2006-07 CanWest - women - From Naismith to Nash

REGULAR SEASON

GREAT PLAINS				CENTRAL
Winnipeg	14-8	19-14	Tanya McKay	Alberta	16-6	27-11	Scott Edwards
Manitoba	14-8	20-11	Pam Danis	Saskatchewan	15-7	24-10	Lisa Thomaidis
Regina	10-12	14-15	Dave Taylor	Calgary	15-7	19-11	Shawnee Harle
Brandon	0-22	0-26	Jamie Hickson	Lethbridge	3-19	4-21	Donna Branch
PACIFIC
Simon Fraser	21-2	33-6	Bruce Langford
U.B.C.	21-2	33-5	Deb Huband
Victoria	11-12	15-17	Brian Cheng
Fraser Valley	9-14	10-17	Al Tuchscherer
Trinity Western	6-17	10-20	Danielle Gardner
Thompson Rivers	2-21	2-22	Scott Reeves

Playoff non-qualifiers:

Brandon Bobcats: Allie Butz, Melanie Thompson, Suzanne Campbell, Jayla Bousquet, Tanysha Robinson, Dani Cote, Kirsten Ault, Sarah Lopes, Deanna Day, Jackie Lester, Amanda Meda, Liz Boutette, Taryn Hajnrych, coach Jaime Hickson

Lethbridge Pronghorns: Jordana Miltimore, Ciana Gregorio, Ashley Hilton, Candace Thompson, Kim May, Stephanie Elford, Kenzie Sheen, Hannah Blanchette, Megan Campbell, Karen Bridge, Claire Nesbitt, Lindy Lauder, coach Donna Hanna-Branch

Thompson Rivers Wolfpack: Kelley O’Grady, Sarah Cameron, Kali Ellis, Kayla Forsyth, Sarah Darley, Jaclyn Cummings, Alix Stupich, Caitlin Kettlewell, Kristi Spelay, Mayo Aoki, Danika Maartman, redshirt Kelsie Baker, coach Scott Reeves, assistant Chuck Ferguson, manager Stacie Brown

Trinity Western Spartans: Laura Craig, Randi French, Liesa Ohman, Becky Atkinson, Katie Haworth, Kimber Peters, Krystal Crofton, Heather Van Wieren, Corina Reimer, Kelly Konrad, Jordan Verhoeff, Lindsey Horsting, coach Danielle Gardiner, assistant Tyler Coston

In the Central semis, Saskatchewan defeated Calgary 87-83; 94-65 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Saskatchewan eked out an 87-83 win in overtime. The game featured 24 lead changes. Calgary held a narrow 20-19 margin at the end of the opening quarter. Saskatchewan led by as much nine points midway through the second quarter but Calgary fought back to tie the contest at 32-32 with three minutes left in the half. Calgary led 37-36 at the end of twenty minutes despite the 16 opening half points from Crooks. The Huskies led entire third quarter taking a 55-48 lead with a quarter remaining. Calgary’s offense took a big hit when inside player Michelle Willson picked up her fourth foul with three minutes left in the third quarter but Calgary received quality minutes from Jamie Morck. Ashley Hill’s trey with 5:45 remaining put the Dinos ahead 62-59 forcing the Huskies into a timeout. Saskatchewan responded going a 7-0 run taking a 67-62 lead with just over four minutes left. Calgary cut the margin to 69-67 with two minutes remaining setting the stage for an exciting final two minutes and eventual overtime session. The teams exchanged baskets with the Huskies leading 71-69 with 46 seconds remaining and Calgary having possession in the Huskies’ end but Crooks blocked Willson’s jump shot with 33 seconds left giving the Huskies possession. Calgary forced the Huskies into a turnover with 23 seconds left and Morck hit a 10-foot jump shot tying the contest with two seconds left at 71-71. Crooks took charge in overtime with six points giving Saskatchewan a 79-76 margin with two and half minutes remaining. The Dinos cut the margin to 80-79 with 76 seconds remaining but that was as close as they would get. Sarah Crooks paced the Huskies with 35 points on 12-20 from the floor, 11-14 from the line, 19 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Ashley Dutchak added 20 on 6-20 from the floor, 2-7 from the arc, 6-8 from the line, 11 boards and 4 assists. Ivon Liu notched 14 on 5-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc and 1-1 from the line. Jillian Humbert scored 6 on 2-10 from the floor. Kimberley Tulloch added 6 on 2-3 from the floor and 3 assists. Amy Prokop added 2, Erin Jopp 2 and Jana Spindler 2, while Keri-leigh Porter, Marci Kiselyk, Lauren Whyte and Kelsie Bastura were scoreless. Saskatchewan shot 29-75 (.387) from the floor, 7-21 (.333) from the arc and 22-29 (.759) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 19 on the offensive glass, 21 assists, 26 fouls, 25 turnovers, 7 steals and 3 blocks. Courtney Coyle paced the Dinosaurs with 21 on 8-17 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 3-3 from the line. Michelle Wilson added 17 on 6-9 from the floor, 5-9 from the line and 6 boards. Lindsay Maundrell notched 14 on 5-11 from the floor, 4-8 from the line, 8 boards and 5 assists. Whitney Haswell scored 10 on 2-7 from the floor, 6-8 from the line and 4 boards. Jamie Morck scored 10 on 5-10 from the floor, 9 boards and 3 steals. Ashley Hill scored 7 and Jane Meadwell 4, while Juliette Gonzalez-Pulido, Celeste Clarke and Brianna Orr were scoreless. The Dinosaurs shot 30-70 (.429) from the floor, 3-11 (.273) from the arc and 20-33 (.606) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 25 fouls, 23 turnovers, 8 steals and 2 blocks. …………………………………………………… In game two, Saskatchewan stomped Calgary 94-65 to sweep the series. The Dinosaurs again couldn’t stop Sarah Crooks, who took command in the second quarter, scoring 17 points as the Huskies rallied from a 17-16 deficit after one quarter to take a 41-30 lead at the half. “We had no answer for Sarah Crooks,” stated University of Calgary Head Coach Shawnee Harle whose club was ranked fifth in the country and Huskies seventh entering the weekend series, “she took control and fortunately I do not have to coach against anymore.” The Dinos cut the margin to six points midway through the third period but that was as close they would get as Saskatchewan did not allow Calgary any serious momentum. Senior Lindsay Maundrell was outstanding for Calgary despite only playing 25 minutes due to foul trouble. Calgary had swept a series with Saskatchewan a week earlier to gain homecourt advantage. Sarah Crooks paced the Huskies with 38 points on 12-17 from the floor, 14-16 from the line, 18 boards, 4 steals and 4 blocks. Ashley Dutchak added 16 on 5-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-7 from the line and 3 assists. Kimberley Tulloch notched 11 on 5-9 from the floor, 4 boards and 4 assists. Keri-Leigh Porter scored 8 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 8 boards. Jillian Humbert scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor and 4 assists. Kelsie Bastura scored 6 on 2-2 from the arc. Erin Jopp added 4, Lauren Whyte 3 and Ivon Liu 2, while Amy Prokop, Jana Spindler and Marci Kiselyk were scoreless. Saskatchewan shot 32-61 (.525) from the floor, 7-16 (.438) from the arc and 23-34 (.676) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 24 fouls, 18 turnovers, 11 steals and 5 blocks. Lindsay Maundrell paced the Dinosaurs with 18 points on 7-13 from the floor, 4-9 from the line, 10 boards and 3 steals. Michelle Wilson added 12 on 5-6 from the floor, 2-5 from the line and 4 boards. Juliette Gonzalez-Pulido notched 9 on 4-8 from the floor and 6 assists. Jane Meadwell scored 7 on 5-6 from the line. Courtney Coyle scored 7 on 3-18 from the floor, 0-9 from the arc and 4 boards. Whitney Haswell scored 7 on 3-10 from the floor and 7 boards. Jamie Morck added 4 and Ashley Hill 1, while Alexandra Gordichuk, Celeste Clarke and Brianna Orr were scoreless. Calgary shot 25-69 (.362) from the floor, 1-15 (.067) from the arc and 14-27 (.519) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 27 fouls, 23 turnovers, 4 steals and 3 blocks. The Dinosaurs (coached by Shawnee Harle) also included Melissa Duinker, Becky Heninger and Elyse Hnatiuk.

In the Pacific semis, U.B.C. defeated Fraser Valley 88-52; 68-57 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, U.B.C. whipped the Cascades 88-52 with a lock-down defensive performance. The defending national champion T-Birds set the tone early, jumping out to a quick 7-0 edge three minutes into the first quarter. From there on the home side was all over its opponent, employing a stifling full-court press for most of the first frame that played a large part in causing 15 Cascade turnovers, which led to 16 points the other way. “We’ve been focusing on trying to up our defensive intensity and I thought we did a really good job of that coming out in the first half,” said UBC coach Deb Huband. “We’ve been focusing on being more responsible defensively and really trying to put some pressure on our opponents. We want to set the tempo immediately and I think that worked well for us tonight.” Cait Haggarty led the home side with nine points at the half – all on first-quarter three-pointers – then it was Leanne Evans taking over in the second half. “Over the last couple weeks, we’ve been working on incorporating a little more pressure into what we do and it’s been very effective for us,” continued Huband. “That kind of pressure has helped us to play the game we want to play and have our opponents playing into our game plan.” Guard Candace Morisset was sidelined due to an ankle injury she suffered in practice. Fraser Valley’s Canada West playoff debut got off to a rocky start as the Thunderbirds scored the first seven points of the game. Megan McAlister gave the Cascades hope late into the quarter with a three-point play to cut the lead to six, 13-7, but her lay-up stood as one of just five field goals for the Cascades in the half. Fraser Valley’s sloppy start also saw them miss all seven three-point attempts and commit 15 turnovers, which resulted in 16 points the other way. To make matters worse for the Cascades, UBC closed out the first by scoring the final eight points of the half to head into the locker rooms with a 42-14 advantage. Although the end result was largely determined, Fraser Valley showed some promise over the second half of the contest. The Cascades managed to reverse the season series trend of getting walloped in the third quarter, scoring 22 points in the frame. “It took us a half of basketball to actually get our nerves out and start believing in ourselves again,” said Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer. “In the second we did a much better job of penetrating and dealing with the intensity they brought to the game.” Erica McGuinness paced the T-Birds with 15 on 4-12 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 5 boards and 4 assists. Kim Howe added 14 on 6-6 from the floor. Leanne Evans scored 14 on 3-3 from the floor, 8-13 from the line, 7 boards and 3 blocks. Caitlyn Pankratz notched 11 on 3-5 from the floor, 3-3 from the arc and 3 boards. Kelsey Blair scored 10 on 3-13 from the floor and 12 boards. Caitlin Haggarty added 9 on 3-5 from the floor, 5 boards and 5 assists. Megan Pinske scored 5, Julie Little 5, Devan Lisson 3 and Montanna Dunmore 2, while Katie Ward was scoreless. U.B.C. hit 27-59 (.458) from the floor, 9-12 from the arc, and 25-37 (.676) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 11 fouls, 13 turnovers, 12 steals and 4 blocks. Michelle Buhler led the Cascades with 12 on 5-13 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 5 boards. Heather Boer added 12 on 4-8 from the floor and 10 boards. Carmella Silvestri notched 9 on 3-9 from the floor. Megan McAlister added 5 on 2-7 from the floor. Lindsay Robinson scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor. Carlee Babcock added 3, Olivia Hunt 3 and Alyssa Gaukel 3, while Ashley Teister and Bridget O’Brien were scoreless. The Cascades hit 19-56 (.339) from the floor, 3-16 (.188) from the arc and 11-12 (.917) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 25 fouls, and 8 steals. ……………………………………………………

In game two, U.B.C. swept the series with a 68-57 victory. Although UBC held the advantage for the entire 40 minutes, the Cascades refused to fade away and stayed within striking distance for most of the contest. Had it not been for a dominant fourth-quarter performance by Kelsey Blair, who scored 12 of her game-high 22 points in the final frame, the count could have been a lot closer. “Kelsey did a great job of stepping up in the fourth quarter,” said UBC coach Deb Huband. “You expect that from your leaders and your seniors. At important points of the game with time ticking off the clock you want your best players to make a difference and that’s what she did. She loves the game and she wants to play because at this point of her career every second on the floor counts.” After trailing 40-24 at the half UCFV rallied in the third quarter, going on a 12-2 run over the final 5:26 of the frame to cut the deficit to 52-45. A spell of sub-par shooting from the T-Birds allowed the Cascades to get back into it, as UBC went an uncharacteristic 36 per cent from the field in the second half, but Blair’s stellar effort over the final 10 minutes gave the Point Grey squad the edge it needed to reclaim control. “We would have liked to have played a full 40 minutes with the kind of intensity that we’ve been demanding of ourselves,” admitted Huband. “We definitely had a hard time finishing some of our shots, but you’re going to get pushed and have times when things aren’t going to go for you. You just have to step up and get the job done.” The trio of Blair, Julie Little and Erica McGuinness did just that at a pivotal juncture in the second quarter. After opening the game without a single point and a combined 0-7 shooting, the three starters staked their side on a 15-2 spurt midway through the stanza to push the T-Birds ahead 38-20. That cushion would play a key role in allowing UBC to weather UCFV’s surge later in the game and keep the contest flowing in the home side’s favour. “It’s a little bit of a different feeling for us because we’re so accustomed to basing our success on a trip to the Nationals,” said Cascades coach Al Tuchscherer. “Tonight’s loss does not take away anything we accomplished this season, as I’m very pleased with how hard we competed tonight against this elite UBC team. Tonight closes the chapter on our storied past in the sense that now we can compare everything to this season, as opposed to what was done at the college level. This season we really established a strong foundation that will allow us to build on our tenure as a CIS team.” Kelsey Blair paced the Thunderbirds with 22 on 10-21 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 7 boards. Caitlin Haggarty added 9 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 7 assists. Erica McGuinness notched 9 on 4-12 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 5 boards. Kim Howe scored 8 on 4-7 from the floor. Leanne Evans notched 8 on 3-9 from the floor and 7 boards. Julie Little added 5, Katie Ward 5, and Megan Pinske 2, while Devan Lisson and Caitlyn Pankratz were scoreless. The Thunderbirds shot 30-74 (.405) from the floor, 2-9 (.222) from the arc and 6-10 from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 17 fouls, 10 turnovers, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Megan McAlister led the Cascades with 15 on 5-11 from the floor and 5-6 from the line. Heather Boer notched 12 on 6-15 from the floor and 17 boards. Lindsay Robinson scored 10 on 5-7 from the floor and 8 boards. Carmella Silvestri added 7 on 1-5 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 4 boards. Michelle Buhler scored 5 on 2-10 from the floor and 3 boards. Olivia Hunt scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 5 boards. Bridget O’Brien added 2 and Alyssa Gaukel 1, while Tara McNeill was scoreless. Fraser Valley shot 21-56 (.375) from the floor, 1-12 (.083) from the arc and 14-22 (.636) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 13 fouls, 17 turnovers, 4 steals and 4 blocks. The Cascades (coached by Al Tuchscherer) also included Ashley Teister, Carlee Babcock, Tiffany Boswell, Carmella Silvestri and Brooke Neufeldt.

In the other Pacific semi, Simon Fraser d’d Victoria 52-60; 63-43; 76-45 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In the opener, Victoria stunned the top-ranked Clan 60-52 after leading 17-14, 32-28 and 47-38 at the quarters. Burnaby, B.C. – “You can never underestimate any team in the CIS,” said fifth-year senior Courtney Brown after Simon Fraser was upset. Victoria played a picture-perfect game defensively, limiting the highest scoring team in the country to a paltry 22-fo-61 shooting performance and their lowest point total of the season (52). “We weren’t contesting enough shots and whenever we seemed to develop any momentum, we just gave it away with a turnover,” said Brown. The Vikes pressed the Clan at every turn, beginning with a back and forth opening quarter where both teams struggled to find their shot. UVic led 15-14 at the end of the first break, going on a 5-0 run to end the quarter capped by a Cassie Penner three-pointer. SFU started to dictate play in the second quarter, taking a 26-23 lead, however UVic again rallied near the end of the half, going on a 7-0. Marin McCue scored the final five points of the half for the Vikes, following a three-pointer with a turnaround jumper to give Victoria a 32-28 lead at halftime. UVic began to pull away in the third quarter, leading by as much as 13 points, before the Clan began to rally. After sitting out the entire first half and most of the third, Bruce Langford subbed 2006 CIS All-Canadian Julia Wilson into the game, providing a lift for SFU. Wilson, the CIS All-Time leader for regular season blocks with 221, blocked four shots in her 13 minutes, adding six rebounds, and helped SFU to get within nine points at the end of the third quarter (47-38) and within five in the fourth. In the fourth, the Clan were able to close the gap to six points twice, and five points once, however every time SFU seemed to grab momentum, UVic forced a costly Clan turnover. Victoria rookie Michelle Lee demonstrated poise late for the Vikes, hitting three of her final four free throws to close out the 60-52 upset. Janet Hatfield paced the Vikings with 16 on 8-14 from the floor and 8 boards. Cassie Penner added 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 4 boards. Tiffany Olsen scored 9 on 3-5 from the floor and 5 boards. Michelle Lee notched 7 on 2-4 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. Ashley Yee scored 6 on 2-5 from the floor. Marin McCue notched 5, Vanessa Forstbauer 4 and Kayla Dykstra 2, while Ashley Kimmett, Jamie Bell and Jane Anholt were scoreless. The Vikings shot 23-56 (.411) from the floor, 3-8 (.375) from the arc and 11-19 (.579) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 12 fouls, 19 turnovers and 6 steals. Laurelle Weigl led the Clan with 14 on 7-13 from the floor and 9 boards. Courtney Gerwing added 12 on 6-11 from the floor and 4 boards. Lisa Tindle notched 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 4 assists. Robyn Buna added 5 on 2-10 from the floor. Lani Gibbons scored 3 on 3-4 from the floor and 9 assists. Courtney Brown scored 3, Laura Van Den Boogaard 3, Matteke Hutzler 2, and Julia Wilson 2, while Kelsie Thu, Brittany Fraser and Kate Hole were scoreless. Simon Fraser shot 22-61 (.361) from the floor, 5-19 (.263) from the arc and 3-6 from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 15 fouls, 19 turnovers, 9 steals and 6 blocks. …………………………………………………… In game two, Simon Fraser evened the series by dumping Victoria 63-43. Simon Fraser led 16-8, 31-13 and 48-28 at the quarters. “Last night we had a long conversation after the game and it really was a big wake up call,” said fifth year senior Julia Wilson, who had six blocked shots in the win. “We talked a lot about how we had to come out today and communicate and that communication just flooded into the game. We were moving the ball more effectively and communicating that much better on the defensive end, and it translated into a win.” The Clan opened the game on a 6-0 run, sparked by posts Wilson and Laurelle Weigl. After UVic closed the gap to 6-5, SFU went on an 8-0 run (14-5), a run that featured a three-pointer from Lisa Tindle. SFU led 16-8 at the end of the first quarter, as Victoria got caught in a scoring drought which stretched from the final two minutes of the first quarter until Cassie Penner scored a layup with just over six minutes remaining in the second. More of the same from the Clan in the second quarter, as SFU held the Vikes to only five second quarter points. UVic shot only 18.5 per cent in the first half, making only five field goals and were only able to get to the free throw line five times, trailing 31-13 at the end of the first half. UVic found their offensive flow in the second half, shooting 11-for-27 over the final two frames, however it was too little too late as the Clan ran away with a 64-43 win. Simon Fraser University Laurelle Weigl paced the Clan with 16 on 7-10 from the floor and 2-3 from the line. Kelsie Thu added 11 on 4-6 from the floor and 3-3 from the arc. Julia Wilson scored 9 on 4-5 from the floor, 7 boards, 2 steals and 6 blocks. Robyn Buna notched 7 on 3-7 from the floor. Lani Gibbons scored 5, Laura Van Den Boogaard 4, Courtney Gerwing 4, Lisa Tindle 3, Kate Hole 3, Matteke Hutzler 2, Courtney Brown 0 and Brittany Fraser 0. The Clan shot 22-47 (.468) from the floor, 5-16 (.313) from the arc and 14-19 (.737) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 16 fouls, 24 turnovers, 13 steals and 9 blocks. Ashley Yee paced Victoria with 8 on 4-10 from the floor and 3 boards. Janet Hatfield added 5 on 2-3 from the floor and 3 boards. Marin McCue scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor. Tiffany Olsen, Janie Bell, Jane Anholt, Kayla Dykstra and Cassie Penner each scored 4. Michelle Lee added 3, Vanessa Forstbauer 2 and Ashley Kimmett 0. The Vikings shot 16-54 (.296) from the floor, 2-7 (.286) from the arc and 9-15 (.600) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 15 fouls, 26 turnovers, 13 steals and 1 block. …………………………………………………… In game three, Simon Fraser stomped Victoria 76-45 after leading 19-9, 36-17 and 54-30 at the quarters. “We had a lot more confidence coming into today’s game after last night’s win,” said SFU team captain Courtney Brown. “When we play together and people bring their specific skill sets to the table and work so hard together, it’s really exciting to see what we can achieve.” SFU completely stifled the Victoria offence, as for the second game in a row the Vikes shot below 30 per cent (27.3) in the first half, and struggled to find any semblance of flow on the offensive end. While the Clan were unable to hit any three-pointers in the first half (0-for-7), their inside game was so effective during the first two quarters that it didn’t matter. SFU opened the game on a 13-2 run, scoring five consecutive lay-ups, and then holding UVic to just nine first quarter points. SFU led by ten points (19-9) after the first frame, and continued to dominate defensively in the second period, holding UVic to just eight points in the second quarter. The Clan led 36-17 at the half. SFU extended their lead to as much as 29 points in the third, before Victoria cut the lead to 24 (54-30) on a lay-up by Michelle Lee at the end of the quarter. UVic shot 37 per cent in the second half, however the Clan’s tendency for high percentage shots in the low post continued, shooting just under 50 per cent from the floor on the afternoon despite shooting 4-for-19 from outside the three-point arc. SFU outscored Victoria 22-15 in the final frame, winning game three of the series 76-45. The Clan scored five consecutive lay-ups, en route to a 13-2 run to open the game. Defensively, the weak shooting by the Vikes and strong defense by SFU meant that UVic was held to only nine points in the first quarter and just 17 for the half, as the Clan held a 36-17 lead at the break. Simon Fraser extended their lead to as many as 29 in the third and ended the game with a 31-point difference. Julia Wilson led the Clan with 12 points on 4-6 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 6 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Courtney Gerwing notched 12 on 6-7 from the floor. Kate Hole scored 10 on 3-7 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 3 boards. Robyn Buna scored 9 on 4-11 from the floor and 1-6 from the arc. Lani Gibbons scored 7 on 2-4 from the floor, 3.4 from the line and 7 assists. Laura Van Den Boogaard added 6, Matteke Hutzler 4, Courtney Brown 5, Lisa Tindle 4, Laurelle Weigl 4, Kelsie Thu 2 and Brittany Foster 0. The Clan shot 30-61 (.492) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 12-19 (.632) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 20, fouls, 19 turnovers, 17 steals and 5 blocks. Tiffany Olsen paced Victoria with 10 points on 4-4 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 3 boards. Cassie Penner added 7 on 3-8 from the floor and 1-3 from the arc. Ashley Yee scored 6 on 3-10 from the floor. Jamie Bell added 5, Janet Hatfield 5, Jane Anholt 5, Ashley Kimmett 3, Michelle Lee 2 and Marin McCue 2, while Kayla Dykstra and Vanessa Forstbauer were scoreless. The Vikings (coached by Brian Cheng, assisted by Dani Everitt-Sinclair) hit 16-49 (.327) from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 11-18 (.611) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 20 fouls, 25 turnovers, 8 steals and 2 blocks.

In the Great Plains semi, Manitoba d’d Regina 69-52; 63-53 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, Manitoba dumped Regina 69-52 after leading 35-27 after the scrappy, physical first half. The Cougars physical style of play got them into foul trouble and gave the Bisons a decisive foul-line advantage. Manitoba went to the line nine times in the first half, making seven, while Regina only went to the line twice, making one. After the first quarter that saw the Bisons lead 23-17, the game tightened up in the second, with both sides just managing to score double-digits in the quarter. In the second half, foul trouble continued to plague the Cougars. Carman Stewart fouled out just under the four-minute mark in the third quarter and shortly after, Stacey Walker received her fourth foul of the game to send Manitoba into bonus. If foul trouble wasn’t enough, at the end of the third quarter, Regina’s Gabrielle Gheyssen collided with Manitoba’s Hynes, and left the court with an apparent ankle injury to leave the Cougars with a short bench to start the fourth quarter down 55-39. In the final quarter, Regina was able to keep pace with the Bisons, but never gained any ground. Rachel Hart led Manitoba with 14 on 6-10 from the floor, 2-3 from the line, 11 boards and 3 assists. Michele Hynes added 13 on 3-7 from the arc and 4-6 from the line, 4 boards and 3 assists. Melanie Schlichter scored 11 on 4-11 from the floor and 6 boards. Sarah Holder added 11 on 3-12 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 9 boards. Leah-Anne Legal-Young notched 7 on 2-8 from the floor and 3 boards. Jenna Ralston scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Tessa Klassen scored 5 on 2-9 from the floor. Rachelle Harty-Edwards scored 2 and Kaitlyn Flett 1, while Laura Churley, Kayla Klassen and Jennifer Foster were scoreless. The Herd hit 23-76 (.303) from the floor, 7-26 (.269) from the arc and 16-23 (.696) from the line, while garnering 48 boards, including 22 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 16 fouls, 16 turnovers, 11 steals and 4 blocks. Chelsea Cassano paced Regina with 17 points on 7-14 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 12 boards. Megan Cherkas added 12 on 5-12 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc and 3 assists. Rebecca Schmidt notched 7 on 3-7 from the floor and 4 boards. Stacey Walker scored 4 on 1-6 from the floor and 5 boards. Jacquie Kenyon scored 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 4 boards. Danny Ash added 3, while dishing 5 assists. Leane Phillips scored 3 and Carmen Stewart 2, while Shalyn Kivela, Gabrielle Gheyssen and Meryl Jordan were scoreless. The Cougars hit 21-59 (.356) from the floor, 4-10 from the arc and 6-12 from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 24 fouls, 6 steals and 2 blocks. …………………………………………………… In game two, Manitoba prevailed 63-53 to sweep the series. Regina started out fast with their season on the line, jumping out to an early lead. They continued to play very physical but avoided the foul problems that hurt them in the first half of game one. Also, they were to get to the line more themselves. The Cougars managed to get a slight 16-15 first quarter lead, despite being without the services of their second leading scorer, Gabrielle Gheyssen. She collided with the Bisons’ Michele Hynes in the third quarter of game one, and never returned to the court. Manitoba gained the lead to start the second quarter and did not give it up until the fourth quarter. Manitoba led 18-16, 33-28 and 54-40 at the quarters. Tessa Klassen paced Manitoba with 13 on 5-9 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 13 boards. Rachel Hart added 12 on 5-10 from the floor, 7 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals. Melanie Schlichter notched 11 on 3-10 from the floor, 4-5 from the line and 11 boards. Sarah Holder scored 8 on 3-7 from the floor, 6 boards and 2 steals. Leigh-Anne Legal-Young notched 7 on 2-10 from the floor. Michele Hynes hit 6 on 2-5 from the arc. Rachelle Harty-Edwards added 6 on 2-5 from the floor, while Jenna Ralston, Kait Flett and Kayla Klassen were scoreless. Manitoba shot 22-61 (.361) from the floor, 7-20 (.350) from the arc and 12-21 (.571) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 22 fouls, 15 assists, 17 turnovers and 11 steals.

Chelsea Cassano led Regina with 12 points on 4-10 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 10 boards. Megan Cherkas added 11 on 5-11 from the floor and 6 boards. Jacquie Kenyon notched 10 on 4-8 from the floor and 2-3 from the line. Rebecca Schmidt scored 9 on 3-12 from the floor. Carmen Stewart added 4, Leane Phillips 3, Stacey Walker 2 and Danny Ash 2, while Shalyn Kivela was scoreless. The Cougars shot 18-62 (.290) from the floor, 1-13 (.077) from the arc and 16-25 (.640) from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 21 fouls, 9 assists, 17 turnovers and 10 steals. The Cougars (coached by Dave Taylor) also included Gabrielle Gheyssen, Maja Kralovcova, Jackie Kenyon, Mallory Loire, Meryl Jordan and Ashley Wishira.

In the Great Plains final, Winnipeg d’d Manitoba 68-50; 63-80; 80-73 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In game one, Winnipeg prevailed 68-50 as Uso Asagwara lit up the Wesmen for 28. The Wesmen started the contest forcing two early Manitoba turnovers while playing tough defence racing out to a 20-10 first quarter lead. Manitoba had a total of seven turnovers in the first quarter alone. The second quarter saw both teams struggle from the field as points were hard to come by. The Wesmen continued their strong defence and scored baskets when they had to take a 34-26 lead into halftime. Early on in the second half the Bisons were able to close the lead to six points but that was as close as they would come. The Wesmen extended their lead to 11 points at 50-39 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Wesmen scored seven straight points with just over four minutes to play to put a cap on the victory. Uzoma Asagwara led Winnipeg with 28 on 9-27 from the floor, 1-7 from the arc, 9-10 from the line, 3 boards, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Jenny Ezirim added 16 on 6-12 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Nicki Schutz notched 11 on 4-5 from the floor, 3-8 from the line and 9 boards. Stefanie Timmersman notched 6 on 3-15 from the floor and 12 boards. Randie Gibson scored 3, Jae Pirnie 2 and Tremaine Francis 2, while Jessica Stromberg, Nina Adusei and Caitlin Gooch were scoreless. The Wesmen shot 25-73 (.342) from the floor, 2-16 (.125) from the arc and 16-22 (.727) from the line, while garnering 52 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 18 fouls, 12 turnovers, 11 steals and 5 blocks. Tessa Klassen paced Manitoba with 12 on 3-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Melanie Schlichter added 10 on 5-15 from the floor and 8 boards. Rachel Hart scored 7 on 1-5 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 13 boards. Kaitlyn Flett added 6 on 3-10 from the floor and 4 boards. Michele Hynes scored 4 on 2-8 from the field and 5 assists. Rachelle Harty-Edwards scored 4 and Leigh-Anne Legal-Young 4, while Sarah Holder notched 3 on 3-4 from the floor and 9 boards. Jennifer Foster, Kayla Klassen and Jenna Ralston were scoreless. The Bison hit 16-63 (.254) from the floor, 3-15 (.200) from the arc and 15-19 (.789) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 19 fouls, 17 turnovers, 3 steals and 3 blocks. …………………………………………………… In game two, Manitoba evened the series with an 80-63 win. Manitoba had a total team effort on this night with three players scoring in double figures. The first quarter saw Winnipeg called for seven fouls which resulted in nine Manitoba points. Manitoba held a slim 19-17 lead after the first quarter. Both teams exchanged points back and forth in the second quarter with the biggest lead being five points at 29-24 in Manitoba’s favour. Jessica Stromberg of the Wesmen drained back-to-back three pointers to pull the Wesmen ahead by three only to see Leanne Legal Young connect on a three pointer to tie the score at 32-32 at halftime. The second half was a totally different story as Winnipeg struggled shooting 37% from the field compared to 49% for Manitoba. Rachel Hart led the Bisons in the third quarter scoring nine points to help the Bisons take a 58-51 lead after three quarters. Manitoba kept the pressure on Winnipeg in the fourth quarter outscoring the Wesmen 22-12 to close out game two. Manitoba finished with eight three pointers, including five in the second half. Sarah Holder paced Manitoba with 21 on 7-12 from the floor, 6-7 from the line, 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Rachel Hart added 14 on 4-8 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards, 7 assists and 2 steals. Tessa Klassen added 12 on 2-9 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, and 4 assists. Jenna Ralston notched 7 on 3-6 from the floor. Leigh-Anne Legal-Young added 7 on 3-8 from the floor and 6 boards. Michele Hynes added 6, Kaitlyn Flett 3 and Rachelle Harty-Edwards 2, while Kayla Klassen and Laura Churley were scoreless. The Bisons hit 26-66 (.394) from the floor, 8-22 (.364) from the arc and 20-23 (.870) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 24 assists, 14 fouls, 18 turnovers, 5 blocks and 2 steals. Uzoma Asagwara paced Winnipeg with 20 points on 7-20 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc and 5-6 from the line. Stefanie Timmersman added 10 on 4-16 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 3 blocks. Jessica Stromberg scored 8 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 5 boards. Jenny Ezirim scored 6 on 3-9 from the floor, 5 boards and 5 assists. Nicki Schutz notched 6 on 3-7 from the floor and 11 boards. Caitlin Gooch scored 5, Randie Gibson 3, Tremaine Francis 2, Nina Adusei 2 and Jae Pirnie 1. The Wesmen shot 25-66 (.379) from the floor, 5-16 (.313) from the arc and 8-14 (.571) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 20 fouls, 17 turnovers, 8 blocks and 7 steals. …………………………………………………… In game three, Winnipeg defeated Manitoba 80-73 to take the series and qualify for the Final Four. The Wesmen made some adjustments on defence, most importantly putting first year player Tremaine Francis into the game to light a spark on the defensive side of the ball. Francis finished with a strong six rebounds, and two steals in only eight minutes of playing time. The Wesmen pressure defense seemed to confuse the Bisons in the first half with Winnipeg leading 20-10 after the first quarter and expanding their lead to 39-22 at halftime. Winnipeg shot better from the field than in game two, connecting from 47% of their shots in the first half. Manitoba struggled shooting a paltry 28%, including 0-9 from three-point range. The Wesmen were able to carry the play in to the third quarter and keeping a hard-working Bison team off balance. An amazing running three pointer by Uzo Asagwara gave Winnipeg a 57-36 lead after three quarters of play. The Bisons were forced to play desperate ball in the fourth quarter and were able to cut the lead to as little as six points with the help of six treys in the fourth quarter. The Wesmen were able to sink their free throws to pull out the win.

Uzoma Asagwara led the Wesmen with 26 on 8-18 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 7-8 from the line and 4 boards. Stefanie Timmersman added 20 on 6-14 from the floor, 8-8 from the line, 9 boards and 4 assists. Jenny Ezirim notched 13 on 3-9 from the floor,4 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Nicki Schutz added 7 on 3-6 from the floor and 8 boards. Randie Gibson scored 5 on 1-5 from the arc and 4 boards. Jessica Stromberg scored 5 and Jae Pirnie 4, while Tremaine Francis, Nina Adusei and Caitlin Gooch were scoreless. The Wesmen hit 25-60 (.417) from the floor, 5-18 (.278) from the arc and 25-28 (.893) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 21 fouls, 19 turnovers, 8 steals and 3 blocks. Sarah Holder led Manitoba with 28 on 11-22 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 15 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks. Rachel Hart added 21 on 9-16 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc, 5 boards and 4 assists. Tessa Klassen added 12 on 4-49 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Michele Hynes added 4, Rachelle Harty-Edwards 3, Leigh-Anne Legal-Young 2, Melanie Schlichter 2 and Kaitlyn Flett 1, while Laura Churley and Jenna Ralston were scoreless. The Bison hit 28-73 (.384) from the floor, 6-21 (.286) from the arc and 11-19 (.579) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 23 fouls, 14 turnovers, 6 steals and 4 blocks. The Bisons (coached by Pam Danis) also included Michele Hynes, Kayla Klassen, Riley Epp and Jennifer Foster.

In the Pacific final, U.B.C. d’d Simon Fraser 73-67; 58-55 (2g-0). …………………………………………………… In game one, top-ranked U.B.C. clipped 2nd-ranked Simon Fraser 73-67 on an air tight defence down the stretch. The Thunderbirds shot just 22.2 per cent from the field in the final 20 minutes but made up for their lack of execution on offence with a hard dose of defiant defence. In the final two-and-half minutes of yet another classic rivalry game between these two schools, UBC forced a shot-clock violation and a desperation three-pointer at the end of another 30-second clock to hold off a Clan team that came charging back from as many as 18 points down. Erica McGuinness scored seven of UBC’s final eight points, five of them from the free-throw line and the two biggest on a tough driving layup that put the home side ahead 71-66 with 24 seconds remaining. “That’s why defence has to be the backbone of what you do,” said UBC head coach Deb Huband. “Because on any given night you might not find the hoop as well as you’d like, but if you play solid D, your team has a chance. We wanted the ball in [Erica’s] hands down the stretch. She has a knack of stepping up in the fourth quarter. She wants the ball in those situations and she really came through big for us.” McGuinness said “it’s a pretty good feeling. Especially on nights like this when there’s a big crowd in the gym. These are the games you like to play.” Lisa Tindle tied the contest at 61-all midway through the final quarter. SFU never led, however, going down 65-61 and coming within one point on a Kelsie Thu three-pointer that shaved the lead to 65-64 with 3:20 remaining. “I thought tonight was a really good example of getting lots of contributions from lots of difference sources,” said Huband. “[Kim Howe’s] a pretty intense and emotional player. I think she set the tone for us to start the game. She’s hungry and she gave it everything she had tonight.” Erica McGuinness led the Thunderbirds with 18 points on 3-13 from the floor, 11-12 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Kim Howe added 12 on 4-16 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 2 boards. Julie Little notched 9 on 2-5 from the floor and 5-6 from the line. Devan Lisson scored 8 on 2-2 from the arc and 5 boards. Leanne Evans scored 8 on 4-6 from the floor. Kelsey Blair notched 6 on 2-5 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 8 boards. Caitlin Haggarty added 4, Megan Pinske 4 and Katie Ward 4, while Candace Morisset and Caitlyn Pankratz were scoreless. U.B.C. shot 23-61 (.377) from the floor, 3-6 from the arc and 24-27 (.889) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 17 fouls, 15 turnovers, 7 steals and 1 block. Lani Gibbons led Simon Fraser with 13 points on 3-6 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc and 5-6 from the line. Laurelle Weigl added 13 on 5-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 9 boards. Julia Wilson scored 11 on 5-8 from the floor, 6 boards and 5 blocks. Lisa Tindle notched 9 on 3-7 fr0m and arc and 4 assists. Kelsie Thu added 5, Robyn Buna 5, Matteke Hutzler 5, Courtney Gerwing 4 and Kate Hole 2, while Courtney Brown and Laura Van Den Boogaard were scoreless. The Clan shot 25-56 (.446) from the floor, 7-22 (.318) from the arc (.318) and 10-15 from the line, while garnering 33 boards, including 9 on the offensive glass, 18 assists, 20 fouls, 19 turnovers, 4 steals and 7 blocks. …………………………………………………… In game two, U.B.C. completed the sweep by edging Simon Fraser 58-55 as the backcourt duo of Erica McGuinness and Cait Haggarty each hit critical shots down the stretch. McGuinness came through in the clutch once again for the T-Birds, draining the go-ahead basket from a foot behind the three-point arc and with an SFU defender in her face. The long-range hoop gave the home side a 55-52 lead with 1:43 left to play and set the stage for Haggarty’s dagger in the dying seconds. After a pair of missed shots at both ends of the floor and less than twenty seconds on the clock, Haggarty capitalized on the Clan’s preoccupation with McGuinness and drove hard to the basket. Met by an SFU post in the lane, the fourth-year point guard changed directions and banked home a tough runner high off the backboard to give the T-Birds a 57-52 advantage with 15 seconds to go. “They tried to take Erica out of the game by running some junk on us down the stretch,” said UBC head coach Deb Huband, whose squad has taken seven of the last eight meetings between the cross-town rivals. “But Cait found an opening and when she takes it to the hoop like that she’s money. She has a whole repertoire of runners and finishes at different tempos and it was a very timely hoop.” Added McGuinness: “I think they had a bit of momentum there in the second half but we stayed in there until the end of it and gave ourselves a chance to battle it out. It came down to hitting some key shots in the end and that’s what playoff basketball is all about.” Laurelle Weigl cut the gap to two on the ensuing possession, converting a hoop-and-harm play with 10 seconds remaining, but the Clan were forced to foul and Devan Lisson made good on one-of-two free throws to secure the victory. Despite trailing by as many as 13 points, 26-13 with 3:30 left in the second quarter, the Clan were able to crawl their way back into it and took a 35-32 lead just over five minutes into the third frame. Courtney Gerwing capped an 18-4 run that spanned the end of the second and beginning of the third quarter, hitting a tough lay up in the paint to give the visitors their first lead since the opening stanza. “There was a time where we were a little bit unsettled and we had to refocus and relax a bit,” admitted Huband. “But we came up with some big plays and the next thing you know it’s anybody’s game all over again. It’s a great quality to have. We’re accustomed to being in those sort of pickles.” UBC took a 28-21 lead at the half on the back of a 10-0 run midway through the second quarter that was the product of some precision passing from the T-Birds and a string of SFU turnovers. “They’re a great team, so we know they’re not going to quit,” said Haggarty, who turned in four points, four steals and three assists. “We were able to weather the storm. We pride ourselves on defence and they’re a scoring machine, so you know it’s going to be a battle.” Erica McGuinness paced U.B.C. with 20 on 6-11 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 4 boards and 3 steals. Katie Ward added 8 on 4-7 from the floor and 4 boards. Megan Pinske scored 6 on 3-5 from the floor. Kelsey Blair scored 5 on 1-7 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 7 boards. Devan Lisson scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor. Caitlin Haggarty notched 4 on 1-6 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 3 assists and 4 steals. Julie Little scored 4 on 2-4 from the line and 4 boards. Kim Howe scored 4 on 2-9 from the floor and 4 boards. Leanne Evans scored 2, while Caitlyn Pankratz was scoreless. The Thunderbirds hit 20-58 (.345) from the floor, 2-7 (.286) from the arc and 16-20 (.800) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 22 fouls, 19 turnovers, 10 steals and 2 blocks. Laurelle Weigl paced Simon Fraser with 18 on 6-10 from the floor, 6-6 from the line and 8 boards. Courtney Gerwing added 14 on 5-15 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 8 boards. Lani Gibbons notched 7 on 1-9 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals. Kate Hole scored 6 on 2-2 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Lisa Tindle scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor. Laura Van Den Boogaard scored 3 and Julia Wilson 2, while grabbing 9 boards. Matteke Hutzler, Kelsie Thu and Robyn Buna were scoreless. The Clan shot 18-55 (.327) from the floor, 2-12 (.167) from the arc and 17-22 (.773) from line, while garnering 42 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 19 fouls, 24 turnovers and 5 steals. The Clan also included Courtney Brown, Brea McLaughlin, Brittany Fraser, Rakel Helboe and Kelsey Horsting.

In the Central final, Alberta d’d Saskatchewan 63-50; 63-71; 89-71 (2g-1). …………………………………………………… In game one, Alberta defeated Saskatchewan 63-50 as fifth-year senior Michelle Smith ran amok. Smith, playing in her first ever home playoff game, is a known shooting guard and backed it up by draining two three balls and 10 total points in the opening 20 minutes. But it was the Magrath, Alberta native’s defence that made the difference as she stole five balls from the clutches of the Huskies. Alberta’s defence and thievery was the ticket in the first half, as the Pandas picked up nine steals in total and just three fouls. Towards the end of the first half the Pandas offence picked up the slack, opening up a 20-17 lead into a 10-point lead en route to a 34-22 advantage at the buzzer. The Bears all but shut down reigning CIS player of the year Sarah Crooks in the first half, holding her to just six points and seven rebounds. The Huskies came alive in the second half, slowly erasing the 12-point lead to a seven-point advantage thanks to a 17-12 run through the first ten minutes after the buzzer. They were eventually able to drain Alberta’s lead from 12 points to just one point, thanks to Ashley Dutchak and the re-emergence of Crooks. Dutchak picked up 10 first half points and continued her strong play by banking seven of eight free-throws, while Crooks put down eight points in the second half. Alberta Head Coach Scott Edwards righted the ship during the final stretch, calming his troops and pushing them towards a 17-11 final 10 minute scoring run and sealing the win. Alberta coach Scott Edwards said the win was a function of team defence. “This (Crooks and Dutchak) is a dynamic duo. We don’t have a lot of individual talent like that, so we have to win by committee.” Alberta led 15-14 after the first quarter but mustered just seven points in the second quarter. Still, they threw up a defensive wall led by Kristin Jarock and Carly McLennan. Smith hit 10 free throws down the stretch. Michelle Smith led Alberta with 20 points on 3-8 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc, 12-12 from the line, 6 boards and 6 steals. Patricia Ariss added 14 on 7-11 from the floor and 8 boards. Ashley Wigg scored 9 on 4-11 from the floor, 4 boards and 2 steals. Kristin Jarock notched 7 on 3-7 from the floor. Carly McLennan added 4 on 2-5 from the floor and 5 boards. Katie Barrett, Kara Stevens, Alysia Rissling and Meghan Knowles each scored 1, while Michelle Anderson and Emily Bolduc were scoreless. The Golden Bears shot 23-61 (.377) from the floor, 4-18 (.222) from the arc and 13-19 (.684) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 14 fouls, 18 turnovers, 13 steals and 2 blocks. Ashley Dutchak paced Saskatchewan with 19 points on 5-15 from the floor, 9-10 from the line, 3 boards and 3 steals. Sarah Crooks added 14 on 7-17 from the floor and 21 boards. Jillian Humbert added 9 on 3-6 from the arc and 3 boards. Kimberley Tulloch scored 6 on 4-6 from the line and 3 boards. Erin Jopp added 2, while Amy Prokop, Ivon Liu, Kelsie Bastura, Lauren Whyte, Jana Spindler and Keri Leigh Porter were scoreless. The Huskies shot 17-55 (.309) from the floor, 3-12 (.250) from the arc and 13-20 (.650) from the line, while garnering 40 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 20 fouls, 24 turnovers, 7 steals and 2 blocks. …………………………………………………… Saskatchewan evened the series in game by defeating the host Pandas 71-63. Both sides played even ball in the first half after the Huskies opened up a 7-0 lead to start. By the half-time buzzer, the Saskatchewan lead was just one point, 29-28. Sarah Crooks was a force under the glass, seemingly never leaving the paint and collecting 10 rebounds (one offence, nine defensive) in 20 minutes of play. Alberta’s Michelle Smith notched nine. The second half belonged to Saskatchewan and Huskies’ dynamic duo of Crooks and Ashley Dutchak. The two combined for 29 second half points, while Ivon Liu came off the bench to score six critical points in a stretch of two minutes. Crooks later bettered Liu’s efforts by racking up nine points, two blocks and four rebounds in a three-minute span in the fourth quarter, helping Saskatchewan create the separation they needed to pick up the season saving win. Pandas coach Scott Edwards said poor free throw shooting and indifferent boardwork proved Alberta’s undoing. “That really hurts us. People weren’t being aggressive offensively with the ball. They held the ball on the wing a lot, instead of being aggressive. Yet again, we didn’t shoot the ball very well and we didn’t get to the offensive glass in the second half. And that really hurts us because part of our game is getting to the glass and being aggressive and we stopped doing that.” Crooks said Saskatchewan was able to take advantage of a series of turnovers in the third quarter. “That was huge. We had people step up and contribute. They played some great minutes in the second half and that opened it up for me to start scoring.” Sarah Crooks paced Saskatchewan with 22 points on 7-14 from the floor, 8-9 from the arc and 15 boards. Ashley Dutchak notched 18 on 6-11 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 4 assists. Keri Leigh Porter scored 10 on 3-5 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards and 2 steals. Ivon Liu notched 6 on 3-5 from the floor. Kimberley Tulloch scored 5 on 2-3 from the floor and 6 boards. Jillian Humbert scored 4, Jana Spindler 4 and Erin Jopp 2, while Amy Prokop and Kelsie Bastura were scoreless. The Huskies shot 26-52 from the floor, 1-8 (.125) from the arc and 18-21 (.857) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 18 fouls, 23 turnovers, 7 steals and 2 blocks. Michelle Smith led Alberta with 18 on 6-11 from the floor, 1-4 from the arc, 5-5 from the line and 3 assists. Carly McLennan added 13 on 4-6 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 2 steals. Kristin Jarock scored 11 on 4-8 from the floor and 5 boards. Patricia Ariss scored 4 on 1-8 from the floor, 9 boards and 2 steals. Ashley Wigg scored 4 on 2-13 from the floor and 4 boards. Alyssia Rissling scored 4, Emily Bolduc 3, Katie Barrett 2, Nathalie Kiernan 2 and Michelle Anderson 2, while Kara Stevens and Meghan Knowles were scoreless. The Pandas hit 23-64 (.359) from the floor, 4-15 (.267) from the arc and 13-15 (.867) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 19 fouls, 19 turnovers, 9 steals and 1 block. …………………………………………………… In the decisive contest, Alberta defeated Saskatchewan 89-71 to take the series. Alberta Interim Head Coach Scott Edwards geared up his troops right from the opening whistle and the Pandas responded scoring an enormous 22-9 lead after 10 minutes of play. Patricia Ariss and lone fifth-year veteran Michelle Smith were a big part of the early success, pacing Alberta to a 48-26 half-time score. Saskatchewan stormed back in the second half as Ashley Dutchak went off to score 14 second half points, cutting into Alberta’s lead midway through the second half. But the damage was dealt in the first half and the tired Huskies could not undo the Alberta lead, eventually wilting down the stretch. “Michell was unbelievable,” said Alberta coach Scott Edwards. “She’s such a big part of our team and obviously our emotional and spiritual leader. She played such composed basketball today for sure and she defending much better than she did (Saturday) which was great to see. I knew she wouldn’t play poorly in her last game at home.” Alberta opened with a 17-4 run collapsing their defence low on Sarah Crooks. They led by as many as 26. “They just came out harder than us and they put us away in the first quarter,” said Ashley Dutchak. “We just couldn’t dig ourselves out of the hole. …. It’s a bad ending. It’s always been our dream to go to nationals and win it there. But this is an awesome team and they stepped up out there.” Michelle Smitte said the Pandas superior depth was a major factor. “Definitely, it was to our advantage. They have some girls that play a lot of minute and we’re able to cycle more people through. So we probably had fresher legs.” Patricia Ariss led Alberta with 18 points on 7-11 from the floor, 4-8 from the line and 12 boards. Michelle Smith added 17 on 5-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards and 4 assists. Kristin Jarock notched 11 on 3-8 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 4 boards. Ashley Wigg scored 11 on 3-7 from the floor, 5-8 from the line, 5 boards and 6 assists. Katie Barrett scored 9 on 3-5 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. Emily Bolduc added 7 on 1-3 from the arc and 4-4 from the line. Michelle Anderson added 4, Kara Stevens 5, Carly McLennan 3 and Meghan Knowles 3, while Alysia Rissling and Nathalie Kiernan were scoreless. The Pandas hit 28-58 (.483) from the floor, 6-12 from the arc and 27-41 (.659) from the line, while garnering 43 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 21 fouls, 18 turnovers, 7 steals and 2 blocks. Ashley Dutchak paced Saskatchewan with 22 on 8-18 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 9 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. Sarah Crooks added 15 on 5-12 from the floor, 5-5 from the line and 8 boards. Kimberley Tulloch notched 8 on 2-4 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Jillian Humbert scored 6 on 1-7 from the floor and 4-5 from the line. Keri Leigh Porter scored 6 on 2-3 from the arc. Kelsie Bastura added 5, Ivon Liu 4, Amy Prokop 3, Jana Spindler 2 and Erin Jopp 0. The Huskies shot 22-62 (.355) from the floor, 9-19 (.474) from the arc and 18-22 (.818) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 28 fouls, 16 turnovers, 8 steals and 1 block. The Huskies (coached by Lisa Thomaidis, assisted by Allison Fairbrother and Jacqueline Lavallee) also included Lauren Whyte, Marci Kiselyk and Erin Beckett.

Simon Fraser was selected as the wildcard for the Canada West Final Four tourney. The Clan lost the Pacific Division Finals to UBC over the weekend 2-0, but based on their 21-2 regular season record, their victories over Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the regular season and their national ranking (No.2 in the CIS), were selected as the Wildcard.

In the semis, U.B.C. defeated Winnipeg 84-77. Although all-stars Kelsey Blair and Erica McGuinness were held well below their usual scoring standard, Kim Howe and Cait Haggarty seamlessly stepped up to fill the void. Howe, who has quickly become one of the T-Birds’ top threats on the attack in the postseason, dropped a career-high 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds. “Kim has been steady eddy for us in the playoffs,” noted UBC head coach Deb Huband. “The bigger the game the more she likes it, so it’s not surprising that she was there for us again tonight. Kim executed very well and as a result repeatedly got herself to the free-throw line.” The senior forward posed a significant problem for the Winnipeg defence, driving hard to the basket and in the process forcing the opposition to foul her. Caitlin Haggarty was deadly from the perimeter. “Cait’s an outstanding three-point shooter,” said Huband. “She also has things like runners in her arsenal but she won’t take any shot she doesn’t have to. We have to encourage her to take her shots because when she does she’s almost always money.” After taking a 47-34 lead at the half – before extending their advantage to as many as 14 points with just under two minutes to go in the third quarter – the T-Birds had to weather a late surge by the resilient Wesmen. The visitors cut the deficit to four, 72-68, with 4:50 to play on a layup by Uzo Asagwara, but a Haggarty three-pointer on the following drive restored UBC’s edge to seven before rookie guard Devan Lisson had a hit of her own from beyond the arc to seal the victory. Winnipeg carried the play in the first quarter jumping out to a quick 6-0 lead, hitting three of their first four shots. UBC fought back and took the lead for the first time with 57 seconds left in the first quarter. UBC held a slim 16-13 lead after the opening quarter. In the second quarter Cait Haggarty nailed three-three pointers to lead UBC to 31 second quarter points to take a 47-34 lead at halftime. After the break Winnipeg exploded going on a 9-2 run to begin the second half to cut the UBC lead to 49-43. The two teams exchanged baskets with Winnipeg keeping pace and staying within six points with over four minutes to play in the third quarter. UBC took control of the game once again scoring eight unanswered points on their way to a 67-54 lead after three quarters. The fourth quarter saw Winnipeg go on an 8-2 run to get to within four points at 72-68. Haggarty drained another three to expand the UBC lead to 75-68 with four minutes to play. Asagwara scored seven points in the final three minutes, but the Wesmen attempted comeback fell just short. Kim Howe paced the Thunderbirds with 21 on 5-8 from the floor, 11-14 from the line, 8 boards and 3 assists. Caitlin Haggarty added 17 on 5-7 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards and 7 assists. Erica McGuinness notched 12 on 5-13 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 4 boards and 7 assists. Megan Pinske added 11 on 4-8 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Julie Little added 7 on 2-6 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. Kelsey Blair scored 6 on 3-13 from the floor and 7 boards. Devan Lisson notched 6 on 2-3 from the arc. Caitlyn Pankratz added 2 and Leanne Evans 2, while Katie Ward was scoreless. U.B.C. hit 28-69 (.406) from the floor, 8-15 (.533) from the arc and 20-26 (.769) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 23 assists, 14 fouls, 14 turnovers, 5 steals and 3 blocks. Uzoma Asagwara led Winnipeg with 33 on 14-23 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Nicki Schutz added 20 on 9-13 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 7 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals. Stefanie Timmersman added 10 on 5-14 from the floor and 4 boards. Jenny Ezirim notched 8 on 2-8 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 4, boards, 6 assists and 3 steals. Jessica Stromberg scored 3, Jae Pirnie 1, Tremaine Francis 1 and Nina Adusei 1, while Caitlin Gooch and Randie Gibson were scoreless. The Wesmen hit 31-63 (.492) from the floor, 5-14 (.357) from the arc and 10-13 (.769) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 20 fouls, 17 turnovers, 6 steals and 2 blocks.

In the other semi, Alberta clipped Simon Fraser 81-58. An upstart first quarter was all Alberta really needed to dispose of SFU, as the Pandas high-energy offence sprinted its way to a 23-13 advantage through 10 minutes of play. The Edmonton squad continued to run up the count in the next frame, outscoring their opponents by an even greater margin, 26-14 en route to a 49-27 halftime lead. “We’re certainly not a big team but you can see the kind of energy we bring to the floor,” said Alberta head coach Scott Edwards. “They’re a tough, physical team but we played our game out there and we really battled the whole way. It’s a big win for us and hopefully we can keep that momentum going.” Simon Fraser guard Kelsie Thu said “our defence was not something we were proud of.” Kristin Jarock paced Alberta with 15 on 6-14 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 4 boards. Michelle Smith added 14 on 4-6 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 6 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Ashley Wigg notched 14 on 6-15 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 4 steals. Patricia Ariss scored 11 on 5-13 from the floor and 7 boards. Kara Stevens added 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Carly Mclennan scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor. Michelle Anderson scored 5 on 2-7 from the floor and 9 boards. Meghan Knowles added 4, Katie Barrett 3 and Emily Bolduc 2, while, Nathalie Kiernan and Alysia Rissling were scoreless. The Pandas hit 32-70 (.457) from the floor, 3-10 from the arc and 14-19 (.737) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 19 fouls, 18 turnovers, 9 steals and 1 block. Kelsie Thu paced the Clan with 18 on 7-13 from the floor and 4-8 from the arc. Lisa Tindle added 7 on 3-7 from the floor and 1-4 from the arc. Julia Wilson scored 7 on 3-4 from the floor, 10 boards, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Robyn Buna added 7 on 3-7 from the floor. Kate Hole scored 5 on 2-4 from the floor and 5 boards. Lani Gibbons added 4, Laurelle Weigl 5, Brittany Fraser 2 and Courtney Gerwing 2, while Brea McLaughlin, Matteke Hutzler, Courtney Brown and Laura Van Den Boogaard were scoreless. Simon Fraser hit 21-56 (.375) from the floor, 8-23 (.348) from the arc and 8-15 (.533) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 16 fouls, 23 turnovers, 9 steals and 4 blocks.

In the bronze medal match, Simon Fraser defeated Winnipeg 84-73 to earn the conference’s third berth at the nationals in St. John’s, Newfoundland. After each side laid claim to a quarter in the first half – with SFU taking the opening frame 28-16 before Winnipeg stormed back in the second with a 30-18 effort – the Clan took control of the contest in the final 20 minutes of play. Breaking a 46-46 stalemate at the half, the Burnaby Mountain squad went ahead by as many as seven points midway through the third frame and never looked back en route to the hard-earned triumph. “I thought we were much better coming out in the second half than we were at the start of the game,” said SFU head coach Bruce Langford. “It’s important to come out with energy because we have a very young squad. Their confidence level goes up and down depending on the circumstances of the game, so a few things either way can really shape what happens thereafter.” One of the Clan’s young guns, Laurelle Weigl, came out particularly strong in the second half, dropping 14 of her game-high 28 points. The rookie post utilized her size to take advantage of the smaller Winnipeg forward corps and finished with an absolutely stellar 11-for-12 mark from the field while adding a team-high nine rebounds. “I had to put what happened last night behind me,” said Weigl. “I just did what coach Langford taught me to do, which is plant off two feet. And I am so excited to go to Nationals, it’s an awesome opportunity.” Senior forward Julia Wilson was also able to use her superior size to her advantage, pouring in all 11 of her points in the fourth quarter, including seven from the free-throw line. Kelsie Thu made her mark from the outside for the second straight night, netting 18 points on six hits from beyond the arc. “It’s fantastic, I am honoured to be one of a select group of people to get to go to nationals for all five years of my career,” said Julia Wilson. “Not a lot of people can say that of their career, and it reflects our program well and the tradition that we have become a part of as athletes.” Yet not only did the senior guard turn in a quality effort in the offensive end, but she also did a commendable job of shutting down Winnipeg’s main threat, Uzo Asagwara. Although the CIS leading scorer still managed to go for 25 points on 11-of-29 shooting, she failed to take over in the fourth quarter in the face of Thu’s defensive pressure – which played a key role in SFU’s ability to weather a push from the Wesmen in the final minutes of the game. “Weathering is a great word because that is on our goal sheet, our game sheet and our board on the wall,” noted Langford. “Winnipeg is a team of runs and a team that just goes off, so you have to weather their storm. You have to make sure that you don’t turn the ball over and that you don’t let them get in a three-point barrage run.” Laurelle Weigl paced Simon Fraser with 26 points on 11-12 from the floor, 4-5 from the line, 9 boards and 2 assists. Kelsie Thu added 18 on 6-12 from the arc and 5 assists. Julia Wilson notched 22 on 2-5 from the floor, 7-12 from the line, 8 boards and 2 blocks. Courtney Gerwing scored 6 on 1-3 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 3 boards and 3 assists. Lisa Tindle scored 5 on 1-9 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 6 boards and 5 assists. Lani Gibbons scored 5 on 1-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the line, 6 assists and 7 steals. Matteke Hutzler added 4, Kate Hole 4, Laura Van Den Boogaard 4 and Robyn Buna 2. The Clan shot 26-66 (.394) from the floor, 8-31 (.258) from the arc and 24-33 (.727) from the line, while garnering 50 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass, 21 assists, 20 fouls, 14 turnovers, 12 steals and 4 blocks. Uzoma Asagwara led the Wesmen with 25 points on 11-29 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 5 steals. Nicki Schutz scored 13 on 5-7 from the floor, 3-6 from the line and 9 boards. Caitlin Gooch scored 9 on 3-5 from the arc. Stefanie Timmersman notched 9 on 4-13 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards. Jenny Ezirim added 5 on 2-9 from the floor and 5 boards. Randi Gibson added 4, Jessica Stromberg 3, Jae Pirnie 2, Tremaine Francis 2 and Nina Adusei 1, while Jill Hanson was scoreless. Winnipeg shot 29-74 (.392) from the floor, 7-15 (.467) from the arc and 8-16 from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 26 fouls, 15 turnovers, 7 steals and 2 blocks. The Wesmen (coached by Tanya McKay) also included Alex MacIver and Tolu Ilelaboye.

In the final, the U.B.C. Thunderbirds whipped the Alberta Pandas 88-66. A night after being held relatively silent in their side’s first-round triumph over the Wesmen, Erica McGuinness and Kelsey Blair returned to all-star form against the upstart Pandas. “I think it was fitting that in her last home game Kelsey stepped up and regained her form of old,” noted UBC head coach Deb Huband. “But even more important than those individual contributions was that it was a big game for everybody. We came out committed to defending and we knew they were going to try and run us, so we had to put in a lot of work. I was really happy with what each and everyone one of our girls brought to the court.” The T-Birds were in control essentially from the opening tip, running up a quick 13-2 edge over the first four minutes of play before taking a commanding 42-30 halftime advantage behind McGuinness’ 15 first-half points. The Pandas cut the deficit to seven, 42-35, with five straight points to open the third frame but that’s as close as they would come. UBC simply proved to be too powerful for the duration of the contest, working all 12 players into the action and steadily increasing their lead to its largest margin at the final whistle. “To play the best team in the country the night before you go to nationals is a great way to prepare and to see where you’re at,” said Alberta head coach Scott Edwards, who was named the Canada West coach of the year. “We didn’t match their intensity and their level of play today and we’ve got a lot to work on between now and next Friday. It’s tough to beat UBC when they shoot and move the ball so well.” Huband said that Caitlin Haggarty was exceptional. “Cait thinks pass first and we look at her and say ‘Cait! Shoot!’,” said Huband. “That’s one of the strengths she brings to the team and it was really nice to see her shooting as well as she has, especially in these
big games, because we know she works really hard at it.” Erica McGuinness paced the T-Birds with 22 on 8-15 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 7 assists. Caitlin Haggarty added 16 on 6-7 from the floor, 4-4 from the arc and 3 assists. Kelsey Blair notched 15 on 7-10 from the floor and 7 boards. Julie Little scored 6 on 3-4 from the floor and 4 boards. Kim Howe scored 6 on 3-7 from the floor. Devan Lisson added 6 on 2-3 from the floor. Leanne Evans scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor and 6 boards. Megan Pinske added 4, Katie Ward 4 and Caitlyn Pankratz 3, while Candace Morisset and Montanna Dunmore were scoreless. U.B.C. shot 37-64 (.578) from the floor, 10-13 (.769) from the arc and 4-7 (.571) from the line, while garnering 36 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 12 fouls, 16 turnovers, 10 steals and 1 block. Ashley Wigg paced Alberta with 17 on 5-11 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 5-6 from the line and 4 assists. Patricia Ariss notched 13 on 6-11 from the floor and 4 boards. Michelle Smith notched 9 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 6 boards. Carly Mclennan notched 8 on 3-5 from the floor and 2-2 from the arc. Kristin Jarock notched 8 on 3-13 from the floor. Meghan Knowles scored 7 on 3-3 from the floor. Michelle Anderson added 4, while Katie Barrett, Kara Stevens, Alysia Rissling and Emily Bolduc were scoreless. The Pandas hit 25-59 (.424) from the floor, 6-12 from the arc and 10-13 (.769) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 8 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 15 fouls, 14 turnovers, 5 steals and 6 blocks.

After the season, Trinity Western athletic director Murray Hall announced that coach Danielle Gardner would not have her contract renewed after five years. “Danielle has been a wonderful colleague and a team player in Spartan Athletics. At this time however, I feel it is in the best interests of the program to seek new leadership to take the women’s basketball program to the next level. I want to thank Danielle for her commitment and involvement in Spartan Athletics and wish her all the best in her future endeavours.”

Alberta athletic director Dale Schulha announced that interim coach Scott Edwards will return in the same capacity for the upcoming 2007-08 season. Long-time Pandas coach Trix Baker who is currently on a one-year leave, will return to the program as General Manager, a newly formed position for the 2007-08 season. Edwards, who guided the #4 ranked Pandas to a 16-6 regular season record and home court advantage for the upcoming Central Division final will look after all aspects of coaching, including recruiting, training and teaching. In her General Manager capacity, Baker will look after administration, fund raising, alumni relations, special events and camps for the Pandas Basketball program. “We feel that we have two very talented individuals that can combine strengths to help to continue to build our Pandas program,” said Schulha. “We are very excited about this model and we think it will help with the performance of our student-athletes and our team.” Baker served as Alberta’s Head Coach for 15 seasons and has a career overall record of 256-238, leading the program to a National Championship in 1998-99. Edwards came to Alberta after enjoying tremendous success with Concordia College in the ACAC, including last season when he was named the CCAA Coach of the Year.

The bronze medalist Simon Fraser Clan: Laurelle Weigl; Kelsie Thu; Julia Wilson; Courtney Gerwing; Lisa Tindle; Lani Gibbons; Matteke Hutzler; Kate Hole; Laura Van Den Boogaard; Robyn Buna; Brea McLaughlin; Kelsey Horsting; Courtney Brown; Rakel Helboe; Brittany Fraser; coach Bruce Langford

The silver medalist Alberta Pandas: Michelle Smith; Kristin Jarock; Ashley Wigg; Patricia Ariss; Carly McLennan; Katie Barrett; Kara Stevens; Nathalie Kiernan; Emily Bolduc; Michelle Anderson; Meghan Knowles; Alysia Rissling; Marisa Haylett; Jenny Brauder; Leigha Letford; Jessica Todd; coach Scott Edwards; assistant Cathy Butlin; assistant Charene Welsh; assistant Kelly Haggstrom; assistant Janet McLachlan; athletic director Dale Schulha

The champion British Columbia Thunderbirds: Kelsey Blair; Montanna Dunmore; Leanne Evans; Caitlin Haggarty; Kim Howe; Devan Lisson; Julie Little; Erica McGuinness; Candace Morrisset; Caitlyn Pankratz; Megan Pinske; Katie Ward; Kaitlin Ward; coach Deb Huband; assistant Rich Chambers; assistant Shaun McGuinness; strength & conditioning Brent Day; student trainer Krystie Cheong; athletic director Bob Philip