2006-07 OUA – women

REGULAR SEASON

	EAST				WEST
	York	20-2	30-6	Bill Pangos	McMaster	21-1	32-3	Theresa Burns
	Queen’s	14-8	19-16	Dave Wilson	Western	17-5	19-10	Stephan Barrie
	Laurentian	14-8	18-16	Mike Clarke	Guelph	17-5	24-12	Angela Orton
	Toronto	12-10	18-14	Michele Belanger	Brock	15-7	22-12	Chris Critelli
	Ottawa	9-13	16-20	Carlos Brown	Waterloo	10-12	12-17	Mano Watsa
	Carleton	5-17	5-25	Christie Lauzon	Lakehead	9-13	11-21	Jon Kreiner
	Ryerson	2-20	2-30	Sandy Pothier	Windsor	6-16	7-19	Chantal Vallee
	RMC	0-22	0-28	Brad Schur	Wilfrid Laurier	5-17	6-21	Stu Julius

       Playoff non-qualifiers:

       RMC Paladins: Julie-Christine Lasalle, Kendra Bencun, Nicole Bach, Jackie Geiger, Arleta Jurek, Jennifer Donofrio, Catherine Haney, Samantha Laplante, Kimberly Hymers, Anna Dupuis, Vanessa Cumberland, Leah West, Julia Rantz, coach Brad Schur

       Ryerson Rams: Lacey O’Sullivan, Lisa Goldring, Lindsay Taylor, Gwen Elliot, Sarah Kirkpatrick, Rebecca Cox, Anne Pastrana, Kaitlyn Taylor, Lisa Greig, Nanna Pedersen, Julie Laing, Jaspreet Hayer, Antoinette Adderley, coach Sandy Pothier

       Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks: Hayley Heuser, Jillian Ritsma, Kandice Baptiste, Laura Taylor, Renata Adamczyk, Christine MacDonald, Christine Gibson, Aleksa Brkic, Seteena Ueberschlag, Jenny Hobbs, Megan Grant, Laura Pacevicius, Elise Carruthers, Kerri Jilesen, Kris Peel, coach Stu Julius, assistant Ann Weber, assistant Kyle Julius, student trainer Lindsay Cook

       Windsor Lancers: Alberta Abbiw, Britney DeBruyn, Dranadia Roc, Kim Dillon, Raelyn Prince, Fabienne Beausejour, Evangeline Jacobson, Amy Bakos, Marissa Bozzetto, Summer Bly, Christine Vuong, Laura Aberhart, Kara French, coach Chantal Vallee

In the West quarterfinals, Guelph pounded Lakehead 80-56. Forward Sarah Teeter shot a career-high 29 points as the Gryphons collected the easy win. Just when the Gryphons needed an offensive boost the third-year was instrumental, scoring 21 of her 29 points in the second half. It was an exceptionally close first half, with the lead changing possession five times and neither team leading by more than four points for the entire half. The game was tied (24-24) with 1:50 remaining in the first half when Teeter knocked down a three pointer at the one minute mark to put the Gryphons up. The Thunderwolves responded with a 4-1 run of their own in the last minute. With her team trailing by one point and only 1.3 second left in the first half Steph Yallin made a half-court shot on an inbounds play. The buzzer beater gave the Gryphons a 31-29 lead and a momentum swing in their direction going into the locker room at the half. The Gryphons opened the second half on an 11-0 run, holding the Thunderwolves scoreless in the third quarter till the four minute mark. The Gryphons cruised, never relinquishing their lead and outscoring the Thunderwolves 49-27 in the second half. Lakehead Head Coach Jon Kreiner said he was proud of his team’s effort in the game and all season. “We played a fantastic first half; great playoff defense; doing everything well. The second half we came out and we couldn’t get a shot to fall and Guelph caught fire and couldn’t miss. The Gryphons did all the little things well in the second half, all the little things you need to do to win in the playoffs. But, it was a great season and I’d like to congratulate the girls for playing their hearts out today and every game and moving our program in a very positive direction.” Teeter led the Gryphons with 29 points on 10-17 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 5-6 from the line, 6 boards and 3 steals. Stephanie Yallin added 20 on 6-11 from the floor, 6-9 from the arc, 10 boards and 2 steals. Heather Angus scored 11 on 5-9 from the floor and 6 boards. Kris Yallin notched 9 on 3-8 from the floor and 7 boards. Alex Russell scored 8 on 3-3 from the floor. Emily Peaker added 2, Morgan Jean 1 and Kathryn Nevar 0. The Gryphons trailed 17-15 after one quarter but led 31-29 at the half and 62-58 after three quarters. Guelph shot 28-63 (.444) from the floor, 21-21 (.571) from the arc and 12-19 (.632) from the line, while garnering 32 boards, 20 assists, 14 fouls, 18 turnovers, 8 steals and 2 blocks. Tara Boyce paced Lakehead with 14 points on 3-8 from the floor, 3-6 from the arc, and 5-6 from the line. Tasia McKenna added 10 on 4-14 from the floor. Lisa Styles added 7 on 2-5 from the floor and Shannon Vellinga 7 on 3-5 from the floor and 5 boards. Debra Sandberg scored 5 on 2-10 from the floor, 5 boards and 4 assists. Sarah Gordon notched 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 5 boards. Kathryn Verboom scored 4, Georgia Harvey 2, Kendelle Kavanagh 2 and Amanda Nesbitt 0. Lakehead (coached by Jon Kreiner) also included Jori Ritchie, Carly Zuke and Julie Follis. The Norwesters hit 20-62 (.323) from the floor, 8-19 (.421) from the arc and 8-10 from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 13 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 24 fouls, 19 turnovers, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

In the other West quarterfinal, Brock whipped Waterloo 84-68. The Badgers held a 35-26 lead at the half and then turned up the pace and shot an impressive 60.7% in the second half. Becky Gallant paced Brock with 30 on 10-13 from the floor, 7-8 from the arc and 3-4 from the line. Allison Forbes added 15 on 5-10 from the floor, 5-6 from the line, 5 boards and 3 assists. Jodie Ebeling notched 10 on 4-12 from the floor, 5 boards and 5 assists. Kaila Agius added 8 on 3-6 from the floor and 6 boards. Jenna Gonneau scored 7 on 3-6 from the floor. Lauren Stewart added 5, Erin Allan 4, Milaina Lagzdins 3 and Dacia O’Sullivan 2, while Laura Wellstead, Lindsay Cline and Whitney Gorges were scoreless. The Badgers shot 31-67 (.463) from the floor, 8-16 from the arc and 14-18 (.778) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 21 assists, 24 fouls, 19 turnovers, 7 steals and 1 block. Kimberly Lee led Waterloo with 21 on 7-21 from the floor, 4-14 from the arc, 3-3 from the line, 4 boards and 4 steals. Gillian Maxwell added 14 on 5-11 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 16 boards. Nicole Tinsdale added 12 on 2-7 from the floor, 8-9 from the arc and 2 steals. Melanie Belore scored 6 on 3-7 from the floor. Rachel Harmsworth added 6 on 2-7 from the floor and 4 boards. Feleshia Watson added 4, Erin Button 3 and Heather Pietrobon 2, while Kate Poulin and Laura Becotte were scoreless. Waterloo (coached by Mano Watsa, assistants Suzanne Korthuis and Shellie Wolverton, apprentice Leo Whyte, business manager Stephen Szostak, and therapists Kristen Palomera, Katie Gruetzner and Linh Tran) also included Stephanie Shea, Katrina Sinclair, Kristy Dykshoorn, Alyssa Prevett and Natasha Geerlinks. The Warriors shot 22-64 (.344) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 20-26 (.769) from the line, while garnering 42 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 128 fouls, 13 steals and 2 blocks.

       In the West semis, Guelph dumped Western 68-59. The Mustangs dominated the boards but shot poorly. With a trio of early turnovers, Western’s youth looked nervous early. Guelph was strong in transition opening up an 8-2 lead in the opening two minutes. Turnovers and difficulty handling the pressure cost the Mustangs in the end. Nadine Paron hit a crucial three-pointer to tie the score at 11-11 with the shot-clock at 2 seconds midway through the first quarter as part of a 9-1 Mustangs run. Both teams played strong defence late in the first and early in the second quarters, with over four and a half minutes of scoreless play. Parkes responded after Western was held scoreless for almost seven minutes with back-to-back buckets and a foul shot for five points in 30 seconds to tie the game at 18. A minute later, Anderson drove around a double screen as Western regained the lead, 20-18. Western continued to dominate the offensive glass, pulling down 25 boards in total in the opening half. The teams were tied 26-26 at the break. In the second half, Guelph scored the first five points off a pair of turnovers created by pressure from the full-court press. In fact, Guelph scored more points in the third quarter alone (27) than in the entire first half. Guelph went on a 9-4 run early in the half and led throughout the third quarter by as much as 11 points – thanks to a pair of back-to-back treys – ending the quarter up 53-42. In the fourth quarter, the Gryphons failed to capitalize on three consecutive Mustang turnovers midway through fourth frame, giving the young Western squad an opportunity to redeem themselves. After a rare pair of Parkes’ misses at the free-throw line, Lennox pulled down yet another offensive board and scored on the ensuing possession to pull again within 7 points. Then Parkes scored on a jump shot on the next possession to bring Western within five points with 5 minutes remaining. Anderson made up for her weak first-half performance with a three-pointer with 3:34 to pull Western within two points, at 57-55. But Peaker responded for Guelph with a three-pointer of her own, re-establishing the five-point Guelph lead with 3:06 left. With Guelph in team foul trouble as Heather Angus picked up her fourth personal foul of the game. Anderson hit both foul shots to make it 60-57. However, it was as close as the Mustangs would come as they struggled to hit shots under strong pressure on the ball from Guelph. Sarah Teeter paced Guelph with 19 on 7-16 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 4-6 from the line, 8 boards and 4 assists. Stephanie Yallin scored 19 on 8-18 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 5 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Emily Peaker scored 15 on 5-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc and 2-2 from the line. Heather Angus notched 11 on 5-15 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 8 boards and 2 assists. Kate Nevar scored 2 on 1-2 from the floor and 5 boards. Kris Yallin scored 2, while Morgan Jean, Caitlin Marshall and Alex Russell were scoreless. The Gryphons hit 27-68 (.397) from the floor, 5-20 from the arc and 9-14 (.643) from the arc, while garnering 31 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 15 fouls, 10 turnovers, 4 steals and 1 block. Amanda Anderson paced Western with 17 on 5-20 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 3 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Megan Lapointe scored 14 on 7-12 from the floor, 7 boards and 2 blocks. Bess Lennox scored 8 on 2-10 from the floor, 4-4 from the line and 11 boards. Lauren Parkes scored 7 on 3-11 from the floor and 9 boards. Nadine Paron scored 7 on 3-21 from the floor, 1-11 from the arc, 4 boards and 4 assists. Laura Henrich added 4 and Alisson Griffiths 2, while Beth Im-Jenkins was scoreless. Western (coached by Stephan Barrie) also included Deena Kurilsky, Alison Lainey, Corri Grozelle, Mallory O’Leary and Janice Burke. The Mustangs hit 23-80 (.287) from the floor, 2-13 (.154) from the arc and 11-13 (.846) from the line, while garnering 46 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 14 fouls, 17 turnovers, 3 steals and 2 blocks.

       In the other West semi, McMaster clipped Brock 78-56. The Marauders shot the ball extremely well and their defence was often breathtaking. At 8:55, the Marauders hit the front on a Deanna Hollinger basket. Points after that were few and far between but by 6:53 Mac was up 6-0. At 6:32 the Badgers got their first basket, from Erin Allan. Another lull in scoring passed until Brock got their next points to make the score 6-4 at 4:40. A 6-0 run by McMaster made the score 12-4 by 2:43. At this point, Brock finally put some scoring together and outscored Mac 7-2 in the remaining time. McMaster led 14-11 after one quarter. The second began with a quick Brock basket from Milaina Lagzdins and a quick reply for Mac from Julia Critchley. The Badgers pulled to within 1, 16-15 at 8:56 and took their first lead of the game17-16 at 7:57. However a Cari te Boekhorst basket at 7:48 started an 8-0 run by the Marauders, which restored the Mac lead and put them ahead 26-17 by 4:59. A full 2 minutes passed before the next basket, by the Badgers, but Mac outscored them 4-3 in the remaining time to make the score at half time McMaster 30-22. The third quarter was a period of runs by each team. The Badgers came out hot and scored 9 straight points to take their second lead of the game 31-30 at 8:11. Then Mac hit 7 straight points to regain the lead and go ahead 37-31 at 7:04. Brock got the next basket, at 6:12 but a 12-0 run started by Chiara Rocca put the Marauders firmly in control with a double digit lead, 49-33 at 3:39. In the remaining time, the Marauders who shot a terrific 61.5% in the quarter, outscored the Badgers 9-4 to make the score 58-37 after the third frame. Once again the Badgers scored first in the fourth quarter, a 5-0 run, that made the score 58-42 at 7:59. Mac got their first basket, a Taylor Smith 3, at 7:41. This was the closest scoring quarter of the game but while the Badgers kept within 17 or 18 points of the Marauders they could not get any closer. McMaster had their first 20+ point lead, 67-46, at 5:50. Brock managed to get within 19 at 4:42 but another Taylor Smith 3 restored the 20+ lead, 72-50, at 4:05. Taylor Smith led the Marauders with 24 on 6-14 from the floor, 4-10 from the arc, 8-9 from the line, 8 boards and 3 steals. Deanna Hollinger added 18 on 7-10 from the floor, 2-2 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 4 boards. Lindsay De Groot notched 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 6 boards and 3 steals. Cari te Boekhorst added 8 on 4-6 from the floor. Julia Critchley scored 7 on 3-7 from the floor and 6 boards. Sara Pilon-Bignell notched 6 on 2-4 from the floor. Chiara Rocca, Jenna Garbaty and Amanda Dortenzio each added 2, while Alicia Fidanza was scoreless. McMaster hit 28-56 from the floor, 6-13 (.462) from the arc and 16-20 (.800) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 3 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 20 fouls, 21 turnovers, 10 steals and 1 block. Taylor Smith told the Hamilton Spectator that “throwing a nice pass gets me going. There’s nothing like it.” Marauders coach Theresa Burns said “Taylor Smith was the ultimate floor general out there. She stepped up everywhere … defensively, 8 assists, knocking down shots. She was making other people look good. That’s what Smith is capable of. … Deanne Hollinger had a storng game and when your two backcourt leaders play like that, it drives everything.” Milaina Lagzdins paced Brock with 15 on 6-14 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc and 7 boards. Erin Allan added 10 on 4-7 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Jodie Ebeling notched 9 on 2-8 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 4 boards and 4 steals. Becky Gallant scored 6 on 3-6 from the floor and 3 boards. Kaila Agius added 4, Allison Forbes 5, Dacia O’Sullivan 4 and Lauren Stewart 2, while Jenna Gonneau was scoreless. The Badgers (coached by Chris Critelli) also included Laura Wellstead, Sarah Dillon, Amanda Tofano, Lindsay Cline, Paddye Magill and Whitney Gorges. The Badgers hit 20-54 (.370) from the floor, 2-9 (.222) from the arc and 14-15 (.933) from the line, while garnering 21 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 25 fouls, 26 turnovers, 10 steals and 1 block. Badgers coach Chris Critelli told the St. Catharines Standard that “we didn’t play exceptionally well. I was pleased with our second half. We came out in the second half with a bang and were up by one point three or four minutes in. But they scored about 20 straight points. Our game plan was for them to beat us from the outside and they did – they shot about 60% in the third quarter.”

       In the West final, McMaster whipped Guelph 66-41. The first quarter score, 24-4, told the tale. Mac opened up an early lead and were ahead 4-0 at 8:34. Guelph scored their only field goal at 8:25. A 6-0 run by the Marauders made the score 10-2 by 6:16. The McMaster scoring run was interrupted by a single point from the line by Guelph but another 10-0 run made the score McMaster 20, Guelph 3 at 2:43. Guelph got another point from the line but Mac scored the last 4 points of the quarter to lead at the break. Guelph scored the first points in the second quarter on a basket from Stephanie Yallin. Mac replied with a basket from Cari te Boekhorst only to see Stephanie’s sister Kris Yallin hit a 3 at 8:51. The teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter. While the Gryphons occasionally got the gap down below 20 points, it is hard to stop a team that is shooting 60%. By the half time buzzer the Marauders were ahead 44-20. The Marauders scored first in the third quarter and had built up a 26 point lead, 50-24, by 7:06. The Gryphons managed to put some scoring together with a better defence and outscored Mac 12-4 in the remaining time, winning the quarter 16-10. The problem was this was not enough of a comeback and at the end of the third quarter McMaster was still ahead by double digits, 54-36. The fourth quarter was a repeat of the first. While the Gryphons scored the first 4 points of the quarter, on 2 free throws from Stephanie Yallin, at 8:59, and a basket from sister Kris, at 7:16, they only managed 1 more point as Mac outscored them 12-1 in the dying minutes of the game to make the final score McMaster 66, Guelph 41. Lindsay De Groot paced the Marauders with 17 on 8-12 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 15 boards, 6 assists and 2 steals. Chiara Rocca added 16 on 8-19 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 6-6 from the line and 4 boards. Taylor Smith scored 13 on 3-9 from the floor. Deanna Hollinger notched 7 on 3-13 from the floor, 1-5 from the arc, 5 boards and 3 assists. Julia Critchley scored 5 on 2-8 from the floor, 8 boards and 5 blocks. Jenna Garbaty added 4, Cari te Boekhorst 2 and Amanda Dortenzio 2, while Alicia Fidanza, Sara Pilon-Bignell, and Alanna Veerman were scoreless. The Marauders hit 28-72 (.389) from the floor, 3-15 (.200) from the arc and 7-8 (.875) from the line, while garnering 55 boards, including 26 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 17 fouls, 17 turnovers, 7 steals and 8 blocks. Emily Peaker paced Guelph with 11 on 4-9 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 5 boards. Kate Nevar added 9 on 4-5 from the floor. Kristina Yallin scored 8 on 2-7 from the floor, 3-4 from the line and 2 boards. Stephanie Yallin scored 8 on 2-8 from the floor and 4-6 from the line. Sarah Teeter scored 5 on 1-4 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Heather Angus, Morgan Jean, Caitlin Marshall and Alex Russell were scoreless. Guelph (coached by Angela Orton, assisted by Jennifer Reid-Davidson, Angela Hrkac and Dean Huyck, managed by Rachel Hancock and trained by Naomi Bernstein) also included Chrissy Martin, Lauren Valvasori, Ingrid Skolko, Shelly Burton and Katie Guthrie. The Gryphons shot 13-47 (.277) from the floor, 4-16 from the arc and 11-16 (.688) from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 10 assists, 16 fouls, 16 turnovers, 3 steals and 1 block.

       In the East quarterfinals, Laurentian dumped Carleton 77-57. The Voyageurs led 334-27 at the half. The Lady Vees started off the game with high intensity, using a lot of quickness and determination to keep the Ravens to keep off the scoreboard. After the first 10 minutes, the Lady Vees had the lead 20-15. The second quarter began at a high level with key rebounds from Katie Goggins (Sudbury, Ont.). The Lady Vees continued to put on a lot of pressure and dominated the quarter. In addition the Lady Vees held strong in the defensive end and the Ravens had trouble ever taking a solid lead, with the halftime score 43-30. The second half began more offensively than the first, with the Lady Vees controlling the game with their offensive skills. The Vees outscored the Ravens 21-4 in the third quarter but Carleton showed flashes heading into the fourth. It was much of the same in the fourth quarter as the Lady Vees never let the Ravens feel confident by letting them get closer than a 13 point deficit. Laurentian Head Coach Mike Clarke said, “Overall we did what we were supposed to do.” Cassandra Carpenter paced the Voyageurs with 19 on 6-13 from the floor, 7-9 from the line, 9 boards and 4 assists. Darrah Bumstead added 16 on 6-8 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 6 boards and 4 steals. Katie Goggins added 12 on 5-7 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 9 boards and 4 assists. Lisa Furchner scored 10 on 5-9 from the floor and 7 boards. Lisa Roberts added 6 on 2-7 from the arc. Amanda McConnell notched 6 on 3-7 from the floor and 6 boards. Norma-Jean Roberts added 4, Erica Johnson 2, Melissa Stenzl 2 and Amy Solc 0. Laurentian shot 29-65 (.446) from the floor, 4-15 (.267) from the arc and 15-18 (.833) from the line, while garnering 50 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 20 assists, 14 fouls, 18 turnovers, 6 steals and 5 blocks. Kelly Killoran paced the Ravens with 16 on 6-12 from the floor, 4-6 from the arc, 4 boards and 3 steals. Ines Jelic scored 12 on 4-15 from the floor and 7 boards. Susan Shaw-Davis added 11 on 5-15 from the floor and 10 boards. Tanya Perry scored 7 on 2-11 from the floor, 3-3 from the line and 5 assists. Allison McCann notched 6 on 2-8 from the floor. Avely Serin scored 5 on 2-6 from the floor and 5 assists. Kate McGrath, Lindsay Turner, Julie Hoo and Morrisa Lychak were scoreless. The Ravens (coached by Christie Lauzon, assisted by Mario Gaetano) also included Kelly Lyons, Lauren Ziebell, Jacqui Snyder, Carly Klassen, Erin Callary and Hue Vo. Carleton shot 21-70 (.300) from the floor, 7-16 (.438) from the arc and 8-9 (.889) from the line, while garnering 28 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 17 assists, 16 fouls, 17 turnovers, 11 steals and 3 blocks.

       In the other East quarterfinal, Toronto stomped Ottawa 73-32. The Blues led 32-14 at the half. Kendall Smith paced Toronto with 20 points on 7-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc and 5-6 from the line. Alaine Hutton added 13 on 4-9 from the floor, 4-4 from the line, 4 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. Jessica Hiew notched 10 on 3-6 from the floor and 4-5 from the line. Amanda Van Leeuwen added 10 on 4-7 from the floor and 4 boards. Kyla Burwash scored 5, Laila Bellony 4, Sherri Pierce 3, Erin McNeely 2, Angela Hummel 2, Ilana Weissberger 2 and Christine Cho 2, while nabbing 7 boards. Malissa Lundgren was scoreless. The Blues hit 26-50 (.520) from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 19-25 (.760) from the line, while garnering 41 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 17 fouls, 29 turnovers, 14 steals and 7 blocks. Katie Laurie paced the Gee-Gees with 8 points on 1-5 from the floor, 6-9 from the line and 4 boards. Kyrie Love added 4 on 2-4 from the line and 4 steals. Melisa Wishart scored 3 on 1-2 from the arc and 4 steals. Tina Ethier added 3, Sara Hrehoriak 3, Michelle Dowling 3, Gillian Runnels 2, Karine Lukenda 2, Kelly Weir 2 and Sarah Van Hooydonk 2, while Veronique Martineau and Charlene Reuvers were scoreless. Ottawa (coached by Carlos Brown) also included Hilary Foster and Courteney Purves. The Gee-Gees shot 10-55 (.182) from the floor, 3-17 (.176) from the arc and 9-19 (.474) from the line, while garnering 20 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 8 assists, 21 fouls, 21 turnovers, 15 steals and 1 block.

       In the East semis, York rode its defence to a 64-54 win over the Toronto Varsity Blues. OUA East Defensive player of the year Kim Gibbs ignited a decisive Lions run with a steal subsequent lay-in at the end of the third quarter, creating the momentum York needed in the final frame. From that point, the Lions went on a 12-0 scoring run, putting a stranglehold on the game. York forced five straight turnovers, all leading to baskets as well as held Toronto to only six points in the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter. The Varsity Blues tried to inch themselves back into the game late, but a huge block from Gibbs with 90 seconds left hampered any chance of a Toronto comeback. Kimberley Gibbs led York with 16 on 7-13 from the floor, 9 boards, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Laura MacCallum added 14 on 5-14 from the floor, 2-9 from the arc, 2-4 from the line and 3 boards. Sarah Brodie scored 13 on 6-11 from the floor, 4 boards, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Emily Van Hoof notched 12 on 5-11 from the floor, 2-2 from the line and 7 boards. Elspeth Cheng added 6 on 2-10 from the floor and 4 assists. Reanne Holden scored 3, while Brenan Rurak was scoreless. The Lions shot 26-67 (.388) from the floor, 2-17 (.118) from the arc and 10-19 (.526) from the line, while garnering 27 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass, 15 assists, 16 fouls, 20 turnovers, 13 steals and 4 blocks. Alaine Hutton paced Toronto with 16 points on 5-15 from the floor, 0-5 from the arc, 6-6 from the line, 6 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Ilana Weissberger added 9 on 4-10 from the floor and 6 boards. Christine Cho scored 8 on 4-12 from the floor, 12 boards and 2 steals. Amanda Van Leeuwen notched 7 on 1-10 from the floor and 5-6 from the line. Jessica Hiew added 4, Kendall Smith 4, Kyla Burwash 2, Malissa Lundgren 2, Laila Bellony 2 and Angela Hummel 0. Toronto (coached by Michelle Belanger) also included Angela Griffith, Erin McNeely, Patricia Guerrero, Lyndsay Cloughley and Sherri Pierce. The Blues shot 20-65 (.308) from the floor, 0-7 from the arc and 14-16 (.875) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 18 fouls, 27 turnovers, 11 steals and 1 block.

       In the other East semi,

Queen’s defeated Laurentian 64-58. The Gaels led 17-11 after the first quarter, 31-28 at the half and 42-37 heading into the fourth quarter. It was physical and closely contested, said Queen’s coach Dave Wilson. “We opened the game well, grabbing an early 4 point lead, stretching it to 6 at times, but no more. Aside from a Claire Meadows 3-pointer, we scored our points with hard drives to the hoop, finishing with a 17-11 first quarter lead. Laurentian went to their power game in the second quarter, finding success pounding it inside and on the offensive glass to pull within 3 at the half, 31-28. Early in the third quarter, Laurentian tied the game and then went to the foul line for the opportunity to take their first lead of the game. Both shots were missed and we managed to stretch our lead to 5 points by the end of the third. The fourth quarter saw Laurentian pull within 1 point with just over 3 minutes to play. Back to back to back 3-pointers (two by Sarah Barnes and 1 by Meadows) stretched our lead to the largest of the game at 10 points and effectively sealed the win. . . . Jess Selinger, did an outstanding job defensively on Laurentian’s main 3-point threat, holding her scoreless from the floor. Our point guards, Teddi Firmi and Jaime Dale did an excellent job of taking care of the ball, having only 1 turnover between the two of them – the team had 11 turnovers – only 3 in the second half.” Laurentian Head Coach Mike Clarke said, “I’m disappointed to finish the season that way. They got hot and hit five more 3 pointers then us.” Claire Meadows led the Golden Gaels with 25 on 9-17 from the floor, 5-7 from the line and 3 boards. Sarah Barnes notched 20 on 6-16 from the floor, 4-9 from the arc and 6 boards. Jessica Selinger scored 7 on 3-6 from the floor and 3 assists. Anne Murphy scored 6 on 2-3 from the floor and 6 boards. Erin Skippon added 3, Teddi Firmi 2, along with 6 boards, while Jaime Dale scored 1. Lyndsey Gauley, Kira Borden, Genevieve Hunter and Maddie Soye were scoreless. Queen’s shot 21-53 (.396) from the floor, 7-18 (.389) from the arc and 15-21 (.714), while garnering 26 boards, including 2 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 20 fouls, 11 turnovers and 4 steals. Cassandra Carpenter paced the Lady Vees with 39 points on 13-27 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 12-16 from the line, 12 boards and 3 blocks. Lisa Furchner added 5 on 2-5 from the floor. Katie Goggins scored 4, Amanda McConnell 4, Norma-Jean Roberts 3, Darrah Bumstead 2 and Lisa Roberts 1, while Amy Solc, Erica Johnson and Melissa Stenzl were scoreless. Laurentian (coached by Mike Clarke) also included Shannon Chellew and Christi Bauck. The Voyageurs shot 21-64 (.328) from the floor, 2-16 (.125) from the arc and 14-22 (.636) from the line, while garnering 45 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 18 fouls, 12 turnovers, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

       In the East final, York dumped Queen’s 65-41. The Lions came storming out of the gates registering the first eight points of the game en route to 21-5 first quarter lead and a 36-14 advantage at the half. York’s ironclad defence allowed only a single field goal in first quarter. Queen’s never threatened.

Elspeth Cheng led York with 16 on 7-12 from the floor, 2-4 from the arc, 4 boards and 5 assists. Brenan Rurak added 16 on 6-10 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 6 boards. Emily Van Hoof scored 10 on 5-8 from the floor, 6 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals. Sarah Brodie scored 8 on 4-7 from the floor and 6 boards. Laura MacCallum notched 7 on 2-8 from the floor, 2-5 from the arc and 5 boards. Reanne Holden added 4, Cortney Fuller 3 and Kimberley Gibbs 1 on 0-6 from the floor, 6 boards and 3 steals. Kimberley Crate, Sarah Holloway and Melissa Meacham were scoreless. The Lions hit 26-60 (.433) from the floor, 7-17 (.412) from the arc and 6-11 (.545) from the line, while garnering 35 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 19 assists, 5 fouls, 15 turnovers, 10 steals and 5 blocks. Claire Meadows led Queen’s with 9 on 3-14 from the floor, 3-3 from the line and 5 boards. Sarah Barnes added 9 on 3-8 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 7 boards. Erin Skippon scored 9 on 4-6 from the floor. Anne Murphy notched 6 on 3-11 from the floor and 4 boards. Jaime Dale scored 5 on 2-5 from the floor. Jessica Selinger scored 3 on 1-12 from the floor and 5 boards. Teddi Firmi was scoreless, while grabbing 8 boards and stealing 3 balls. Kira Borden and Maddie Soye were scoreless. Queen’s (coached by Dave Wilson) also included Lyndsey Gauley, Janelle Roger and Genevieve Hunter. The Golden Gaels shot 16-62 (.258) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 6-7 (.857) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 6 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 12 fouls, 20 turnovers, 7 steals and 1 block.

       In the Wilson Cup, the East champ York Lions dumped the West champ McMaster Marauders 87-79. The first quarter was one of many lead changes and good shooting by both teams. While Mac started the scoring, York quickly replied. After this the lead seemed to change with every basket as neither team got much advantage. The Lions took their first lead 5-4 at 7:35 but could not hold it. All in all, the score was either tied or changed 17 times in the remaining time. Mac had their biggest lead of the quarter 16-13 at 2:33 but by 1:35 it was York’s turn to be ahead 17-16. Down the stretch both teams traded baskets to make the score at the buzzer McMaster 23, York 21. The Lions scored first in the second quarter but the Marauders quickly replied. Once again the teams traded baskets with Mac having a modest lead for much of the time. Finally McMaster looked like taking control of the game by getting their biggest lead so far, 41-33, at 2:43. The Lions put together some good scoring in the final minutes to make the score at the half, McMaster 44, York 42, with both teams scoring 21 points in the quarter. The third quarter was one of runs. York scored 5 points in the first minute to retake the lead 47-44. At 7:22 McMaster started an 8 point run which saw them regain the lead. But once again the Lions kept scoring. Mac held the lead until the end of the quarter with varying differentials ranging from a single point (53-52) at 4:56 to 6 points (62-56) 2:10 but the Lions kept on scoring to make the score McMaster 66, York 64 at the buzzer. The score was 22-22 on the quarter. York scored first and at 9:09 went ahead 68-66. The Lions would hold the lead for the remainder of the game as the Marauder shooting went cold. Mac did not get their first points until 7:54 on 2 Taylor Smith free throws. At 7:26 a Chiara Rocca single from the line got the gap down to 2, 71-69 but McMaster never got any closer. In fact all their scoring was from the free throw line until 3:28 when Deanna Hollinger got their first basket to make the score 78-73 for York. In the remaining time the closest Mac got was to within 4. They were forced to foul to stop the clock and York got points from every trip. York’s Kimberley Gibbs was chosen player of the game.

Laura MacCallum paced the Lions with 25 points on 4-12 from the floor, 4-7 from the arc and 13-14 from the line. Kimberley Gibbs added 20 on 8-14 from the floor, 3-3 from the line, 11 boards and 5 assists. Elspeth Cheng added 18 on 4-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the arc and 7-8 from the line. Emily Van Hoof scored 6 on 4-6 from the line and 4 boards. Reanne Holden added 3 and Brenan Rurak 3, while Cortney Fuller and Tara Minicucci were scoreless. The Lions shot 25-62 (.403) from the floor, 9-20 (.450) from the arc and 28-33 (.848) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 16 assists, 23 fouls, 15 turnovers, 5 steals and 1 block. Taylor Smith paced McMaster with 30 on 9-14 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 11-13 from the line, 4 boards and 4 steals. Chiara Rocca added 13 on 5-16 from the floor, 3-4 from the line, 12 boards and 3 blocks. Lindsay Degroot added 13 on 6-12 from the floor and 14 boards. Deanna Hollinger notched 10 on 3-11 from the floor, 4-6 from the line and 2 boards. Cari te Boekhorst scored 4, Alicia Fidanza 5, Jenna Garbaty 3 and Sara Pilon-Bignell 2, while Amanda Dortenzio was scoreless. The Marauders hit 29-70 (.414) from the floor, 1-7 (.143) from the arc and 20-25 (.800) from the line, while garnering 44 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 29 fouls, 16 turnovers, 8 steals and 5 blocks.

       After the season, Stephan Barrie is named head coach of the Western program. “Stephan’s dedication and approach makes us really confident to bring him back,” said Michael Lysko, director of sport and recreation services. “It’s excellent to see the direction he is taking the program. He inherited a young and talented team and we look forward to great things to come.” In his first season as head coach, filling in for Mike Milne, Barrie guided a team of first- and second-year players to a 17-5 record and a first-round bye in the OUA West playoffs. “He understands the importance of both academics and athletics,” Lysko said. “Steph brings with him the tie to the Western Mustangs culture and tradition. He understands the excellence we strive to reach with our programs and will be carrying on that tradition as a coach.” Barrie, a former resident of Burlington, Ont., made the jump to coaching at the CIS level as an assistant in 2004 when his former coach and long-time mentor Mike Katz was hired at the University of Toronto. He said he learned a great deal under his mentor, working closely with the long-time national team assistant. Barrie stepped in for Milne, who was granted a one-year leave of absence from his head coaching role. In order to focus on his family, Milne chose not to return to Western and will continue his job as a teacher in London. “Steph inherited a young and very talented group of student-athletes to coach this season,” Milne said. “His passion for the game will serve him well in the future. Western women’s basketball will be in good hands with Steph coaching and certainly made my decision to step down a much easier one.” Milne replaced Bob Delaney as head coach and guided Western’s program for three seasons – 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 – amassing an 45-21 record over three regular seasons, including a first-place finish in the OUA West in 2003-2004. Milne was also named OUA West coach of the year in 2003-2004. “Mike has set a solid foundation for this program,” Lysko said. “We’re grateful for his contributions to this program.” Barrie has also coached in the Elite Development Program for Basketball Ontario and had been named the Head Coach of the U-15 Boys Provincial Team shortly before accepting the position at Western last summer. Barrie was a key member of a Mustang team that captured an OUA championship in 1999 and challenged for a national championship in 2000 – eventually falling in a memorable semi-final 61-58 to the Brandon Bobcats. He also led Humber College to the national college championship final and silver medal in 1996-97.
       At Carleton, coach Christie Lauzon is fired after a four-year stint in which her troops were an undistinguished 27-61 in Ontario University Athletics East play, finishing no higher than fifth and qualifying for the playoffs just twice. She is replaced by Carleton men’s assistant Taffe Charles. The three-time OUA East all-star has been associated with the Ravens since graduating from Carleton in 1995, serving for three years as the women’s assistant before shifting to the men’s program in 1999 to assist Paul Armstrong in his final year at the helm, and continuing to serve as right-hand man since Dave Smart assumed the helm in 1999-2000. The affable Charles, who once said he “bleeds red and black,” hopes to enlist the support of Raven alumni in rebuilding the tattered, and often antagonistic, relationship between the women’s program and the local girls’ basketball community. “I think I can turn this around,” said Charles, who is married to ex-Ravens soccer and basketball star Christiane Fox. “We just need to get out there in the community. Ottawa produces a lot of good players. We’ve just been shut out for a while but I hope to change that. I’m pretty neutral. But I think we can change the way the program is viewed and that will help us recruit better in Ottawa.” Charles added his experience with Smart should prove invaluable. “I’ve learned from the best. I’ve learned a lot of the technical stuff that I need. I just need to be able to find the people to do it.” Carleton associate athletic director Jen Brenning said Charles’ connection with the men’s program and loyalty to the university were instrumental to his selection. “Taffe came highly recommended by Dave Smart. He’s obviously been mentored by one of the best coaches in the country. He knows what it takes to win a national championship. It’s a lot of hard work, from the coaches and the athletes. He’s also got tremendous support from both sides of the alumni, the women and the men. So I think that will really help him get networked very quickly in the community and start to establish himself.” Charles’ coaching resume also includes a three-year stint at the helm of his alma mater, Notre Dame High School, in the late 1990s, as well as three years of coaching the Ottawa Guards women’s club program.

       Waterloo coach Mano Watsa retires to focus on his young family and motivational speaking business. He is replaced by former McMaster All-Canadian Christin Dickenson, who spent the previous few seasons playing professionally in Europe.

       The runner-up McMaster Marauders: Lindsay DeGroot; Brittany Gardhouse; Deanna Hollinger; Amanda D’Ortenzio; Alanna Veerman; Julia Critchley; Taylor Smith; Chiara Rocca; Jenna Garbaty; Cari te Boekhorst; Sara Pilon-Bignell; Alicia Fidanza; coach Theresa Burns; assistant Christin Dickenson; athletic director Therese Quigley; SID Robert Hilson

       The champion York Lions: Sarah Brodie; Elspeth Cheng; Kimberley Crate; Cortney Fuller; Kimberly Gibbs; Reanne Holden; Sarah Holloway; Laura MacCallum; Melissa Meacham; Tara Minicuci; Brenan Rurak; Emily Van Hoof; coach Bill Pangos; SID Stephen Reid, athletic director Patricia Murray