Locals shine for Opals

DANDENONG basketballers Jacinta Hamilton, Emily McInerny and Kathleen Macleod played prominent roles in the Australian Opals’ thrilling 70-66 loss to the Czech Republic on Saturday night.
The Opals are competing at the 2006 Shanghai Bao Shan International Women’s Basketball Tournament in China.
The Opals that are missing the bulk of its senior players, took the game right up to the European Champions, but the Czech team relied on blistering three-point shooting to maintain a slender lead throughout.
The Opals staged a fourth-quarter comeback with McInerny’s defence, in particular, on Czech star Viteckova vital in the Opals’ effort to draw scores level with two minutes remaining.
Some near misses, coupled with another Czech three-pointer, cost the Opals a potentially great win.
Dandenong centre, Emma Randall, suffered an ankle injury early in the game and sat out the remainder of the match, forcing Stirling to use a different rotation.
Opals’ team doctor, Scott Burne, said Randall had a slight strain, but should be fit for the final two games of the Opals’ tour.
Opals’ coach Jan Stirling said while the loss was disappointing, as the game was very winnable, it was pleasing to see the team come back after the previous loss to China.
“It competed like Opals teams traditionally do,” she said.
Carly Wilson is Dandenong’s other representative in the Opals’ squad.