Rangers clip Falcon’s wings

By Paul Pickering
DANDENONG served up an early-season ego check to championship contender Waverley on Sunday, surviving a second-half arm wrestle to overpower the Falcons 86-85 on their home court.
The highly anticipated Big V league clash pitted the two-time defending champion Rangers against the team many believe can challenge the Dandenong dynasty.
And while Waverley proved it is a legitimate threat, the unbeaten Rangers managed to defy a Falcons squad that has been purpose-built to dethrone them.
After trailing 52-49 at halftime, Dandenong’s much-lauded defence strangled the Falcons in the third to reclaim a 61-60 lead at the last break.
And despite the urgings of a frenzied home crowd, the resilient Rangers held off the late charge to maintain the narrowest of margins.
After the match, Dandenong star Ash Cannan said the group had been eyeing their first match-up with the all-star Falcons for some time.
“They’ve stacked their team with all these big name players in an effort to beat Dandenong,” he said.
“So it was a real challenge for us to show that we’re a better team – as opposed to a group of high-quality individuals.”
Cannan led the Rangers with 19 points, while Waverley’s Chris Cameron – a 211cm giant playing for the NBL’s Singapore Slingers – scored a game-high 26.
But the key contribution may have come from Dandenong import Vince Inglima (13 points, seven rebounds), who held Waverley guard – and South Dragon – Brad Hill to just eight points for the night.
Young centre Matt Witherden was again a force in the paint, claiming 10 points and 14 rebounds to go with a 23-point outing in Dandenong’s 119-75 win over Eltham on Saturday night – when Cannan (24, 12), Brent Hobba (22, 15) and Inglima (19) were also prominent.
The Rangers (5-0) are now looking forward to hosting Hume City (2-2) in another brutal encounter this Saturday, having narrowly defeated the Broncos at Broadmeadows a fortnight ago.
Meanwhile, Dandenong’s Championship Women have vaulted to second on the ladder with back-to-back wins over Bulleen and Waverley on the weekend.
On Saturday night, Melissa Colcott’s 21 points guided the Rangers to an emphatic 82-48 result against the Boomers.
Colcott then dropped another 15 points on the Falcons on Sunday to secure divisional Player of the Week honours and spearhead an impressive 65-58 victory.
Having claimed the prized scalp of the previously unbeaten Falcons, Dandenong (3-1) will now host Hume City (2-2) in the first game of the double-header at Stud Road this Saturday.
Tip-off in the women’s game is at 5.30pm, before the men hit the floor from 7.30pm.