By JARROD POTTER
SHOOTING woes dogged the Dandenong Rangers, who failed to fire in their 75-89 WNBL loss to Bendigo.
Dandenong poorly fired its way to defeat number six following a 37.8 per cent effort which was only flatteringly boosted in the final term after the match was beyond their reach.
Bendigo made sure any Dandenong gain was quashed in quick response – Belinda Snell (12 points) and Chelsea Aubry (10 point) found their long game instantly and kept the Rangers on the back-foot.
Nothing fell for the Rangers as a number of shots skimmed the ring or bounced out as the margin blew out beyond 20 points through the third term.
Without excelling, Dandenong showed there is enough talent in the roster to fight out the rest of its 14 games remaining this season.
While the scoreline blew out, there remained a lot of intrigue in the clash as tantalising battles at all positions kept the fans interested.
The skirmishes between Dandenong’s international powerhouse Penny Taylor (17 points, five rebounds, four assists) and Bendigo’s rising star forward Sara Blicavs (24 points, four rebounds) enthralled the large crowd at Dandenong Basketball Stadium, as Blicavs and Taylor traded points and steals at both ends of the court.
Annalise Pickrel (14 points, four rebounds) and Lauren Scherf (12 points) had the hardest task of the day as the centre-combo toiled under the ring to curtail the power of Opals-listed centre Gabe Richards (15 points, eight rebounds), while Alice Kunek (four points) had to contend with grand final MVP Kelsey Griffin (nine points, 12 rebounds).
The energy of guard Aimie Clydesdale (six points, two rebounds) was another promising factor in the loss as she is on track for her best year yet on the stat-sheet.
The Rangers are anchored to the bottom of the WNBL ladder – with a 2-6 record.
Dandenong will host University of Canberra Capitals at Dandenong Basketball Stadium from 6.30pm on Saturday evening.
