Spirit pip Rangers to stay unbeaten

Updated October 28, 2012 06:37:54

Bendigo battled out a tough contest with defending WNBL champion Dandenong before prevailing 82-80 on Saturday night to remain undefeated this season.

The Spirit trailed by just a point at half-time before the Rangers took advantage in the third period, extending their lead to seven points going into the final quarter.

But a strong performance saw the home side outscore the visitors by nine in the fourth to seal victory.

Chantella Perera, Kristi Harrower and Gabrielle Richards all posted 18 points for Bendigo, the latter adding 10 rebounds as well. Kelly Wilson had 14 points and eight boards for the Spirit.

Dandenong star Kathleen MacLeod was the stand-out for her team, leading all scorers with 21 points and adding seven assists and two rebounds, but her efforts were not quite enough.

The Capitals also pulled off a narrow win, escaping a late surge to beat Logan 71-68 in Canberra.

The Thunder stormed home with an 18-12 final period but the Caps had done just enough early on to stay in front.

Nicole Hunt had a team-high 20 points for Canberra, while Brigette Ardossi cleaned the glass to the tune of 11 rebounds to go with her 14-point haul.

The star of the show was Logan star Emma Langford, who went 8-for-18 for 24 points and pulled down 10 boards as she carried her team towards a fast finish.

Elsewhere, the Boomers blew out Townsville Fire 87-59 in a lopsided affair in Bulleen.

Elyse Panaluna made 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting to lead the hosts with 18 points, as Alice Kunek and Rachel Jarry chipped in with 15 apiece.

Townsville's Mia Newley and Kayla Standish were the lone bright sparks, posting 18 and 14 respectively in the yawning loss.

In Perth, Adelaide Link established a 12-point buffer over the West Coast Wave and never looked back, running out 75-65 winners.

For Adelaide, Jo Hill top-scored with 14 points, while Suzy Batkovic and Jennifer Screen had 12 points apiece.

The Wave relied heavily on Natalie Burton, who was 8-for-14 from the field for 16 points and pulled down 10 rebounds - Melissa Marsh scored 15 points and had five assists.

Tags: wnbl, sport, basketball, bendigo-3550, vic, australia

First posted October 27, 2012 22:42:24

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Rangers advance to prelim final

Updated February 26, 2012 18:28:14

The Rangers overturned a seven-point deficit in the last quarter to defeat Townsville 77-66 in the WNBL minor semi-final in Dandenong.

The hosts trailed 65-58 with just over seven minutes to go, but outscored the fading Fire 19-1 over the remainder of the game, notching the last 13 points.

The Rangers, who have won seven straight games, will play the preliminary final against minor premier Adelaide, which they beat by 20 and 31-point margins in their past two encounters.

The Fire, coming off a midweek elimination final home win over Sydney, missed their last nine field goal attempts.

Jenna O'Hea topscored for the Rangers with 24, but it was Canadian centre Krista Phillips who shone brightest for the home team.

She tallied 17 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks.

Phillips also shut down Shanavia Dowdell after half-time, the American scoring just two of her 16 points after the long break.

With Dowdell and Jess Foley (six points from two of 11 field goal attempts) struggling, it was teenager forward Nadeen Payne who kept the Fire competitive.

The Australian junior representative scored 18 points in just under 22 minutes.

The Rangers led by three at the first break and one at half-time.

There were seven lead changes in the first three and a half minutes of the third quarter before the Fire logged nine straight points and led by six at three-quarter time.

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175

First posted February 26, 2012 18:28:14

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Rangers sink Boomers in WNBL final

Updated March 12, 2012 09:03:32

Dandenong Rangers have won the most unlikely of WNBL crowns, beating defending champions Bulleen Boomers 94-70 in the grand final on Sunday.

The Rangers, who looked unlikely to even make the finals two months ago, won their ninth successive match to win their first WNBL title since 2005.

Point guard Kath MacLeod was immense in a sensational team shooting performance, with 22 points and nine assists - shooting at 67 per cent from the field and winning the MVP.

Backcourt partner Jenna O'Hea was equally brilliant with 20 points, while Steph Cumming had 19 off seven-from-11 field goal shooting.

"I was sitting in the crowd last year, and I was drinking - I wanted to be out there," MacLeod said.

O'Hea remembered: "It's probably the drunkest I've ever seen her. She was sitting on the sidelines, hands in the air cheering for me, so to win it with her this year was amazing."

MacLeod's eventful match included giving coach Mark Wright a half-time spray, then limping off the floor at three-quarter-time after a Bulleen player fell across her leg as the pair tussled on the ground.

Wright admitted MacLeod's remarkable passion was part of what he wanted at the Rangers - players having their say and helping drive the team on to better things.

"She was angry. She was telling the coach we needed to fix some [stuff] up," Wright said of MacLeod's emotional outburst at him at half-time.

"We had some breakdowns (in play) and we needed to fix it.

"That's what's been going on in this group. they have a say, and they have an ear. It makes sense, and we do it."

While Bulleen's national team star Liz Cambage led her side with 22 points and 14 rebounds at a sold-out State Netball Centre in Melbourne, there were patchy contributions from her team-mates.

In contrast, the Rangers recovered from a rocky start to get the absolute maximum out of both stars and bench.

Bulleen shot out to an early 11-4 lead, before the Rangers dragged themselves back into the match with a 12-0 run - eight from Cumming - to hold an eight-point quarter-time lead.

Shooting as high as 60 per cent from the field during the second quarter, the Rangers kept their foot down as the Boomers struggled to get anything going offensively and led 41-33 at half-time.

Bulleen crept to within five points early in the third quarter, but the Rangers kept lifting.

MacLeod, who ran the floor to perfection, gave her side a late third-quarter scare when a Bulleen player fell on her leg as the pair tussled on the ground for a ball.

But heavily strapped, she returned to the court a few minutes into the final term and helped her side parlay a 14-point three-quarter time lead into a championship few expected.

Dandenong's nine-match winning streak after a poor start to the season included three wins over minor premiers Adelaide Lightning, whom they knocked out in the preliminary final, as well as the second-placed Boomers.

For Wright, it was the first top-level championship of a long coaching career at both men's and women's level.

"It's really big. I'm just so pleased I've been able to coach a team that enjoys being together, and I enjoy being with them," Wright said.

"I enjoy the whole week, every single week. It's refreshing being around them."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175, vic, australia, bulleen-3105

First posted March 11, 2012 17:20:41

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Rangers humble Waves

Updated February 10, 2012 22:03:16

The Rangers cruised to a 101-53 thrashing of West Coast Waves in their round 17 WNBL clash at Dandenong Basketball Stadium.

The hosts exerted their dominance in the opening quarter, having led 27-16 at the first break, before completing the job to run out comfortable winners.

Jenna O'Hea led the scoring for the Rangers with 23 points, while Stephanie Cumming added a 22-point haul.

Rohanee Cox was the Waves' top scorer with 13 points.

Meanwhile, the Lightning proved too strong for Bulleen Boomers at Adelaide Arena, winning 71-58.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175

First posted February 10, 2012 22:03:16

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Rangers edge Lightning to book final berth

Updated March 04, 2012 20:14:38

Dandenong's Jenna O'Hea can look forward to playing her former side Bulleen in the first all-Victorian WNBL grand final in 25 years, after starring in a 91-78 preliminary final away win over minor premier Adelaide on Sunday.

The red-hot Rangers posted their eighth straight victory and their third in four matches this season against the Lightning, who went out of the finals in straight sets.

Adelaide looked in control after a 14-2 run either side of half-time gave the hosts a 48-35 lead early in the third quarter.

Dandenong's revival was sparked by former Bulleen junior and Adelaide player Tegan Cunningham, who scored 10 of her 18 points in the third quarter.

Trailing 60-58 at the last change, Dandenong scored the first six points of the final term and outscored Adelaide 33-18 in a one-sided quarter.

O'Hea, who was part of Bulleen's title winning team last year, almost amassed a triple double, tallying 28 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Adelaide centre Suzy Batkovic hit a match-high 34, but her only real support came from Amy Lewis who scored 17, eight of them in the final quarter after Dandenong established a double-digit advantage.

Dandenong has not won a WNBL title since 2004-05 and its last grand final appearance was the following season.

The Rangers were languishing in seventh spot before beginning the late season surge that has carried them to next Sunday's grand final in Melbourne.

"Our greatest fans probably wouldn't have thought this was possible, it's very exciting for us," O'Hea told Grandstand.

Dandenong shot at 55 per cent for the game and at better than 60 per cent after quarter time.

O'Hea had plenty of help apart from Cunningham, with Canadian centre Krista Phillips tallying 14 points and 14 rebounds, Kathleen MacLeod scoring 13 points and six assists and Stephanie Cumming netting 12 points.

Cumming appeared to suffer a corked thigh.

Adelaide lost veteran Jo Hill with a calf injury in the the second quarter and finished the season with three straight losses.

"This is a wake-up call, but it's also sad, we're a better team than what we showed the last few weeks," Batkovic told Grandstand.

Bulleen beat Dandenong by margins of five, six and 10 in their three regular season encounters.

"We haven't beaten Bulleen this year, so it's going to be another torrid affair," Dandenong coach Mark Wright said.

"I think they are desperate to hang onto the crown and we are just as desperate to take it off them."

AAP

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, vic, dandenong-3175, adelaide-5000

First posted March 04, 2012 17:28:04

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Rangers knock off leaders

Updated January 22, 2012 00:09:31

Dandenong Rangers pulled off a superb 20-point victory over WNBL leaders Adelaide Lightning despite missing leading scorer Suzy Batkovic.

Skipper Kathleen Macleod top-scored with 16 points, as well as seven assists, while Jenna O'Hea also contributed heavily with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

The Lightning, perhaps feeling the strain after beating Benigo 24 hours earlier, were led by Abby Bishop who scored 19 points.

Elsewhere on Saturday night, six players hit double figures as the Bulleen Boomers crushed the AIS.

Liz Cambage hit 17 points, Rachel Jarry 15, Alice Kunek 14 and Jo Leedham 13.

The Bombers close the gap on leaers Adelaide as a result of these results.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, dandenong-3175, vic, australia

First posted January 22, 2012 00:09:31

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Boomers down Rangers in OT

Updated November 13, 2011 20:22:20

Defending WNBL champion Bulleen needed extra time to see off tough challenger Dandenong 93-87 in their Sunday evening clash.

Krista Phillips drained a basket for the Rangers with six seconds on the clock in regular time that locked things up at 83-83.

But the Boomers prevailed in overtime, outscoring the visitors 10-4 to snatch their fifth win of their title defence.

Opals centre Elizabeth Cambage had 22 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks for Bulleen while guard Samantha Richards matched her output for the hosts.

Johannah Leedham had 19 and nine boards while Rachel Jarry (17 points, 10 boards) also chimed in with a double-double.

Dandenong's Jenna O'Hea dropped five three-pointers on her way to a game-high 27 points and added nine rebounds and seven assists.

But even with help from Kathleen MacLeod (21 points), Phillips (16 points, 11 boards) and Stephanie Cumming (13) the Rangers could not get it done.

Earlier, the Canberra Capitals moved off the bottom of the ladder with a 100-65 win over fellow strugglers West Coast Waves at AIS Areana.

Jess Bibby and Marianna Tolo top-scored with 21 points while Carly Wilson supported well with 18 points and three assists.

Nikita-Lee Martin and Rohanee Cox netted 18 points for the Waves.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, bulleen-3105, dandenong-3175, vic, perth-6000, wa, canberra-2600, act, australia

First posted November 13, 2011 20:22:20

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