The star of the show: Dandenong guard Kathleen Macleod blitzed the AIS students last week, scoring 32 points and netting four from five three-point attempts.By Glen Atwell
THE Dandenong Rangers exacted winning revenge on the Australian Institute of Sport students in their Women’s National Basketball League at Southern Cross Stadium last Friday night.
The 81-60 victory instantly erased nightmarish memories of the Rangers shock two-point loss to the AIS back in October.
That win was the institute’s only victory for the season.
But on Friday night, Dandenong turned the tables and kept the dream of playing WNBL finals alive.
Rangers’ guard Kathleen Macleod was inspirational in the game that Dandenong forward Shelley Hammonds returned to the court after suffering knee injuries for the past two years.
Macleod scored 11 field goals from 18 attempts and netted four three-pointers from five shots outside the arc.
Coach Gary Fox said he was pleased to have Hammonds back and Macleod firing.
“Shelley has put in so much hard work, it’s great to have her back on the court,” he said.
“Both Kathleen and Sam (Richards) are finding some great form, it’s a real bonus.”
Macleod scored a game-high 32 points, 20 points clear of Dandenong’s next contributor Larissa Cavanagh, who scored 12.
The Rangers led the game from start to finish, despite being outscored by the AIS 26-23 in the second term.
With the end of the season just four games away, the spotlight is well and truly focused on the WNBL ladder.
Bulleen (10-8) remain in fourth position, while Dandenong and Townsville are both locked on nine wins and eight losses.
Only one question remains unanswered: who will stumble on the way to the finish line?
On Saturday night, Dandenong clash with second-placed Canberra in another make-or-break match.
Townsville host top of the table Adelaide and Bulleen play Canberra on Sunday.
This weekend should see at least one of three sides vying for a finals’ position bow out of contention.
Fox is confident it won’t be the Rangers.
“We go into every match with a certain sense of confidence, there’s a lot riding on the result for both sides so the pressure will be on,” he said. “We must win every match, and we make the finals, that’s the simple equation.”
Dandenong plays two of the top four sides in the run home, but Fox said this was a positive.
“Who wants to be in the finals if you can’t beat the teams there?” he asked.
Dandenong plays Canberra at the Dandenong Basketball Stadium on Saturday night. Tip-off is 7.30pm.
