WNBL Round 2 Preview

WNBL Round 2 Preview

from: basketball.net.au

WNBL: Round 2 Preview

In Round 2 of the Women’s National Basketball League things are already heating up with reigning champion the Canberra Capitals chasing their first win and early title favourite Sydney Uni Flames already with a loss to its name.

You can follow the WNBL action on www.wnbl.com.au and with LIVE STATS, on WNBL Radio, and on ABC TV.

Friday October 9

BDS Logan Thunder v Canberra TransACT Capitals, 7.30pm* at Logan Metro

The trip to Logan can be a dangerous prospect for any team. In 2008/09 the new franchise came within two points of upsetting eventual champion Canberra.

In their three meetings Canberra’s only convincing win came in the capital, but in Logan the Capitals won the first encounter by two points, 67-53, and the second by four, 77-73.

While Canberra will be sore coming off a loss to the Bulleen Boomers, 88-73, on Saturday, Logan routed the AIS 79-42.

Bulleen’s tall timbre troubled Canberra but that will be less of a problem with the Thunder line-up. Logan’s Polish import Marta Dydek impressed in her first outing in the league last week with 17 points but grabbed only one rebound and at 195cm is the tallest in the team.

This game will be broadcast with live audio commentary on WNBL Radio.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Canberra 3 – 0 Logan

Saturday October 10

Adelaide Link Lightning v Bendigo Bank Spirit, 12.30pm at Distinctive Homes Dome, Adelaide ABC TV GAME OF THE WEEK – will be broadcast live on ABC1 from 1.00pm AEDT

Adelaide will be confident after downing Sydney Uni 86-73 on Sunday. Lightning was in sparkling form, led by new captain Jessica Foley.

Bendigo also started 2009/10 season on a high with a 70-55 win over the Dandenong Rangers. Beijing Olympian Kristi Harrower joined the Spirit only a day before taking the court and still managed 23 points; after a week of settling back into Australia she will be even more dangerous.

Bendigo will be keen to get on top in this game after Adelaide ousted them in the Preliminary Final last season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Adelaide 6 – 0 Bendigo

ACUVUE Sydney Uni Flames v Dandenong Jayco Rangers, 7.00pm at ACUVUE Sports Hall, Sydney University Sports and Aquatic Centre

Touted as the team to watch Sydney Uni will be keen to get a win on the board in their first home game of the season after splitting their Perth-Adelaide road trip.

With a very different starting five to 2008/09 the Flames will be hard to beat once they gel with two-time Olympian Suzy Batkovic-Brown, who missed the opening game but posted 29 points against Lightning in her first game in the WNBL since 2002.

The Rangers were defeated by Bendigo in the season opener 70-55 and will be hoping to get more out of American import Ashley Lindsey who went 0-of-7 from the field but grabbed four rebounds in 13 minutes of play. Australian-born Great Britain representative Megan Moody turned in a team high effort in her WNBL debut with 18 points and seven rebounds but she will need more support.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Sydney Uni 26 - 18 Dandenong

Townsville McCafe Fire v Canberra TransACT Capitals, 7.30pm at New Projects Australia Stadium, Townsville

A revelation last season, Amy Lewis led the scoring last week but Townsville’s strength lies in its depth with all players, with one exception, scoring in double figures last week.

Without 2008/09 All-Star Five member Abby Bishop, Canberra has lost some depth in the post that was exposed against Bulleen but with last year’s leading defensive rebounder Jennifer Crouse retired, Townsville will give Opal Marianna Tolo and veteran Tracey Beatty the chance for big games.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Canberra 19 – 5 Townsville

Global Metals Bulleen Boomers v Australian Institute of Sport, 7.30pm at The Veneto Club

A large graduating contingent at the AIS has left the students in a tough position.

Former Townsville Fire guard Jillian Haughton led the Institute in their two opening games but the young team did not challenge Logan or Townsville.

Bulleen’s inside pairing of Opals Elyse Penaluna and Liz Cambage will create trouble for any team and the addition of Jenna O’Hea, fresh from a European season, and the emergence of Hanna Zavecz will give opposition teams plenty to worry about.

This game will be broadcast with live audio commentary on WNBL Radio.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Bulleen 34 – 26 AIS

Sunday October 11

Go for 2 & 5 Perth Lynx v Bendigo Bank Spirit, 1.00pm at Perry Lakes Stadium, Perth

Bendigo will be coming off a tough game against Adelaide Lightning with less than 24 hours to recover and make the trip to Perth.

The Lynx lost game-winner Deanna Smith to Sydney Uni but import Takia Starks showed some good signs with 15 points and five rebounds against the Flames while fellow American Danielle Campbell added 14 points. Victorian Ashley Gilmore continued her fine form from 2008/09 with a double (10 points, 13 rebounds).

Bendigo also lost a player to Sydney Uni, Deanne Butler, but the return of Kristi Harrower and recent signing of Marita Payne gives the Spirit some fire power.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Bendigo 4 – 2 Perth

Chief Hails Rule Changes

from: basketball.net.au

BA CHIEF HAILS NBL RULE CHANGES AS A SUCCESS

Basketball Australia Chief Executive Officer Larry Sengstock says that the National Basketball League, which tipped off its 32^nd season recently, was maturing as an international league following the introduction of some new rule changes for 2009/10.

Sengstock described the recent rule changes, which include adopting the standard FIBA 10-minute quarters and reducing the number of fouls players are allowed to commit in a game from six to five, as an important step in the growth of the league.

“Our league is now 31 years old and we’re looking to cement our identity,” reflected Sengstock, who was part of the inaugural NBL season in 1979. “I liken it to a young basketballer. In our early years, we were just taking it all in and being influenced by everything around us. In our early teens, we were growing quickly and looking to establish our identity. In our twenties we lost our way a little but now that we’re in our thirties, we’re looking to use all of our experience to establish a mature image that strikes a chord with the wider community.”

Sengstock says that after two rounds of competition under the new rules, the preliminary indications were overwhelmingly positive.

“We have been really pleased with the on-court results thus far in the wake of the rule adjustments, and of the nine games played in the first two rounds all but three were decided by six points or less,” said Sengstock. “No one goes to a sporting event hoping to see a blow-out, so it’s great for the fans that the slightly shortened games are staying closer and providing an even more exciting spectacle. Every single play phase now counts.”

Sengstock said the reduction in player fouls was also having a positive impact.

“With players having one less foul to give per game, defensive players need to be more careful. That’s giving the offensive players more freedom than they’ve had in the past. As a result, over the first nine games scoring is up slightly.

“At the start of the season our clubs all agreed that they wanted our refs to call games more tightly,” Sengstock added. “They’ve been doing just that, and the players are adjusting as expected. It’s resulted in a far more open game than we’ve seen in the past. Although we still want the physicality in the post which is such a great part of the game, we want less wrestling matches and more open court basketball.”

Sengstock said that recent adjustments to establish consistent high quality game presentation levels across the league that included better use of music and entertainment was another effort to make matches even more enjoyable for fans.

“Believe me, I am all for providing entertainment to our fans and the use of ‘sport presentation’ to enhance the action on the floor.” Sengstock said. “Music is a key to that and when used well, has the effect of inspiring players and spectators to greater heights. However we clearly have not managed our entertainment well and some clubs had lost their way.

“While this new league is about a discipline and rigor it is also about making a night out at the basketball an event the whole family will enjoy. We want anyone who has been to the NBL to walk away with a memory that they can keep for life.”

Breakers "even" with Tigers after big home win

The New Zealand Breakers avenged last weeks loss to the Melbourne Tigers with a 79-74 win on home turf last night.

In the absence of Kirk Penney, C.J. Bruton stepped to the fore and carried the NZ attack with 32 points. The Breakers actually trailed for the majority of the contest but relentless defence headed by Tony Ronaldson and Thomas Abercrombie kept them close. Melbourne led at every change, holding a 21-16 edge after one that was stretched to a 39-30 advantage by halftime before it was cut to 54-52 with three quarters done.

Early in the fourth term Bruton connected on two bombs from behind the arc, giving New Zealand an advantage it did not relinquish in a scrappy finish to the match.

Rick Rickert had a 16 point, 8 rebound, 4 assist night in support of Bruton. Ronaldson had 8 points and 4 rebounds to go with his tough post defence while Abercrombie grabbed 5 boards to go with his 8 points.

Sam Mackinnon and Daryl Corletto paced the Tigers with 13 points each and Mark Worthington added 11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to the total.

More NBL action is up on the weekend, be sure to have a look.

Malaysia's first team in ASEAN Comp launched

My blog would like to introduce the ASEAN with this initial press release from the KL Dragons.

The Dragons Take Flight

Kuala Lumpur Dragons Emerge As First Malaysian Professional Basketball Club In Asean Basketball League

This October sees the first ever appearance of KL Dragons, Malaysia’s first professional basketball team at the inaugural ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). The stellar cast of basketball players, led by Mr. Goh Cheng Huat is also the first and only team to represent Malaysia in the ABL – an event fully endorsed by the South East Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia.

KL Dragons is the brainchild of three of Malaysia’s very own young successful entrepreneurs: Mr. Ruben Emir Gnanalingam, Dato’ Wira Dani Daim and Dato’ Robin Tan Yeong Ching, who all share a passion for sports and the expansion of basketball in Malaysia. Dato' Robin Tan, on forming KL Dragons said, “Basketball has and continues to be a passion of mine. I have been playing the game since my teenage years and am still actively playing whenever I get the time. When this opportunity to participate in the ABL and the Dragons was presented to me I jumped at the chance as I felt that such an endeavor would expose the sport that I love to many more people in the country and the region. Hopefully the ABL will see this sport gaining the exposure it deserves.”

The KL Dragons aims to create regional platforms of high performance sports and will also be building facilities, infrastructure and developing players’ skills. “We hope to create an alternative avenue for kids to participate in a healthy lifestyle and fuel their passion in striving to be the best by giving them opportunities to become professional players,” Dato’ Wira Dani Daim says, who envisions a future where youths chooses basketball as a profession.

For a start, KL Dragons would be organizing an Under-14 and Under-17 league with the objective of nurturing the youth in basketball, developing them into professional players. With teams from five other different countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Philippines, KL Dragons sees this as a good opportunity to bring international experience in developing the youth of Kuala Lumpur and also Malaysia.

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The performance of the KL Dragons team would also be watched by millions of others, as the ABL league games will be televised on regional channels such as ESPN and terrestrial televisions in Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. This would provide a chance for not only Malaysian basketball to further gain exposure on the international level but also our country Malaysia itself. “The ABL through the KL Dragons provide a great opportunity to promote KL, Malaysia, and Malaysian brands. We hope to bring all 600 million people of ASEAN together by showcasing the spirit of the teamwork and sports to overcome any barriers. As a result, we also hope to see an increase in tourists visiting KL and the rest of Malaysia as well,” Mr. Ruben Emir Gnanalingam says.

As the sole team participating from Malaysia, the team has vowed to perform their best and do their nation proud. The public is more than welcome to lend their support by watching KL Dragons play at the ABL; lucky participants may even win amazing prizes during half-times.

ABL’s first season will run from this October until February 2010, starting from the 11^th October ‘09, and KL Dragon's first game would be held at the MABA Stadium, KL on the 14^th of October ‘09 at 7pm till 10pm. Tickets are available via ticket hotline outlets and on their website www.tickethotline.com.my. Alternatively tickets also can be bought through their call centre at 03-77251177 or 03-77251166. Ticket price at RM25 for adult and RM20 for student (below 22years old).

Breakers brace for visit from Tigers

Pre season favourites the New Zealand Breakers will seek revenge for last weeks road loss in Melbourne when they face the Tigers tonight in New Zealand. Unfortunately the task will be more difficult without top gun Kirk Penney who suffered a slipped disc in his back during a Wednesday morning training session. Penney is expected to miss at least a week of NBL action.

With that in mind the Breakers are still hoping to avenge the loss to the Tigers on their home court and will provide stiff competition. All in all I will go out on a limb and pick the Breakers by 3 points in a thriller.

In other Round Three NBL action this week Perth will host the Gold Coast to open the home side of the Wildcats campaign. Look for the Wildcats to be tough in Perth and win by 12 points or more.

Townsville will be without sharp shooter Mark Cedar when they visit Adelaide Friday night. I'm taking Adelaide due to their home court advantage by 6 points or so.

On Saturday night, Townsville will continue their road swing when they drop in on the Melbourne Tigers. Look for the Tigers to win this one by 8 points. The other Saturday night catch will see Cairns visiting Wollongong where the Hawks will prevail by 10 points.

Get out and watch some of the action if you are in any of the areas hosting matches this week. There is always a good atmosphere and a bit of excitement to boot. The NBL, it's Not Bad Lately!!!

Snakes Bite strong at home for third time

The Cairns Taipans pulled away from the Gold Coast Blaze 83-66 for their third win from their last three matches at home on Wednesday night in Cairns.

The snakes withstood a scrappy Blaze outfit to hold a two point quarter time lead at 23-21. With James Harvey and Chris Goulding sitting on the bench due to foul trouble, Phill Jones led a surge that saw the Taipans lead balloon to twelve points mid way through the second term. The teams traded buckets the rest of the way and Cairns led 47-36 at half time.

the sides mirrored one another for the rest of the match as the Gold Coast could not make any major runs at cutting the margin trialing by ten a three quarter and seeing the margin widen towards the end of the match.

New Blaze import Erron Maxey posted 16 points/8 rebounds before fouling out of the contest late in the match on his Australian debut. Julien "Skip" Mills proved to be Mr. Everything for Cairns by dropping in 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists.

Jones was the leading scorer for the Taipans with 23 points in support of Mills' effort. Additional help came from Dusty Rychart 12 points/5 rebounds, Kerry Williams with 12 points and Richard Melzer with 7 points/9 rebounds.

Harvey led the way for the Gold Coast with 17 points with support from Adam Gibson who scored 15 points and Chris Goulding chipped in with 10 points along with Maxey's input.

Blaze heads North on Snake Hunt

With new import Erron Maxey in tow and fresh off of a thrilling win, the Gold Coast Blaze will visit the Cairns Taipans tonight to kick off Round 3 of the 2009-2010 NBL season.

Departing import Michael Joiner top scored for the Blaze in their victory over Wollongong last Friday so the team will be looking for "quick gel" with Maxey in the lineup.

Cairns will be looking to make it three wins in a row after disposing of Perth last Saturday night.

Going into Cairns is always a tough ask, more so with a new addition to the team so I will take the Snakes to grab another home win by 6 points or less.

NBL Round 2 Wrap continued....

Perth ran out of puff Saturday night in their quest to sweep the "NQ" double falling to the Cairns Taipans by a score of 89-71. The Wildcats seemed to be on the verge of breaking the game open early in the second quarter leading 37-29 but were doomed when team spark plug Shawn Redhage picked up his third foul. From there the Snakes went on a 16-6 run over the next few minutes. halftime saw Cairns leading 48-43 and looking to consolidate.

The third quarter was a nip and tuck affair before a monster dunk by Rich Melzer sparked the crowd. From there Dusty Rychart scored a quick basket and Perth's Brad Robbins was called for and offensive foul along with a technical foul. Phill Jones turned the blunder to points and the Cairns crew led 70-55 heading into the fourth. The Taipans were never headed in the fourth in route to the win.

Melzer finished the night with totals of 23 points/7 rebounds while Rychart fired in 18 points to go with his 7 boards. Phill Jones with 12 points and Gary Boodnikoff with 11 points also scored in double figures for the Taipans.

Kevin Lish led Perth with 14 points.Luke Schenscher scored 13, Shawn Redhage was held to 12 points/five rebounds and young gun Steven Weigh finished with 11 points in the Wilcat loss.

In Adelaide, the New Zealand Breakers fought hard but were overcome by another poor shooting performance in going down 80-76 to the 36ers.

The 36ers were emotionally charged from the start with Bret Maher's #5 being retired in a pre match ceremony. They led at every change and survived for the close win.

Adam Ballinger's 22 points topped the score sheet for the 'Sixers with support from John Gilchrist 17 points/7 rebounds, Brad Hill (13 points) and Cortez Groves (10 points/5 rebounds).

Kirk Penney and Rick Rickert scored 18 points apiece for the Breakers with Awvee Storey chipping in 11. Rickert also grabbed 8 rebounds while Storey and Thomas Abercrombie snared 7 rebounds each in the second loss of the season for the Breakers.

Prediction wise, I had a perfect 0 right, 5 wrong week!! But at least I picked the Storm in the NRL!!!

Boomer named WNBL Player of the week for Week 1

From press release supplied by: www.basketball.net.au

OPAL PENALUNA NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Bulleen Boomers centre Elyse Penaluna has been named Player of the Week for her match winning performance against Canberra in the opening round of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL).

The 193cm Broadmeadows junior tallied a game high 13 rebounds and led Bulleen with 22 points and four blocks in the 88-73 win over the Capitals in a rematch of the 2008/09 Grand Final.

Penaluna made her Opals debut in May this year and her time at the top level showed on the court as she dominated both ends of the floor in the ABC TV Game of the Week.

“I thought I started off a bit slow, a bit nervous because it was the first game but as the game went on I got a bit more confidence and my teammates had more confidence in me to pass me the ball and I just went out and had some fun,” Penaluna said.

Despite the shaky start Penaluna said she has grown in confidence since last season.

“I definitely feel like I have more confidence in my game and with what I need to get done on the floor,” she said.

“[Former head coach] Cheryl Chambers helped me with that a lot last year but now having Tom Maher as Bulleen’s coach and being in the Opals with Carrie Graf I’ve just jumped up the next level with my confidence in the game.”

Although Penaluna and her Bulleen team were impressive on Saturday, the 21-year-old said the 15-point win could not make up for the 2008/09 Grand Final loss to the Caps.

“Nothing’s going to feel any better than getting into the Grand Final and winning it. Hopefully we’ll meet them in the Grand Final again this season and we go that one better.”

Close behind Penaluna in the vote was her Opals teammate Jessica Foley who led Adelaide Lightning over early championship favourite Sydney Uni, 86-73.

The Adelaide Captain had a near flawless game with 25 points, shooting 11-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-6 from the arc. She added seven rebounds and four assists without committing a single turnover.

Other noteworthy performances from Round 1 included:

AIS: Former Townsville Fire guard Jillian Haughton led the Institute in both outings, posting 8 points and 3 assists against Logan to go with 11 points and 2 rebounds against her former club.

Adelaide Lightning: Angela Marino supported Foley and Adelaide’s team effort with 15 points and 8 assists.

Bendigo Spirit: Fresh off a plane from the WNBA playoffs, Kristi Harrower led Bendigo with 23 points and 6 rebounds while Kelly Wilson added 20 points and 8 rebounds in support.

Bulleen Boomers: Hanna Zavecz shot 7-of-9 from the field to post 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists in her club debut.

Canberra Capitals: After making her Opals debut earlier this year Natalie Hurst continued her sparkling form with 25 points to lead all scorers against Bulleen, shooting 10-of-17 from the field. She added 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Dandenong Rangers: Great Britain international Megan Moody impressed on debut with 18 points and 7 rebounds for the Rangers.

Logan Thunder: New import Marta Dydek delivered the goods with 17 points and 3 blocks in her WNBL debut.

Perth Lynx: American Takia Starks posted a team high 15 points, adding 5 assists and 3 rebounds while former Bendigo junior Ashley Gilmore bagged a double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Sydney Uni Flames: Opals centre Suzy Batkovic-Brown went for 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists against Adelaide in her first WNBL appearance in 7 years. Captain Natalie Porter tallied 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals against Perth before pouring on 21 points in the second half against Adelaide, also pulling down 9 rebounds.

Townsville Fire: Seven Townsville players scored in double figures with Amy Lewis leading the pack with 21 points, 2 steals and 2 assists. Rachael Flanagan added 19 points, 4 assists and 2 steals and NZ Tall Fern Aneka Davis led the rebound count with 12 boards and 12 points.

NBL Wrap from Round 2

The action continued over the past weekend as the Breakers were brought crashing to reality with a Saturday night loss in Adelaide. The Perth Wildcats split their North Queensland double but in unexpected fashion with a Friday night win in Townsville and a Saturday night loss in Cairns. Friday nights other game saw the Blaze held off the Hawks on the Gold Coast.

Here are my match reports:

Blaze 84/Hawks 78

The Blaze made a furious fourth quarter comeback to overtake the Hawks in their Friday night encounter. Timely outside shots from Adam Gibson and Chris Goulding along with the hustle of Mike Vukona put the Breakers over the top in the torrid affair.

Michael Joiner, in what turned out to be his farewell outing, led the Blaze with 18 points, Ayinde Ubaka had 15 points/5 assists, James Harvey dropped in 14 points and Vukona added 10 points/13rebounds to his all in effort for the Blaze.

Twain McKee 23 points/9 rebounds/6 assists was again Mr. Everything for the Hawks while Glen Saville added 16 points/9 rebounds.

Wildcats 91/Crocs 89

A fierce final quarter fight back led by Kevin Lisch erased a four point Townsville lead as the Wilcats escaped with the narrow victory.

Lish scored 16 points for the night to lead a balanced Wildcat attack. Shawn Redhage 15 points/8 rebounds, Jesse Wagstaff 11 points, Martin Cattalini 11 points and Damian Martin 7 assists were other contributors to the cause for Perth.

Mike Cedar fired in 24 points to lead the Crocs with help from Corey Williams (17 points/5 assists/6 rebounds), Roland Roberts (13 points/8rebounds), and Cameron Toovey (10 points/7 rebounds).

I will finish the review of Round 2 tomorrow and have a preview of the Wednesday night match.

AIS finishes Double of Doom and Adelaide rips Sydney to round out first week of WNBL action

There was sport other than the NRL Grand Final happening on Sunday with two NBL matches taking place.

The AIS finished the second leg of their Queensland double with another comprehensive loss at Townsville by a score of 97-62 while in Adelaide, the Link opened their season with an 86-73 victory of the visiting Sydney Flames.

In Townsville the Fire blazed away to a 26-14 quarter time lead and were rarely bother in the win over the students. Amy Lewis covered the absence of Rohanee Cox, topping the Fire score tally with 21 points. Rachael Flanagan added 19 points with Aneka Davis (12 points/12 rebounds), Leah Rush (12 points/9 rebounds) and Rebecca Schatz (12 points) providing additional punch.

Jillian Haughton with 11 points and Tayla Roberts 10 points/9 rebounds were best on court for the students.

In Adelaide, Jess Foley (25 points) and Angela Marino (15 points) helped the Link offset 29 points by Opal Suzy Batkovic-Brown who was seeing her first WNBL action since 2002. The link used a strong second stanza to pull away to an 11 point (43-32) half time lead and stretched it to as much as 18 points (71-53) in the third term before holding on for the final margin of 86-73.

Marino added 8 assists and Foley grabbed 7 rebounds to go along with their respective scoring totals. Cayla Francis added 14 points, Mia Newley chipped in with 11 points/7 rebounds and Sam Woosnam dished out 7 assists and snared 7 boards for the Link.

Natalie Porter posted 21 points/9 rebounds and Deanna Smith put in 10 points for the Flames in the losing effort.

The rest of the WNBL wrap thus far.

Here are match reports from the rest of the WNBL weekend with todays Adelaide Link/ Sydney Flames match yet to come.

Match reports courtesy of: wnbl.com.au

Bendigo/Dandenong

Kristi's return lifts Bendigo over Dandenong

With Kristi Harrower fresh off a plane from the WNBA playoffs, the 2008/09 WNBL All-Star led the Bendigo Bank Spirit over Victorian rival Dandenong Jayco Rangers 70-55 in their season opener on Friday night in Dandenong.

Harrower, playing with Bendigo on a short-term contract, led all scorers with 23 points, supported by Kelly Wilson with 20 points and eight rebounds. Great Britain international Megan Moody led the Rangers with 18 points and seven rebounds.

It was a nervous start to the season for both teams with defence ruling in the opening quarter as Bendigo established a three point lead at the first break, 9-6.

A 22-12 second quarter gave the Spirit some breathing space and they managed to hold off Dandenong in an otherwise close match.

Fresh Bendigo recruits Marita Payne made five blocks and posted eight points for her new team, while Canadian Chelsea Aubry grabbed seven rebounds but failed to score. Dandenong’s American import Casey Nash added nine points and eight rebounds.

While the Spirit endeavour to secure Kristi Harrower on a season-long contract, Bendigo will face Adelaide Lightning next week before Dandenong travels to Sydney to take on the Flames.

BENDIGO SPIRIT 70 (Kristi Harrower 23, Kelly Wilson 20, Louise McLean 8, Marita Payne 8) bt
DANDENONG RANGERS 55 (Megan Moody 18, Alison Downie 10, Casey Nash 10)

Sydney/Perth

Sydney Uni hold off Perth

The ACUVUE Sydney Uni Flames have held off a second half onslaught from the Go for 2 & 5 Perth Lynx to record a 12-point triumph at Perry Lakes Stadium on Friday night.

Back on her old stomping ground, former Lynx MVP winner Deanna Smith top-scored for her new club in a glittering start to the new season. 2007/08 WNBL MVP Nat Porter also made a triumphant return to the league for Sydney Uni, matching Smith for 17 points. Texas A&M graduate Takia Starks posted a team high 15 points for the Lynx.

In the end, the home team were left to rue a poor first term that had them playing catch-up basketball for the remainder of the night against their much more fancied opponents.

A 22-7 first quarter appeared to set the scene for what looked to be a very bad night for the home side as they struggled in both offence and defence, allowing the Flames to control the key at both ends of the court.

Not helping their cause, Perth’s field shooting looked terrible at just 11% for the first quarter, landing just one basket from within the key.

Regaining some composure in the second term, the home side managed to get their defensive zone working and finally put some pressure on the Sydney shooters, but at the half time break a big deficit still lay ahead.

Trailing by 19 points, the nervous Lynx rallied to finally settle into their grove, heavily outscoring their opposition and pegging the margin back 50 - 54 at the last change. Their charge lead by new import Takia Starks who racked up ten points for the period.

But all their good work in the third term became unravelled early in the last period. With the Flames reverting to a zone defence, the Lynx were again forced to shoot from outside the key, lacking the composure that held them together in the third term.

Managing just two baskets for the first half of the final period, the Lynx also got into foul trouble early in the quarter losing Kate Malpass and Rebecca Mercer who both racked up five personal fouls.

The veteran heads of Sydney then took over to steady the ship to eventually claim a deserved victory.

Perth now have 9 day break to lick their wounds before hosting Bendigo at Perry Lakes Sunday 17th Oct from 3:30pm while Sydney finish their road double header with a game against Adelaide this weekend.

SYDNEY UNI FLAMES 73 (Deanna Smith 17, Natalie Porter 17, Mikaela Dombkins 15) bt
PERTH LYNX 61 (Takia Starks 15, Danielle Campbell 14, Melissa Marsh 11)

Courtesy of David MacRae for www.lmsc.com.au

Bulleen strong in Opening round of WNBL

The Bulleen Boomers have put themselves near the top of the heap as the team to beat in the WNBL this season. The Boomers easily accounted for defending champions Canberra 88-73 in Saturday afternoons feature match of the round.

Size was a huge advantage for Bulleen in the form of Opals Elyse Penaluna and Elizabeth Cambage. The two combined to dominate from the inside and limited the effect of the Capitals centre Tracey Beatty who fouled out of the match and had a total of only ten minutes court time.

The win gained a measure of revenge for Bulleen after last seasons title game loss to the Canberra crew.

Penaluna led the Boomers with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Cambage added another 4 blocks to go with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Hanna Zavecz 19 points/9 rebounds, Sharin Milner 12 points/9 assists and Jenna O'hea 9 points/7 rebounds were also key contributors to the victory.

For Canberra, Natalie Hurst popped in 25 points with support from Jessica Bibby who provided 15 points. Marianna Tolo battled gallantly on the inside and finished with 6 points and 7 rebounds to go with her 7 points.