from the floor and 3-4 from the arc. Michelle Willson scored 10 on 5-7 from the floor and 4 steals. Katherine Adams scored 8 on 4-10 from the floor, 5 boards and 6 assists. Whitney Haswell added 7 on 2-3 from the floor and 5 boards, while Jamie Morck scored 6 on 3-4 from the floor. Rebeckah Heninger added 1, while Brianna Orr was scoreless. The Dinosaurs hit 31-57 (.544) from the floor, 5-12 (.417) from the arc and 12-15 (.800) from the line, while garnering 22 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 19 fouls, 19 turnovers, 10 steals and 1 block. Sarah Crooks paced Saskatchewan with 18 points on 6-15 from the floor, 6-7 from the line and 15 boards. Ashley Dutchak added 18 on 6-15 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Jody Jury scored 15 on 7-11 from the floor and 6 boards, while Keri Leigh Porter scored 15 on 4-6 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Paige Gaudrea added 5, Karen Fraser 3, Amy Prokop 2, Ivon Liu 0 and Erin Jopp 0. The Huskies shot 27-61 (.443) from the floor, 7-17 (.412) from the arc and 14-16 (.875) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 18 fouls, 22 turnovers, 7 steals and 1 block. Calgary scored 10 straight points in the game’s final 2.5 minutes to pull off the upset. “I was feeling like ‘Wow; we’ve really got to get going here or we’re going to run out of time’,” said Calgary coach Shawnee Harle. “Then we got some key baskets, some key stops and some key boards. This was a game of runs and we got the last run.” Jody Jury’s driving layup with less than three minutes remaining gave the Huskies a 75-69 lead. “We probably needed one stop at that point to win the game and we couldn’t get it,” said Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis, who watched Calgary guard Tanya Hautala and forward Whitney Haswell score six and four points respectively during the fateful final run. “Our defence let us down tonight. We let them score high-percentage shots at will. We’re not going to beat many good teams playing like that.” Huskies guard Ashley Dutchak added that “I thought once we got that lead we’d finish them off. But we couldn’t get a stop when it counted most. We were just talking in the locker room about how we’ve never lost two straight. We want to keep that streak going. (Tonight’s) an important game, but I think we’ll do well. We like the pressure. Saying you’re going to hold the perimeter is easier said than done. We have three kids who can get it done out there and sometimes four on any given night. If you have only one, it’s easier to stop.” …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan evened the series with a 75-68 win as Sarah Crooks scored 26 on 10-11 from the floor, 6-8 from the line, 16 boards and 6 blocks. Ashley Dutchak added 20 on 9-19 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 0-6 from the arc. Jody Jury scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor and 7 boards. Keri Leigh Porter scored 8 on 2-5 from the floor. Ivon Liu notched 5 on 2-4 from the floor. Paige Gaudreau scored 3, Amy Prokop 3, Karen Fraser 2 and Erin Jopp 2. The Huskies hit 28-59 (.475) from the floor, 4-15 (.267) from the arc and 15-20 from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 17 fouls, 21 turnovers, 5 steals and 8 blocks. Tanya Hautala led the Dinnies with 41 points on 14-20 from the floor, 8-13 from the arc and 5-6 from the line. Lindsay Maundrell scored 12 on 4-21 from the floor, 4-5 from the line and 12 boards. Courtney Coyle scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc. Whitney Haswell scored 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 5 boards. Katherine Adams scored 3, Michelle Willson 2, Jamie Morck 1 and Brianna Orr 0. Calgary shot 24-66 (.364) from the floor, 10-19 (.526) from the arc and 10-13 (.769) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 18 fouls, 17 turnovers, 12 steals and 2 blocks. The win was the Huskies first playoff victory in 24 years. They led by 12 midway through the first half before Calgary forged ahead 25-23. But the Huskies rallied to a 36-34 lead at the break but Calgary moved ahead by eight early in the second frame. Paige Gaudreau drilled a three-pointer to knot the score at 59 and the Huskies moved ahead by eight then held on for the win down the stretch. …………………………………………………… The Huskies took the series with a 106-76 whipping as Jody Jury scored 27 on 8-11 from the floor, 7-8 from the arc, 4-4 from the line and 3 boards. Sarah Crooks added 23 on 5-7 from the floor, 13-13 from the line and 7 boards. Ashley Dutchak notched 17 on 4-8 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 7-7 from the line and 5 boards. Karen Fraser scored 13 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-6 from the line and 6 boards. Keri Leigh Porter notched 10 on 4-9 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc and 7 boards. Ivon Liu scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor. Erin Jopp added 4 on 1-3 from the floor. Amy Prokop scored 3, while dishing 10 assists. Paige Gaudreau scored 3 and Kelsie Bastura 0. The Huskies shot 31-51 (.608) from the floor, 13-20 (.650) from the arc and 31-37 (.838) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 17 fouls, 22 turnovers, 9 steals and 3 blocks. The Huskies hit five treys as they strode to an 18-9 lead and then built a 53-34 margin at the half. They were never threatened. Jury, who’d transferred to Saskatchewan from Brandon for her final season, was elated to toil for a winner. “I learned a lot of things playing in Brandon. But coming in here with this group of girls, and with how special our team’s felt this year, has been so good.” Three of Jury’s treys came during a 13-3 Huskies run midway through the opening half that blew the game open. “She’s the x-factor,” Saskatchewan coach Lisa Thomaidis said. “They played some box-and-one on Ash and did some stuff to key on Crooks, but we’ve said all along that we’ve got more than those two. She proved that tonight. I told her earlier this week that I could feel she was going to have a 30-point game and hit six threes. She was fantastic. This was a great test for us – down one game, having to win two straight. That was great for our character and our team cohesion. We’ve just made the next step. As happy as I am right now, we know we have more to accomplish this year. It was a great win, but it’s still a step along the journey.” Tanya Hautala led Calgary with 18 points on 6-13 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Lindsay Maundrell scored 15 on 5-9 from the floor, 5-7 from the line and 4 assists. Michelle Willson scored 9 on 3-4 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. Courtney Coyle scored 8 on 3-13 from the floor and 2-8 from the arc. Brianna Orr notched 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 2-4 from the arc. Whitney Haswell scored 6 on 3-5 from the floor. Rebeckah Heninger added 4, Jamie Morck 4, Katherine Adams 3, Pamela Weatherbee 1 and Elyse Hnatiuk 0. The Dinosaurs (coached by Shawnee Harle) shot 28-67 (.418) from the floor, 7-21 (.333) from the arc and 13-17 (.765) from the line, while garnering 21 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 27 fouls, 18 turnovers, 12 steals and 3 blocks.

In the Great Plains final, Winnipeg defeated Manitoba 71-70; 68-64 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Winnipeg prevailed 71-70 as Uzo Asagwara hit the winning free throw with four seconds remaining on the clock. The Wesmen had exploded to a 24-9 lead at the start but the Bison rallied with a 17-4 run to trim the margin to four and then knotted the score at 34 at the half. Manitoba took a slim lead early in the second half and maintained til eight minutes remained. The team traded the lead before Asagwara drained a trey to give Winnipeg a 68-64 lead. With 15 seconds to play, Sarah Holder gave Manitoba a 70-69 lead by a hitting a free throw. But Melanie Talastas knotted the score with a free throw and then stripped the ball from a Bison guard getting to Asagwara, who was fouled and hit the winning free throw. Asagwara finished with 38 points on 14-24 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc and 7-10 from the line. Stefanie Timmersman added 12 on 3-13 from the floor, 6-8 from the line and 6 assists. Melanie Talastas scored 4 on 2-6 from the line and 6 assists. Nicki Scutz scored 4 and grabbed 13 boards. Jessica Stromberg scored 4, Jenny Ezirim 4, Randi Gibson 3, Jae Pirnie 2 and Lindsay De Leeuw 0. The Wesmen hit 26-51 (.510) from the floor, 4-9 (.444) from the arc and 15-26 (.577) from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 17 fouls, 11 turnovers, 6 steals and 1 block. Sarah Holder paced Manitoba with 18 points on 5-12 from the floor, 6-7 from the line and 8 boards. Melanie Schlicter scored 16 on 7-16 from the floor and 7 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass. Rachel Hart scored 11 on 5-11 from the floor and 10 boards. Kaitlyn Flett notched 10 on 4-6 from the floor. Sopear Chhin scored 6 on 2-8 from the arc and Michele Hynes 5 on 2-9 from the floor. Rachelle Harty-Edwards added 5 and Leigh-Anne Legal-Young 0. The Bison shot 26-65 (.400) from the floor, 5-17 (.294) from the arc and 13-16 (.813) from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 23 fouls, 9 turnovers, 1 block and 1 steal. …………………………………………………… The Wesmen swept the series with a 68-64 win in game two as Stefanie Timmersman scored 22 on 8-23 from the floor, 6-9 from the arc, 10 boards and 6 assists. Uzo Asagwara added 17 on 5-15 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 5-7 from the line and 2 steals. Melanie Telastas scored 7 on 3-3 from the floor, while Nicki Schutz tossed in 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 6 boards. Jenny Ezirim scored 6 and dished 5 assists. Lindsay De Leeuw scored 5, Randie Gibson 3, Jae Pirnie 2 and Jessica Stromberg 0. Winnipeg shot 24-56 (.429) from the floor, 5-10 from the arc and 15-24 (.625) from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 17 fouls, 12 turnovers, 2 steals and 1 block. Manitoba built an early 18-12 lead but Asagwara drilled a trey to give the Wesmen their first lead at 27-26. The Bison moved ahead 35-34 at the half and led for most of the second frame until Winnipeg knotted the score at 59 with two minutes to play and then again at 61 on a pair of free throws by Timmersman. Asagwara gave Winnipeg a three-point lead on an old-fashioned three-point lane and then sank two free throws to give the Wesmen a five-edge with 22 seconds to play. Holder countered with a trey for Manitoba but Ezirim hit a pair of free throws with 8 seconds on the clock to ice it. Sarah Holder led Manitoba with 23 points on 8-15 from the floor, 6-8 from the line, 8 boards and 4 assists. Rachel Hart added 9 on 3-10 from the floor, 7 boards and 6 assists. Melanie Schlichter scored 9 on 4-8 from the floor and 7 boards. Kaitlyn Flett notched 8 on 4-8 from the floor. Rachelle Harty-Edwards scored 6 on 3-3 from the floor and 4 boards. Leigh-Anne Legal-Young scored 4, Sopear Chhin 4, Riley Epp 2, Michele Hynes 0 and Nicole Wooden 0. The Bison shot 25-56 (.446) from the floor, 2-10 from the arc and 12-18 from the line, while garnering 37 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 23 fouls, 11 turnovers, 2 steals and 3 blocks. The Bisons (coached by Pam Danis) also included Lisa Marie Iavarone, Sarah Reilly, Ashley Mackay and Laura Churley.

In the Final Four semis, Saskatchewan thrashed Simon Fraser 84-66 as Jody Jury scored 22 on 8-14 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards. Ashley Dutchak added 10 on 8-16 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc, 5 boards and 5 assists. Sarah Crooks scored 15 on 5-10 from the floor, 5-7 from the line and 9 boards. Karen Fraser added 12 on 4-6 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc and 5 boards. Erin Jopp scored 8 on 4-6 from the floor and 7 boards. Ivon Liu added 3, Amy Prokop 2, Keri Leigh Porter 2, Paige Gaudreau 0 and Kelsie Bastura 0. The Huskies shot 32-63 (.508) from the floor, 10-17 (.588) from the arc and 10-18 (.556) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 16 fouls, 15 turnovers, 6 steals and 3 blocks. Devon Campbell paced Simon Fraser with 20 on 7-15 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 6 boards. Kelsie Thu added 14 on 5-11 from the floor and 4-9 from the arc. Julia Wilson scored 10 on 4-8 from the floor, 2-7 from the line, 6 boards and 2 blocks. Lani Gibbons scored 9 on 1-7 from the floor, 6-6 from the line and 7 assists. Courtney Gerwing notched 7 on 3-10 from the floor. Brea McLaughlin scored 5, Cara Dodsley 2, Courtney Brown 0, Brittany Fraser 0, Rakel Helboe and Lisa Tindle 0. The Clan shot 23-59 (.390) from the floor, 9-26 (.346) from the arc and 11-19 (.579) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 14 turnovers, 8 steals and 2 blocks. Saskatchewan opened with a 19-4 run by dominating the boards and were never threatened. Clan coach Bruce Langford was at a loss. “It was a combination of things. We didn’t shoot the ball well. We had a problem with communication and we weren’t making plays when we needed them.” Saskatchewan coach Lisa Thomaidis called the win a “gigantic confidence booster. We’ve played some good basketball last weekend against a team that was pretty hot, so we felt pretty good coming in and defending the Clan. SFU always has such a quality team. They have some very good athletes and they always play hard. So it was key for us to defend them well and I thought we did so over the opening 10 minutes.” Saskatchewan led 43-33 at the half and by as many as 22 in the second frame. “It’s a four-year thing for me, and every year is playing in my head right now,” Huskies post Sarah Crooks said. “This is what it was all for – for this moment. I’m so happy right now.” Saskatchewan coach Lisa Thomaidis was elated. “I don’t know if you can put it into words. To build this from the ground up and take that final step into nationals, to compete for a Canada West championship (today) . . . it’s so rewarding and so gratifying. A lot people put in a lot of time and effort.” Jody Jury added that “we have a lot of respect for SFU and know what they’re capable of, but we put the complete package together today. It was one of our best games of the season.” All-star post Sarah Crooks said “this is just the start of something big. We can’t relax now; we want to bring home a banner on Sunday. We don’t relax. No relaxing from here on, ever.”

In the other semi, U.B.C. edged Winnipeg 60-55 as Erica McGuinness scored 28 on 10-21 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 11 boards and 4 assists. Julie Little added 18 on 5-8 from the floor, 8-10 from the line and 5 boards. Kelsey Blair scored 6 on 2-13 from the floor and 14 boards. Kim Howe scored 3 on 1-5 from the floor. Caitlin Haggarty added 3 on 1-8 from the floor and 5 assists. Candace Morisset scored 2, while Letah Beck, Caroline Horsley, Caitlyn Pankratz and Tina Lum were scoreless. The Thunderbirds hit 20-60 (.333) from the floor, 4-12 from the arc and 16-21 (.762) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 11 fouls, 12 turnovers, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Uzo Asagwara led Winnipeg with 17 points on 6-22 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Stefanie Timmersman added 17 on 7-16 from the floor, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Jenny Ezirim scored 6 on 3-9 from the floor and 4 boards. Jae Pirnie notched 5 on 2-3 from the floor and 5 boards. Randi Gibson scored 3, Melanie Talastas 2, Nicki Schutz 2, Jessica Stromberg 2 and Lindsay De Leeuw 2. The Wesmen hit 23-63 (.365) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 6-7 (.857) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 19 fouls, 6 turnovers, 4 steals and 5 blocks. Kim Howe gave U.B.C. a three-point lead in the final minute with an old-fashioned three-point play as the Thunderbirds pulled out the win. With the score deadlocked at 55-, Howe collected a breakaway pass from Cait Haggarty which she converted and then hit a free throw. Winnipeg sought to toss up a trey with five seconds on the clock but Erica McGuiness blocked the shot and was fouled, adding the free throws, to ice the win. McGuiness had ignited an 11-0 run early in the second half as U.B.C. rallied to tie the score. “Erica really stepped up for us and got it done down the stretch,” said coach Deb Huband. “We were struggling today and it wasn’t our best performance offensively. We couldn’t seem to get into a groove and our inside game was not there.” U.B.C. led 27-26 at the half. Huband added that the squad’s depth was critical “We got Julie (Little) going when we could exploit some different match ups when Winnipeg was focusing too much on Erica or Kelsey. When you have some depth and you have different people who can get it done then you’re going to have a slightly different look against each different team.”

In the bronze medal match, Simon Fraser whipped Winnipeg 81-53 as Courtney Gerwing scored 20 on 6-8 from the floor, 8-9 from the line and 11 boards. Kelsie Thu added 13 on 5-12 from the floor, 3-7 from the arc, 5 boards and 6 assists. Julia Wilson scored 13 on 4-9 from the floor, 5-5 from the line and 9 boards. Devon Campbell scored 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 5 assists. Lisa Tindle scored 6 on 2-7 from the floor. Cara Dodsley scored 6 on 2-4 from the floor. Lani Gibbons notched 4 on 1-5 from the arc and 5 assists. Rakel Helboe scored 5, Brea Mclaughlin 2, Courtney Brown 0 and Brittany Fraser 0. The Clan shot 27-58 (.466) from the floor, 8-23 (.349) from the arc and 19-21 (.905) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 16 fouls, 17 turnovers, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Uzo Asagwara paced Winnipeg with 24 points on 9-21 from the floor, 6-6 from the line and 3 boards. Jenny Ezirim added 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 5 steals. Stefanie Timmersman scored 5 on 3-10 from the floor and 5 boards. Randie Gibson notched 5 on 2-3 from the floor. Melanie Talastas scored 5, Jessica Stromberg 2, Lindsay De Leeuw 1, Ronalyn Olaes 1, Nicki Schutz 0, Jae Pirnie 0 and Tolulope Ilelaboye 0. The Wesmen shot 20-53 (.377) from the floor, 1-7 (.143) from the arc and 12-14 (.857) from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 18 turnovers, 9 steals and 3 blocks. The Wesmen (coached by Tanya McKay) also included Alecia Evans and Raelyn Swarbrick. Courtney Gerwing came off the bench and ignited a critical 13-2 run in the first half that propelled the Clan into a lead they would not relinquish. She registered a personal 7-0 run to ignite the offence. “The key to our offence is through our defence and how we communicate,” said Courtney Gerwing. “And over the past couple of games we just had that cohesiveness that is inherent to how we play.” Devon Campbell added that Gerwing was instrumental to getting the Clan on the same page. “We just wanted to get after it and most importantly we wanted to play together. I think that’s when we play our best, when we’re moving the ball, we’re pushing up the floor and we’re celebrating one another’s successes.” SFU immediately established its low post game, playing off 6-4 centre Julia Wilson’s presence to create one-on-one looks inside for power forward Courtney Gerwing. After that, the floor spread and the Clan’s patient half-court offence created open scoring looks from every part of the court. “She stepped up huge,” said SFU wing Devon Campbell of Gerwing. “Without her, this game would have had a totally different outcome.” Gerwing said the Clan had a player’s chat after their semi-final loss. “We just talked about do-or-die and how it was time we stopped talking about it and started doing it.” Campbell added that “I think we might have gotten caught up a little too much in our own successes. So we just took a step back from it and realized that we play best when we have fun and play as a team. We play best when we push the ball, we move and we share.”

In the final, Saskatchewan defeated U.B.C. 70-65 as Ashley Dutchak scored 24 on 7-9 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 8-10 from the line and 5 assists. Sarah Crooks added 20 on 9-14 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 12 boards. Karen Fraser scored 12 on 5-9 from the floor and 3 boards. Jody Jury scored 6 on 2-10 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 5 boards. Ivon Liu added 4, Erin Jopp 2, Keri Leigh Porter 2, Amy Prokop 0 and Paige Gaudreau 0. The Huskies shot 27-55 (.491) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 13-16 (.813) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 14 fouls, 16 turnovers, 6 steals and 1 block. Erica McGuiness paced U.B.C. with 19 points on 7-14 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Caitlyn Haggarty scored 18 on 7-13 from the floor, 4-8 from the arc, 3 boards and 3 steals. Kelsey Blair scored 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 9 boards. Tina Lum scored 4 on 2-3 from the floor. Candace Morriset scored 4 on 1-5 from the floor. Kim Howe scored 4 on 2-5 from the floor. Caitlyn Pankratz added 3, Julie Little 2 and Letah Beck 0. The Thunderbirds shot 25-58 (.431) from the floor, 8-16 (.500) from the arc and 7-10 from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 19 fouls, 15 turnovers, 9 steals and 2 blocks. Sarah Crooks dominated the paint in the second half as the Huskies took command. Crooks hit eight unanswered points, including a pair of putback rebounds as Saskatchewan erased a 34-29 halftime deficit with a 13-5 run. “It’s huge and feels so good to win this say,” said Crooks. “In the second half, we got the ball inside more and I tried to get other people involved. Any time you can drag the bigs out and open the floor up, it allows for more open cuts to the basket and more open shots from the outside.” Thunderbird coach Deb Huband said “I certainly think that Saskatchewan put forward a great team performance. Dutchak and Crooks did a great job leading that team today and they played very well. I think that we were lacking some key performances and that hurt us. Crooks has a lot of skills in her pocket and she’s a solid player and a handful to defend. I think when they made that run to go ahead we gave up too much on the glass.” Saskatchewan coach Lisa Thomaidis said “I don’t think there’s anything this team can’t do. It’s been constant – we haven’t done this, we haven’t done that, we haven’t done this, can we do that. But we’ve proven time and time again that we can rise to the challenge.” Huband said “Saskatchewan put forward a great team performance. Dutchak and Crooks did a great job leading that team today. Crooks has a lot of skills in her pocket and she’s a solid player and a handful to defend.”

Trinity Western announces that Scott Reeves will serve as the head coach of the WolfPack. Reeves was assistant coach with the Trinity Western University Spartans in 2003-04 and at Basketball Canada’s Center for Performance from 2003 to present, and was head coach for Basketball British Columbia’s U16 Girls Provincial Team in 2004 and 2005, and head coach for the Brookswood Senior Secondary School Senior Girls team from 2003 to present. “I am confident in my ability to develop student-athletes in a way that corresponds with the high standards of a CIS institution such as Thompson Rivers University,” said Reeves. “I am looking forward to becoming a part of and building a great women’s basketball program at TRU. Athletic director Ken Olynyk said “Scott’s high school and provincial team experience will bode well for the future of women’s basketball at TRU.”

Brandon announces that Jaime Hickson has been appointed head coach at Brandon. Hickson was an assistant to Tanya McKay at Winnipeg from 1999-2004 and then an assistant at University of Victoria in 2005. In 2006, she was head coach of the women’s program at Canadian Mennonite University. “Jamie is motivated, determine and excited about coaching at Brandon University,” said McKay. “She will do whatever it takes to get Brandon on the map for women’s basketball in the CIS. She has worked very hard over the last six years to put herself in the position she is in. Our program wishes her all the best in her new job.”

The bronze medalist Simon Fraser Clan: Courtney Gerwing; Kelsie Thu; Julia Wilson; Devon Campbell; Lisa Tindle; Cara Dodsley; Lani Gibbons; Rakel Helboe; Brea Mclaughlin; Courtney Brown; Brittany Fraser; Lauren van den Boogaard; Amy Hatt;

The silver medalist British Columbia Thunderbirds: Erica McGuinness; Caitlyn Haggarty; Kelsey Blair; Julie Little; Tina Lum; Kim Howe; Letah Beck; Caitlyn Pankratz; Candace Morisset; Montanna Dunmore; Caroline Horsley; Kaitlin Ward; Leanne Evans; coach Deb Huband; athletic director Bob Philip

The champion Saskatchewan Huskies: Sarah Crooks; Ashley Dutchak; Karen Fraser; Amy Prokop; Jody Jury; Keri Leigh Porter; Erin Jopp; Ivon Liu; Paige Gaudreau; Kelsie Bastura; coach Lisa Thomaidis; assistant Nick Jordan; assistant Wendy Benson; assistant Jacqueline Lavallee; therapist Rhonda Shishkin; trainer Lauren Dickson; trainer Stephanie Hogan; athletic director Ross Wilson