Elite Team Trip to Europe 2005

Out West Elite Team
Leaving for Europe

August - Calgary
The 2005 Out West Elite team leaves for their annual European tour on August 13 and will return August 28. The Team will compete in France Belgium and Luxembourg this season. This is the second season for the elite program which includes athletes from nine post secondary basketball programs. The 2005 squad just returned from a successful series of games in San Francisco winning 3 out of 4 contests.

Back Row. L-R:   A. Coach Mark Hogan, A. Coach Bill Mitchell, Sarah Holder, Kelsey Blair, Samantha Hill, Kate Daniels, Karen Fraser, Head Coach Cory Russell.
Front Row. L-R:   Lindsay Maundrell, Kim Bridge, Ashley Dutchak, Lauren Colborne, Jody Potts.

Follow this web site for game results.

       
GAME ONE
Out West drops close one to Reims

August 17- Reims - Out West faced the defending Division One Champions of the French League at Reims for the opening contest of the 2005 European Tour. What was an aggressive and physical battle from the tip off ended with a score of 77-74 for Reims. The first quarter ended up with Out West trailing by 4 and at the end of the half, Out West lead 39-38 as a result of a  strong come back.
At the end of the third quarter Out West extended their lead 68-58 and appeared well on their way to victory, however things went cold in the final quarter with Out West struggling to deliver only 6 points.
Leading offensive players for Out West were, Ashley Dutchak with 17, Lindsay Maundrell with 10, Kelsey Blair with 10, Kate Daniels with 9 and Sam Hill with 8.  Leading rebounders were Hill and Blair with 9 and Sarah Holder with 5. Lauren Colborne led in the 3 point category, and assist leaders were Maundrell with 5 and Dutchak with 4.
Reims, located an hour east of Paris, is famous for its Champagne and its rich history. After the hard fought contest, the Reims Basketball Club hosted the Out West squad to a social. The Team will leave for Belgium tomorrow to prepare for Game Two against Hauthalen.

Time out with Coach Russell

GAME TWO
First Victory of the Tour

Out West Elite raced into Hauthalen in fine form. After just a short 10 km drive from their De Pits Race Track Hotel, the Out West Elite team cruised to their first European victory of the 2005 Tour.

The result of the game was never in question as the CIS Canada West All Star squad were victorious by a score of 104 - 60.

Ashley Dutchak led the barrage with 25 points followed by Kelsey Blair with 16, Kate Daniels with 14 & Samantha Hill with 13.  Leading Out West on the boards were Lauren Colborne with 11 rebounds, Blair with 10 and Jody Potts, Karen Fraser and Hill notching 7 apiece.  Kim Bridge & Sarah Holder each corralled 5 steals for the relentless pressing defense that forced numerous turnovers by the host squad. Lindsay Maundrell contributed to the unselfish team offense with 5 assists.

Hauthalen played in the Belgian Division I league last season finishing in 5th place. For the 2005-06 season they will play in Division II and are favoured to win the league championship. Should Hauthalen win Division II they will again move up to the first Division next season.

Of interesting note: the De Pits race track hotel that the team is staying at (which directly overlooks the crew pits & finish line) is the track that Gilles Villaneuve crashed & died on a number of years ago. The track has a dedicated corner on it named Villaneuve Corner.

Out West now heads to Roselare, Belgium for a Sunday afternoon game.

Kim Bridge takes control of offense vs. the Musel Pikes
 

GAME THREE
Battle of Belgium Continues

Out West waltzed into the quaint town of Roeselare, Belgium then left as quickly as they entered with a 75 - 57 victory to set their European tour record at 2 wins & 1 loss.

Roeselare, just one hour west of Brussels, competes in the first division in Belgium and is considered one of the better teams in their league. Both teams entered the match eager to dominate with their respective styles of play. The host team were a big, post oriented team while the guests preferred an open, up-tempo style of play. The pressure and speed deployed by Out West once again proved to be the winning style.

Leaders offensively for Out West were Lindsay Maundrell with 12 points, followed by Kelsey Blair & Jodi Potts with 11 points each and Kate Daniels with 10.

Once again the Out West squad hit less three pointers than their average converting on just 5 of 21. Leaders from beyond the arch were Kim Bridge & Maundrell with 2 apiece.

On the charity stripe, Out West attempted 30 shots. Blair was successful on 5 attempts while Sarah Holder converted 4.

Leading rebounders for the travelers were Blair with 12 while Daniels and Ashley Dutchak notched 8 apiece.  Karen Fraser chipped in with 5 helpers.

It was evident throughout the contest that the better defensive team would prevail.  In the end, Out West was a much better defensive team than Roeselare and sealed the victory with a gritty defensive effort.

Sam Hill & Lauren Colborne battled the larger Belgian squad from the onset. Colborne found herself in the forefront of the officials eyes and fouled out midway through the third quarter.

The next action for Out West will be on Tuesday evening versus Ganshoren, a local team from Brussels.  Beginning Tuesday, Out West will then play 5 games in 6 days to round out their 2005 European tour.

Samantha Hill fights defender                    Kim Bridge protects the ball
 

GAME FOUR
Out West 3 and 0 in Belgium

Out West was victorious over Ganshoren to improve to 3 wins and 1 loss on their 2005 European Tour!

Out West proved to be far too strong for the young Ganshoren team from Brussels, Belgium winning by a final score of 128 - 37.  In what was a one-sided contest from the onset, Out West was dominant on both sides of the ball by employing defensive pressure that the host squad simply could not adjust to.  All 10 players contributed as the team scored a season high 128 points.

Ganshoren competes in the Second Division in the Belgium national league. Last season they finished in the middle of the pack. Out West demonstrated that they are better suited to play First Division competition in Belgium.

Leading scorers for Out West with double figures were Ashley Dutchak (21), Sarah Holder (20), Lindsay Maundrell (16), Karen Fraser (16), Sam Hill (15) and Jody Potts (12).  Rounding out the scoring were Kate Daniels (8), Lauren Colborne (7), Kelsey Blair (7) and Kim Bridge (6).

Leading rebounders were Blair with 10, Potts with 8 & Hill with 5.

Assist leaders were Maundrell with 8, Dutchak with 6 & Bridge with 5.

Out West captured 32 steals and managed to only turn the ball over 21 times.  At the foul line, Out West went 20 for 26.  They were 8 for 15 from beyond the arc and 42 for 77 from the floor.

After a night's rest, Out West will travel to Luxembourg in the morning where they play four consecutive games against top European club teams. They will play teams from Luxembourg, Germany and Holland as well as the Luxembourg National Team.  After a successful tune up in France & Belgium, Out West is ready for some great competition in the coming days.

Ashley Dutchak drives to the hoop         Lindsay Maundrell finds the opening

GAME FIVE
Out West on a Four Game Winning Streak

After an interesting day, Out West took to the hardwood in Luxembourg and mustered a 72-56 win.

The day started for Out West in central Brussels, followed by a 3 hour drive to Luxembourg, got lost in Luxembourg City, checked into the National Sport Centre, were getting some rest when a call was received indicating that the game was moved ahead by 1 1/2 hours, immediately Out West gathered their game gear, then headed for the gym, had a quickened warm-up, and it was time for tip off.

Out West found themselves down early by a score of 9-6 but rebounded by the end of the first quarter with a 15-9 lead. At the half, Out West took a 40-25 lead into the locker room. The end of the third quarter saw the host team close the gap by posting a 54-41 score in favour of Out West.

On the night, Out West shot 20 for 66 from the floor. Not a great offensive shooting percentage for a team that is known for their explosive offensive output.

Scoring leaders for Out West were Ashley Dutchak (17) points, Kate Daniels (11) and Jody Potts (10).  
Out West were impressive from 3 point range connecting on 8 of 16 attempts. Daniels converted 3 with Lauren Colborne & Karen Fraser converting 2 a piece.  We managed 17 assists on the night with Lindsay Maundrell and Dutchak getting 4 each.  Kelsey Blair dished out 3 and Kim Bridge and Sarah Holder distributed 2 a piece.  Leading rebounders for Out West were Blair with 12, Sam Hill with 9 and Dutchak with 5.

After a much deserved rest, with no driving in the next 24 hours, Out West will be poised to improve upon tonight's performance.  Game 2 in Luxembourg and game 6 on the tour tips off at 7:30 pm Thursday evening (we hope).

 
Lauren Colborne defends in Remich       Sarah Holder and Kelsie Blair stop the offense

GAME SIX
Out West Suffers One Point Loss

With 16 seconds on the clock in the final frame, Out West had the ball and were down by just a single point in what was the most exciting game of the Out West 2005 European Tour.

At the end of the first quarter, Out West was ahead 21-20. The host team from Remich, Luxembourg, a small community of 2,000 residents founded over 1,000 years ago, put forth a tremendously poised effort as they outscored Out West in the second quarter and took a 49-39 lead into the locker room at half time.

The third quarter was much the same as Remich, the Luxembourg Division 1 league champions and favoured to capture the title again this coming season, lead by a score of 70-59.

Fourth quarter action saw Out West cut a 13 point deficit to just a single point with the score 82-81 for Remich. With 16 seconds left on the clock, jump ball was called - Out West possession. Time out by the visiting squad resulted in the strategy for a last second shot to win the game. Lindsay Maundrell received the inbounds pass from Lauren Colborne and the final seconds began to tick. With 12 seconds remaining Maundrell started her drive to the basket. Her defensive player harrassed the dribble to the point where Maundrell had to resort to a spin maneuver to regain her posture. With 7 seconds still to go, another spin dribble put Maundrell in a position for a last second shot in the paint. With tremendous elevation Maundrell released the ball, it caromed off the back of the rim, came back down & hit the rim a second time looking like it was about to drop in, then fell out. With 2 seconds remaining, Remich rebounded the ball and time expired.

Leading scorers for Out West were Ashley Dutchak with 30 points, Kelsey Blair with 12 and Karen Fraser with 11.  The leaders in assists were Colborne with 4 followed by Sam Hill and Maundrell with 3 apiece. Kim Bridge and Blair each contributed 2 assists.  Dutchak and Blair each nabbed 7 rebounds with Jodi Potts, who fouled out of the game in the dying seconds, collecting 6.

Out West contributed to the offense by going 13 for 18 from the charity stripe. Kate Daniels, Hill and Blair all went 100% from the line connecting on 9 for 9 collectively.  From beyond the arc, Out West hit 9 threes. Dutchak had 5 with Fraser completing 2 and Potts and Sarah Holder making 1 apiece.

What a great challenge, what a tremendous come-back, what an exciting finish!

Tomorrow evening Out West will take on the Luxembourg National Team. Tip-off is at 8:00 pm (12:00 noon in Calgary).

Out West with the Musel Pikes of Remich Luxembourg

GAME SEVEN
Out West Defeats National Team

In the 7th game of their 2005 European Tour, Out West defeated the Luxembourg National Team by a score of 65 - 43. Out West played tremendous defense for the entire 40 minutes. The visitors, however, did not display their usual offensive greatness hitting on just 18 of 50 attempts from the floor and 6 of 26 attempts from three point range.  The looks were there, but consistent results were not. The team appeared fatigued at times yet refused to quit. Their tenacity paid off as they pulled ahead early and never relinquished the lead.

Quarter scores were 17-7, 30-19 and 45-25 all in favour of Out West.

Leaders offensively for Out West were Ashley Dutchak (13), Jodi Potts (12), Kelsey Blair (9), Kate Daniels (8), Sam Hill (8) and Lauren Colborne (6).  Assist leaders were Dutchak with 4 and Kim Bridge, Lindsay Maundrell, Daniels, Potts and Blair with 1 each.  Leading rebounders on the night were Blair with 11, Sarah Holder with 8 and Colborne, Daniels, Potts and Dutchak with 5 apiece.

The next action and final game for Out West will be against a strong Dutch team from Amsterdam tomorrow at 3:00 pm.

 
Karen Fraser puts on strong performance       Samantha Hill steals the ball

GAME EIGHT
Out West Close Out 2005 European Tour With Impressive Win

Out West concluded their 8th game in the past 12 days with a convincing win defeating the defending Division 1 champions, club team from Amsterdam (Pro Build Lions) by a score of 90 - 63. Quarter scores were 17 - 16, 45 - 38 & 70 - 51 all in favour of Out West.

As has been customary the entire season, Out West's up-tempo offensive style and agressive defensive pressure were dominant versus the Dutch opponents.

Leaders offensively were Jodi Potts (20), Sarah Holder (17), Sam Hill (12), Kelsey Blair (10) and Kate Daniels (9).  Even though Kim Bridge did not score, she was tremendous leading the team as the floor general and instrumental in the team's offensive speed.  Leading with assists was Ashley Dutchak (6), Daniels (3) and Bridge, Hill and Karen Fraser with 2 apiece.  Potts was on fire nailing 5 three point shots on just 6 attempts. The team made 9 total threes on 24 attempts.  Total team shooting was 28 made shots on 53 attempts. Free throws were just 7 made on 16 attempts.  Rebounding leaders were Blair (11), Holder (7), Hill (7), Daniels (6) and Fraser (5).

As the 2005 European Tour comes to a close, the Out West Elite team wishes to thank all of their sponsors (Star Point Energy Trust, Scotia Capital, Wilson Sports and STARS Basketball) and supporters for their part in making this experience truly a memorable one.

Tour Highlights:

• Arriving in Paris, France and touring the city for 2 days. Visiting the Louvre Museum, Eiffel Tower, Arch de Triumph, Basilique du Sacre Cour and much more.

• Playing a very competitive game in beautiful Reims, France. Tasting the world famous champagne from the region of Reims. 

• Getting lost in Belgium & then again in Luxembourg. It was a great way to see the countryside, however.

• Winning 6 games out of 8. The two losses were by just 3 points and 1 point.

• Visiting a number of intriguing rural towns in France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg & Germany.

• Visiting Brugge, Belgium - considered the Venice of the North. Touring the canals in Brugge by boat.

• Staying at the De Pits hotel in Belgium, site of the tragic death of Gilles Villaneuve.

• Visiting the world famous Mannekin Pis monument in Brussels. Also visiting the awe inspiring Grand Place in central Brussels.

• Visiting Trier, Germany - the oldest city in Germany originally settled by the Roman Empire in 300 BC.

• Depart for Paris from Luxembourg early Sunday morning for home.
   

Thank you to our family, friends & supporters for making all of this possible.

Merci